UN General Assembly unanimously calls on US to revoke al-Quds decision

The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously voted in favor of a resolution that calls on the US to withdraw its controversial recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israeli “capital.”

The 193-nation assembly adopted the resolution on Thursday by a decisive vote of 128 to 9, with 35 abstentions.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to Twitter, hailing the vote as a “resounding” negative reply to US President Donald Trump’s “intimidation” in reference to his threat of reprisals against countries that support the measure.

Before the vote was held at the General Assembly, Trump had warned that “we’re watching,” threatening reprisals against countries that back the Jerusalem al-Quds resolution.

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also welcomed the Thursday development.

“The vote is a victory for Palestine,” said Nabil Abu Rdainah, who added, “We will continue our efforts in the United Nations and at all international forums to put an end to this occupation and to establish our Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.”

“This decision reaffirms once again that the just Palestinian cause enjoys the support of international law, and no decision by any party can change the reality,” the Palestinian president’s spokesman noted.

Meanwhile, Palestine’s UN Envoy Riyad Mansour described the UN vote as a “massive setback” for the United States, saying, “One hundred twenty-eight versus nine — that’s a massive setback for the United States of America.”

Hamas, Islamic Jihad welcome UN vote on Jerusalem al-Quds

Palestine’s Islamic Jihad movement also hailed the UN vote, describing it as a slap in the face for the United States and Israel.

In a statement released following the voting at the UN, the Islamic Jihad urged the Palestinian people to continue their uprising against Israel across the occupied territories.

In a related development, the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, welcomed the UN General Assembly resolution that called the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital “null and void.”

Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas, said in a statement that the resolution was “a step in the right direction” and “a blow to Trump’s announcement.”

The statement added that the resolution emphasized “the Palestinian right to the holy city.”

Ahead of the voting, US Ambassador Nikki Haley took the podium warning that “the United States will remember this day.”

“America will put our embassy in Jerusalem,” Haley said, adding, “No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that. But this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN.”