Foreign ministers from 19 countries have strongly condemned Colombia’s inauguration of its embassy in occupied Jerusalem, denouncing the move as a violation of United Nations resolutions and a blow to international efforts to secure a just and lasting peace for the Palestinian people.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen expressed their unequivocal rejection of the decision.

The ministers stressed that any attempt to alter the legal or historical status of occupied Jerusalem or recognize it as Israel’s capital was null and void and carried no legal effect.

They reaffirmed that Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967, underscoring that unilateral measures concerning the city’s status cannot override international law or the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

The statement cited UN Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478, adopted in 1980, which reject attempts to change Jerusalem’s character and status and call on states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city.

The ministers warned that moves undermining Jerusalem’s status threaten international efforts to achieve a just settlement based on the two-state solution and risk further undermining the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights.

They called on the Colombian government to reverse its decision, comply with its obligations under international law and refrain from actions that prejudice Palestinian rights.

Reaffirming their support for the Palestinian people’s legitimate national aspirations, the ministers stressed the need for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The statement underscores the continuing international opposition among the signatories to measures that seek to legitimize Israel’s claim to occupied East Jerusalem, which Palestinians regard as the capital of their future state. (ILKHA)