CAIRO, Monday, December 24, 2018 (WAFA) - Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Mishaal bin Fahm al-Salami, called on the Czech Republic not to transfer its embassy from Israel, the occupying power, to Jerusalem, to abide by the United Nations resolutions, and not to prejudice the historical and legal status of the occupied city of Jerusalem.

In identical letters sent to Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, President of the Senate, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, al-Salami stressed the Arab Parliament’s rejection to the statements made by President of the Czech Republic,  Miloš Zeman, regarding his plans to transfer his country’s embassy from Israel to the occupied city of Jerusalem.

The speaker of the Arab Parliament said this move is a blatant violation of the international law and legitimacy, and a radical change in the position of the Czech Republic, which was at the forefront of countries that recognized the State of Palestine in 1988.

Al-Salami called on the Parliament of the Czech Republic to urge its president to review and reverse his decision and not to transfer its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem.

He noted that it is of the utmost importance for the Czech republic to comply with UN resolutions on Jerusalem, principles of international law, and relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council.

He said the Czech Republic must comply with the UN General Assembly resolution: “Status of Jerusalem” - which gained international consensus - and by which it declared “null and void” any actions intended to alter Jerusalem’s character, status or demographic composition.  Calling on all States to refrain from establishing embassies in the Holy City, it also demanded that they comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions and work to reverse the “negative trends” imperilling a two state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

T.R.