An emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on Thursday condemning US President Donald Trump's decision to name Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

Watch video 07:51 UN vote on Jerusalem - DW's Carsten von Nahmen and Tania Krämer

A total of 128 countries voted in favor of the measure, nine voted against it and 35 countries abstained.

The United States and Israel were joined by Guatemala, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo in opposing the measure. Washington's North American neighbors Canada and Mexico abstained along with several eastern European countries, including Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania.

Alongside many Middle Eastern countries, much of western Europe supported the measure, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Support for the measure was lower than expected and 21 countries were absent, leading some to believe Washington's threat to cut off financial aid to countries that support the measure may have had an impact.

The draft resolution before the 193-member UN General Assembly reaffirms that Jerusalem is an issue that must be resolved through peace negotiations with Palestine and Israel. It would also make Trump's recent Jerusalem decision "null and void."

Nations weigh-in on vote

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the result, calling it "a victory for Palestine."

After the vote, the German Foreign Office tweeted its reasoning, writing that "the status of Jerusalem should be negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians. It should not be prejudged."

Israeli Prime Minister Banjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump for his stance on Jerusalem and condemned the vote. Earlier, he slammed the UN as a "house of lies."

"Israel rejects the UN decision and at the same time is satisfied with the high number of countries that did not vote in its favour," said a statement from Netanyahu's office.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that the vote showed the "illegality" of Trump's Jerusalem move and urged for the US to "rescind without further delay its unfortunate decision."

Read more: Jerusalem bishop says international community must bring justice to city

Watch video 00:35 Netanyahu blasts UN as 'house of lies'

'Today we are the seekers of peace'

Prior to the vote, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al Malki referenced the US threat that it was "taking names" of those who vote in favor of the measure.

"History records names, it remembers names — the names of those who stand by what is right and the names of those who speak falsehood. Today we are seekers of rights and peace," he told the General Assembly.

Read more: Hezbollah's young adherents emboldened after US announcement on Jerusalem

US ambassador Nikki Haley earlier reiterated Washington's threat to other countries concerning the vote in her comments to the international body.

"The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very right of exercising our right as a sovereign nation," she said.

"And we will remember when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit," Haley added.

Read more: 'Welcome to Jerusalem' exhibition explores a divided Holy City

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Clashes with police A Palestinian protester hurls stones toward Israeli police during clashes near the Jewish settlement of Beit Al, close to the West Bank city of Ramallah. Palestinians called for a "day of rage" in response to US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. At least two protesters were killed on Friday during clashes with security forces.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Protests following prayers Jerusalem itself has seen some of the largest protests, as here in front of the Dome of the Rock Islamic shrine at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City. Hundreds of additional police were deployed to control the masses of protesters after Palestinian calls for protests after Friday prayers.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Protests reach Iraq And those calls for protest have received a response from Shiite Muslims in Iraq. These men have taken to the streets in the southern city of Basra. Palestinians are angry because they want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state; Trump's move, supported by Israel, could thwart that desire.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Israeli and US flags burned Indian-controlled Kashmir also saw protests, with Muslim men seen here burning Israeli and US flags during a rally in Budgam, southwest of Srinagar. Protesters marched in several places in Srinagar and other parts of the region after Friday prayers, chanting slogans such as "Down with America" and "Down with Israel."

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests 'Long live Islam' In Malaysia, more than 1,000 Muslims protested outside the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur against Trump's decision. The protesters, led by Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, marched from a nearby mosque after Friday prayers to the US Embassy, halting traffic as they chanted "Long live Islam.”

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Turkey: Protesters voice their indignation These Turkish women are venting their anger in support of the Palestinian cause. But Trump's decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem has been condemned by many governments of non-Muslim countries as well.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Trump's picture burned Protesters in Egypt burn a picture of US President Donald Trump with his face crossed during a protest in front of the Syndicate of Journalists in Cairo. The picture reads, "Journalists are telling you Trump, Jerusalem is Arab." Hundreds of protesters also gathered in Al-Azhar mosque and outside in its courtyard.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests 'Stop your blind support'! In Jakarta, Indonesia, protesters in the world's most populous Muslim nation wear Palestine headbands. More than 300 protesters shouted "Go to hell Israel!" and called on Trump to stop his "blind support" for the Jewish state.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Massive marches in Iran The streets of the Iranian capital, Tehran, have also been the scene of huge protests at the US decision. As an arch-enemy of Israel, the Iranian government is likely to view the US move as particularly offensive.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Muslims in Germany join the outrage Germany has also seen protests, with mostly Muslim demonstrators attending a rally at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate while waving Palestinian and Turkish flags. The German government has been among those to warn urgently against Trump's move. Author: Timothy Jones



Outcry over Jerusalem decision

Trump's decision on December 6 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to move the US embassy there broke with decades of US foreign policy and broke with international consensus on the issue.

The move also sparked protests around the world and outrage from Palestinians, who want the eastern sector of the city to be the capital of an independent Palestinian state.

The measure was vetoed by the US at the UN Security Council on Monday although all other 14 council members voted in favor of the draft.

rs/rc (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)