December, 06 2017, 01:45pm EDT
For Immediate Release
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USA: Recognition Of Unified Jerusalem 'Reckless' and Undermines Palestinians' Human Rights
Condemning today's announcement by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, that the US is recognizing unified Jerusalem as Israel's capital and will move its embassy there, Raed Jarrar, Amnesty International USA's Middle East Advocacy Director, said:
"This is a reckless and provocative decision by the Trump administration that further undermines the human rights of the Palestinian people and is likely to inflame tensions across the region.
WASHINGTON
Condemning today's announcement by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, that the US is recognizing unified Jerusalem as Israel's capital and will move its embassy there, Raed Jarrar, Amnesty International USA's Middle East Advocacy Director, said:
"This is a reckless and provocative decision by the Trump administration that further undermines the human rights of the Palestinian people and is likely to inflame tensions across the region.
"By recognizing unified Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announcing the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv, President Trump has shown yet again his blatant disregard for international law.
"There is international consensus, including UN Security Council resolutions, on the illegality of Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem. With this move, the United States is violating its own international legal obligations not to recognize or assist an illegal situation and to ensure respect for the Geneva Conventions.
"No country in the world recognizes Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem, making the decision to confer US recognition deeply troubling. Not only does this decision contribute to undermining the international rule of law, it also shows a total disregard for mass human rights violations that Palestinians are facing as a result of Israel's annexation policies."
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. Our supporters are outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world - so we work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity. We have more than 2.2 million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries and regions and we coordinate this support to act for justice on a wide range of issues.
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Guterres "is particularly concerned over the hundreds of Israeli airstrikes on several locations in Syria" and has stressed the "urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country," said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
Israel claims its invasion and bombardment of Syria—which come as the United States and Turkey have also violated Syrian sovereignty with air and ground attacks—are meant to create a security buffer along the countries' shared border in the wake of last week's fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and amid the IDF's ongoing assault on Gaza, which has killed or wounded more than 162,000 Palestinians and is the subject of an International Court of Justice genocide case.
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