After US veto, UN assembly to vote on Jerusalem resolution

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December 19, 2017 3:56 PM

The UN General Assembly will hold an emergency session Thursday to vote on a draft resolution rejecting President Donald Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital after the United States vetoed the measure at the Security Council.

Turkey and Yemen requested the urgent meeting of the 193-nation assembly on behalf of the Arab group of countries and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Miroslav Lajcak, the president of the General Assembly, informed all 193 delegations of the emergency session in a letter sent late Monday.

The United States on Monday vetoed the draft resolution reaffirming that any decision on the status of Jerusalem has no legal effect and must be rescinded.

Egypt had put forward the draft which was backed by all 14 other Security Council members.

Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour said a similar draft resolution will be presented to the assembly and he expects "overwhelming support" for the measure.

No country has veto powers in the 193-nation assembly, contrary to the council where the United States, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution.

"The General Assembly will say, without the fear of the veto, that the international community is refusing to accept the unilateral position of the United States," Mansour told reporters.

Trump's December 6 decision to recognize Jerusalem broke with international consensus, triggering protests across the Muslim world and drawing strong condemnation.

Key US allies Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Ukraine were among the 14 countries in the 15-member council that voted in favor of the measure.

After the clash at the top UN body, the White House announced that US Vice President Mike Pence was delaying a trip to the Middle East planned for this week.

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