Egypt's Efforts to Secure UN Security Council Opinion on Jerusalem's Status

"Any decision or action that leads to a change in the nature, position, or demographic composition of Jerusalem has no legal standing, is devoid of value and credibility, and must revert to its original state in accordance with Security Council resolutions." This is part of the text of Egypt's one-page draft resolution presented to the 15 members of the Security Council on Saturday, which Reuters and the French news agency have seen... According to diplomats, the Security Council could decide on it on Monday or Tuesday. The Egyptian draft considers any decision regarding the status of Jerusalem to lack legal standing. It calls on all countries to "refrain from establishing their diplomatic missions in Jerusalem in accordance with Security Council Resolution 478 of 1980," which states that the final status of this disputed city will only be determined through peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. The text does not directly mention the United States or President Donald Trump. On December 6, Donald Trump, distancing himself from the policies of previous presidents, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announced that the U.S. embassy would be moved from Tel Aviv to this city. This decision faced widespread international reactions and protests from several European countries allied with the U.S. and many Islamic countries. Hussein Alizadeh, a former member of the "Iranian Interests Section in Egypt" now residing in Helsinki, states that last week’s Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting laid the groundwork for Egypt's draft resolution. He adds, "This organization, which includes 57 Islamic countries, held a meeting in Istanbul where they condemned Trump's action and stated that they would refer the matter to the United Nations. Egypt, now (as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council) representing countries opposed to Trump's decision, has proposed a resolution text. It has mobilized to stand against the United States at the UN." This researcher at the Peace Studies Center at Tampere University in Finland speculates that "the proposed resolution text has enough votes to pass in the UN Security Council, provided that the United States does not exercise its veto. However, it is very likely that the United States will use this right. Mr. Alizadeh concludes that "the draft will receive votes in the UN General Assembly, which will harm the prestige of the United States." Meanwhile, Mansour Farhang, a former Iranian ambassador to the UN in New York, states that referring Egypt's proposed draft to the UN General Assembly will yield no results for the U.S. and no gains for the Palestinians. According to this senior international relations professor at Bennington College in Vermont, "Egypt's proposal to the Security Council will face a U.S. veto and will have no specific impact on the situation and position of the Palestinians." Farhang states, "If the proposal goes to the UN General Assembly, that assembly has no duty or right under the UN Charter to tell a country what position it should take on such an issue. Even if, hypothetically, [Egypt's proposed text] is approved in the Security Council, it can only be used for propaganda purposes for Americans or Palestinians, but it will have the slightest effect on the reality of the matter." Farhang concludes that "as Mr. Netanyahu (the Israeli Prime Minister) always says directly and indirectly, let the sword decide. And for now, the sword of Israel is winning over the swords of its rivals. We are in such a situation, and the words that are said here and there for propaganda can be a moral balm for the wounds of the Palestinians, but they are no remedy for their pain." On the other hand, on Sunday, the Fatah organization led by Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, called for a furious demonstration on Wednesday to protest Vice President Mike Pence's visit to Jerusalem. This demonstration is intended to show opposition to Trump's mid-December decision. Mahmoud Abbas announced that the Palestinian Authority would avoid meeting with Mike Pence during his trip to the Middle East. The legal status of this holy city is a symbolic and sensitive issue in the confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians. On one hand, Palestinians consider Jerusalem to be their future capital. On the other hand, Israel, which seized East Jerusalem following the Six-Day War in 1967, claims the entire city as its capital. However, the international community has not accepted Israel's decision, and for this reason, in the seven decades since the establishment of Israel, most countries have chosen Tel Aviv over Jerusalem to establish their embassies.