Jordan criticises opening of U.S. embassy in Jerusalem

Jordanian Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Mohammed Momani on Monday criticized the decision of the U.S. to open its embassy in Jerusalem, as the move would violate international law, local media reported.

In December, President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and instructed the U.S. State Department to launch the process of moving the U.S. Embassy, located in Tel Aviv, to Jerusalem.

Momani said, as cited by the Petra news agency, that the U.S. decision to open the diplomatic mission in Jerusalem violated the UN charter, as well as the UN Security Council resolution 478 that recognised East Jerusalem as an occupied city.

The minister said that Amman would continue working together with its Palestinian partners and stressed the need of international efforts to settle the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Israel seized then Jordan-controlled East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War.

In 1980, the Israeli parliament adopted the Jerusalem Law proclaiming the entire city Israel’s undivided capital.
The international community does not recognize the annexation and believes the status of Jerusalem should be agreed with the Palestinians, who claim its eastern part as the capital of their future state.