WASHINGTON, DC – A leading American Muslim civil rights group has condemned the US decision to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for US President Donald Trump’s declaration of Al-Quds (Occupied Jerusalem) as the capital of Israel to be withdrawn.
“By ordering the veto of this mild and balanced resolution, the Trump administration further isolates America on the world stage and signals the counterproductive withdrawal of our nation from any role as a neutral mediator to bring peace and justice to the region,” Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said in a statement.
All 14 other Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution, which did not specifically mention the United States or Trump, but expressed “deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem [Al-Quds].”
CAIR has called on Americans of all backgrounds to contact their elected representatives to oppose Trump’s “reckless” change of policy on Al-Quds.
After the US veto, the United Nations’ General Assembly will hold an emergency special session on Thursday to address Trump’s Jerusalem policy change.
Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour said on Monday he hoped there would be “overwhelming support” in the General Assembly for the resolution. Such a vote is non-binding, but carries political weight.
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