The Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL) of Cyprus denounced the decision by the US to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and submitted a relevant resolution to the Cyprus Parliament.
ICP, 10 December 2017
According to the statement issued by the AKEL CC Press Office, AKEL denounced the unilateral decision of the US to proceed to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and underlined that the Cypriot government must stand against this decision.
The statement is as follows:
AKEL denounces the unilateral decision by the United States to proceed to the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which violates the resolutions and decisions of the United Nations on the special international status of the city. The status of Jerusalem is a central issue for a comprehensive solution of the Palestinian issue, and the position of the international community is that East Jerusalem will be the capital of the independent Palestinian state.
This provocative decision constitutes a flagrant violation of the Palestinian people’s national rights and represents support for the Israeli occupation, threatening to undermine the possibility of a two-state solution and to provoke new conflicts both in Jerusalem and in Palestine, and more broadly throughout the region.
We believe that the international community has an obligation to defend its decisions and principles of law, to uphold the right of the Palestinian people to an independent and viable state. This is a critical time during which the UN and the entire international community – together with the EU as well – must demand in practice the immediate termination of the 50-year Israeli occupation, the recognition of the independent Palestinian state – with East Jerusalem as its capital – as a full member of the UN.
We reiterate that the Cypriot government must adopt a position based on principles and stand against this decision otherwise it will be exposed in the eyes of the Arab world, but also the overwhelming majority of the international community.
AKEL reaffirms its full unreserved solidarity with the Palestinian people, which it will intensify in a variety of ways. The Palestinian people, like all the peoples of our region, have the right to freedom and peace.
AKEL has submitted a relevant resolution to the Cyprus Parliament.