Israel today urged the Security Council “not to permit the voice of intolerance and prejudice to prevail” during the debate on Jerusalem which opened here this morning. The meeting was convened at the request of Pakistan, representing the Islamic Conference.
Pakistan said the Council meeting is needed “to examine the dangerous situation arising from the latest decision by the Israeli authorities seeking to annex and declare Al Quds Al Sharif (the Holy City of Jerusalem) as the capital of Israel.”
Today’s meeting opened with a sharply worded statement by Agha Shahi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, on behalf of the Islamic Conference, who blamed Israel for engaging in an “obsessive Zionist scheme to Judaize the Holy City. The Israeli announcement declaring the Holy City the capital is part of that design, “the Pakistani diplomat declared. “The Security Council should bring all possible pressure on the Israel authorities to rescind forthwith the administrative and juridical measures taken by them to annex and to destroy the character of the Al-Qudsesince its occupation. The arrogant and contemptuous statement made by the Israeli authorities two days ago, announcing the wholly illegal decision to shift the Israeli Prime Minister’s office to East Jerusalem, provides conclusive reason for the Security Council to act urgently and decisively in the matter,” he said.
BLUM CAUTIONS COUNCIL
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Yehuda Blum, using his right of reply after the Council heard several spokesmen representing the Islamic Conference view, stated, “We have heard in this meeting, right from the beginning, the shrill voice of hatred, incitement and fanaticism. As the representative of a people who, throughout the ages, has been the classical victim of this despicable phenomenon, I feel duty bound to caution against succumbing here to an evil that has brought so much misery not only in the past but even in our own time.”
Blum charged that the meeting was “characterized by intolerance and incitement” and asked: “Is Jerusalem being abused here for the sake of concerns connected with Kabul? Is Jerusalem’s sanctity being dragged into these discussions for the sake of all kinds of mundane interests totally extraneous and unrelated to it? “He also appealed to the Council to “substitute reason for prejudice and reconciliation for incitement.”
Sources here said the debate is likely to continue for several days. Although no draft resolution is ready yet, it was understood that any draft resolution will rebuke Israel and call for the imposition of sanctions against the Jewish State should it refuse to annul its Jerusalem policy. Blum will deliver his major address to the Council tomorrow.
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