LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
“The religious sentiments of 1.5 billion Muslims have been deeply hurt by the US’ decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city of Jerusalem, instead of ‘advancing the peace process’ the US move has dealt the severest blow to the efforts of peace”, he said, stating that the Palestinians have been deceived once again.
He said that the decision of the Trump administration has reinforced the Palestinians’ lack of trust in the honesty of Washington as a trusted and fair-minded peace broker.
The CM said that when one of the parties demonstrates a massive no-confidence to a decades-old conflict and feels that it has been stabbed in the back, there is no way a peace process can bear fruit. He also said that with this reckless and irresponsible US policy reversal, the goal of finding a two-state solution has become even more distant.
The CM said that the world has rightly been outraged by the action of the Trump administration, whose understanding of history is fickle and self-serving.
The chief minister endorsed President Erdogan’s comment wherein the Turkish leader had said that by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the US has crossed the ‘red-line’ for Muslims. He warned that the step has opened old wounds and exposed the Middle East to a new era of fresh uncertainty and chaos. He stated that the world can’t afford such narrow-minded policies that seem to insult the intelligence of the people and that the Palestinians’ right to have an independent homeland of their own is sanctioned by the United Nations(UN) resolutions and the conscience of the world.
Instead of taking steps to reignite peace process, the US under President Trump has complicated the regional situation that will have graver implications for the world peace in general and the stability and peace of the Middle East in particular.
Shehbaz Sharif reiterated the resolve of the government and people of Pakistan saying that they will continue to extend every possible support to the Palestinian cause at every level.