Muslim countries condemn Colombia’s embassy inauguration in Jerusalem

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Ministers of several Muslim countries have reaffirmed that any measure or decision intended to alter the legal or historical status of occupied Jerusalem, or to recognize it as Israel’s capital, is null and void and has no legal effect.

“This position is consistent with relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, particularly Security Council Resolutions 476 (1980) and 478 (1980), which reject attempts to change Jerusalem’s character or status and call on States to withdraw diplomatic missions from the city, which is part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967” a joint statement issued by Pakistani foreign office stated on Friday.

The Foreign Ministers of , the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Palestine, the Republic of Türkiye, the Republic of Djibouti, the Lebanese Republic, the State of Libya, the Republic of Yemen, the State of Qatar, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Federal Republic of Somalia, Malaysia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Kuwait, the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Sultanate of Oman, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Republic of the Sudan, strongly condemn and express their unequivocal rejection of the inauguration by the Republic of Colombia of its embassy in Jerusalem, a step that contravenes relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and undermines international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on the two-State solution.

The Ministers reaffirm that any measure or decision intended to alter the legal or historical status of occupied Jerusalem, or to recognize it as Israel’s capital, is null and void and has no legal effect. This position is consistent with relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, particularly Security Council Resolutions 476 (1980) and 478 (1980), which reject attempts to change Jerusalem’s character or status and call on States to withdraw diplomatic missions from the city, which is part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967.

The Ministers call upon the Colombian Government to reconsider and reverse this decision, uphold its obligations under international law, and refrain from measures that prejudice the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to an independent and sovereign Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The status of Jerusalem remains one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. East Jerusalem was captured by Israel during the 1967 war and is claimed by the Palestinians as the capital of their future state. The international community has generally rejected unilateral measures to alter the city’s status, maintaining that its final status should be determined through negotiations.

UN Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478, adopted in 1980, rejected Israeli measures seeking to change the character and status of Jerusalem. Resolution 478 declared such measures null and void and called on states that had established diplomatic missions in Jerusalem to withdraw them. The resolutions form part of the international legal framework underpinning opposition to unilateral changes to the city’s status.

The inauguration of Colombia’s embassy in Jerusalem has drawn condemnation from Pakistan and other Muslim countries, which maintain that the move undermines international efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement based on the two-state solution. The foreign ministers have urged the Colombian government to reverse its decision, reiterating their support for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.