Owaisi and Congress condemn US move on Jerusalem, urge Indian govt to act

"It has been the consistent policy of India to support an independent Palestine," Owaisi tweeted.

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AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi and the Congress party on Friday urged the government to condemn the US decision to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Owaisi called the decision by US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel "condemnable".

The Hyderabad MP said the US move would make it much more difficult to achieve the goal of a sovereign and independent state of Palestine.

The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) President wanted to know the policy of Modi government on Trump's announcement.

"It has been the consistent policy of India to support an independent Palestine. This was reiterated on November 28, 2017," he tweeted.

"It has been consistent opinion of the world community, UN bodies and India that Jerusalem was occupied by Israel in the 1967 June war and it is an occupied territory," he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Friday said US President Donald Trump's move to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is "disturbing" and "in conflict with the United Nations' resolutions on Palestine".

The party also urged upon all parties concerned to resolve the Palestine issue peacefully and expeditiously in accordance with the 1993 Oslo Accord.

"The announcement of US President on Jerusalem has invited criticism and outrage of the international community. It is in conflict with the UN resolutions on Palestine. The development is disturbing," said Anand Sharma, who is Deputy leader of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha.

In a statement, Sharma said that the Congress urges all parties concerned to resolve the Palestine issue peacefully and expeditiously in accordance with the 1993 Oslo Accord between Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat.

He also said: "It is the duty of all member states of the United Nations to respect the resolutions on Palestine and to ensure that the status quo on Jerusalem is maintained as per the international consensus embodied in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 of August 20, 1980.

Trump on Wednesday formally recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in the face of international criticism while asserting that he was "not taking a position of any final status" of the ancient city that is also claimed by Palestine.

IANS inputs