Trump's decision serves 'colonial nature' of Israel

By Hakan Copur and Muhammed Bilal Kenasari

ANKARA

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki on Thursday said U.S. President Donald Trump's decision on Jerusalem served the “colonial nature” of Israel.

Delivering a speech before a UN General Assembly Emergency Special Session, Malki stressed that no peace plan could be imagined excluding Jerusalem.

“The U.S. decision will not affect Jerusalem's status but Washington's role as mediator,” he said.

“Our meeting today is not to counter America, but because of its decision that attacked the religious position of Jerusalem,” he added.

The minister went on to say that: “Trump's decision serves the colonial nature of Israel and the forces of extremism in the world”.

“The peace process is not exclusive to anybody, and the Palestinian cause is the responsibility of the international community as a whole,” he added.

'Victory'

Speaking to reporters following the UN General Assembly meeting, the minister described the resolution as a “victory”.

“We will open a new page for Jerusalem today,” Maliki added.

Maliki said the U.S. president’s threats to cut aid to countries that voted to denounce his decision recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital did not change anything. “We don’t care about the threats. They threatened before voting, but the result is the evidence.”

The full 193-member UN General Assembly met Thursday for a rare emergency special session regarding Trump's Dec. 6 decision. Unlike at the Security Council, the U.S. has no veto power in the assembly.

UN member states overwhelmingly voted yes, with 128 countries expressing their rejection of Trump's move on the status of Jerusalem.