Jerusalem: It’s the recognition of 3,000 years of history, says Israeli Ambassador

Jerusalem: It’s the recognition of 3,000 years of history, says Israeli Ambassador

The recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital by the U.S. Government consecrates a fact that is 3,000 years old, according to Israeli Ambassador to Belgium Simona Frankel. “It’s a historic decision, but also a decision that (confirms) reality,” Frankel said on La Première radio station. “It’s not American President Donald Trump who declared Jerusalem the capital of the Jewish people but King David, 3,000 years ago. It’s the recognition of history that is 3,000 years old.”

United Nations resolutions on the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, do not change anything, according to the Israeli representative. “The decisions of international organizations cannot change reality,” she said.

The ambassador called on the European Union to follow the U.S. example. “The Palestinians will then understand that they have no other choice but to return to the negotiating table to achieve peace,” she said.

In answer to questions from Bel-RTL and La Première, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders called the U.S. decision “regrettable” and contrary to international law.

“It opens up the risk of a conflagration in the region,” he said. “Perhaps an appeal for calm needs to be made now. I hope we’ll see a number of actors relaunch the dialogue; and the European Union probably has a role to play by showing that we are capable of discussing both with Israel and with Palestine.”

For the head of Belgian diplomacy, that dialogue must be resumed in the appropriate forum : the United Nations.


The Brussels Times


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