Palestinian PM calls on UN to end Israeli occupation

By Qais Abu Samara

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah on Tuesday called on the UN Security Council to pressure Israel to end its decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories.

"We call on the UN and Security Council to shoulder their responsibilities and pressure Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian lands, including East Jerusalem," Hamdallah told a news conference ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah.

The Palestinian premier decried U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision last week to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, calling it "unfair" and "a violation of international legitimacy and UN Security Council resolutions and an assault on our people".

"We will never abandon Jerusalem or compromise its Arab identity and its holy sites,” he said, going on to call on the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to defend the holy city.

Hamdallah also called on world countries to recognize a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem – occupied by Israel in 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

The dramatic reverse of U.S. policy on Jerusalem has sparked a wave of protests across the Palestinian territories and several Arab and Muslim countries.