RAMALLAH, December 23, 2017 (WAFA) - The vote in the United Nations General Assembly on the draft resolution on Jerusalem was a major victory for Palestine and a grim failure for the United States, Foreign Minister Riyad Malki said on Saturday.

He told Voice of Palestine radio that the draft resolution was directed for the first time against US policy and not against Israel, adding that despite all the threats, pressures and extortion, it had the support of 128 countries.

Malki said four of the nine countries that opposed the resolution were countries that the US has the legal right to vote on its behalf and therefore the United States was actually able to mobilize only three countries to vote with it - Honduras, Guatemala and Togo.

Regarding the countries that did not attend the UN session, Malki considered that they did so to protect themselves from an American threat to cut aid to those that were going to vote against it and to not vote against Palestinian right.

He said that the Palestinian leadership intends to take further steps in the coming days and weeks in the United Nations, the Security Council, the Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court to further block the US decision recognizing Jerusalem as Israel‘s capital.

He added that the leadership will also follow up on the issue of the recognition of the State of Palestine specifically with the European countries, expressing hope that the coming weeks and months will see a breakthrough in this issue.

M.K.