EU, Jordan voice shared concern on US Jerusalem move

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA

The European Union’s foreign policy chief on Friday sounded the alarm on the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, warning of its “very worrying potential impact.”

At a joint news conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi, Federica Mogherini said: "We were in close contact as always but particularly in these last days during and after the announcement by Mr. Trump on the U.S. decision [on] Jerusalem.

“We both agree that it is a decision that has a very worrying potential impact in this very fragile context."

"No one can afford any further destabilization, and especially those living in the region... More violence and chaos are absolutely to be avoided, they are in no one’s interest," she added.

Mogherini stressed that "so many crises there are already ongoing in the region" and reiterated that the EU is "convinced the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states and with Jerusalem as the capital of both along the 1967 lines."

"I also spoke yesterday evening with Jared Kushner, the special advisor to Mr. Trump, to stress the EU position, the disagreements that we have expressed about the decision the U.S. administration has taken on Jerusalem," she added.

She also said the developments in Jerusalem concern not only Muslims or the region but the entire world.

Announcing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will arrive in Brussels on Monday, Mogherini said she will again express the union's "strong position" on the Jerusalem issue.

At the news conference, Safadi said: "The decision by the U.S. to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is very dangerous decision.

“Jordan believes that this is a decision that goes against international legitimacy, United Nations security resolutions, threatens to fuel tension and trigger anger across the Arab and Muslim world."

Wednesday’s dramatic shift in the U.S.’ Jerusalem policy has triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, and other Muslim countries.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.