Georgia Refused to Participate in UN Voting on Jerusalem Status
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, December 25
(New York) - Georgia has refrained from participation in the voting on status of Jerusalem held in the United Nations (UN), when the majority of the UN states rejected the United States (US) President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The resolution adopted by the UN on December 21, with 128 states supporting the document, called on the US to withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on December 6.
The resolution reads that any decisions over the status of the city are “null and void.”
Thirty-five UN countries abstained and nine others voted against the UN resolution.
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidzesaid that taking the sensitivity of the issue into account, Georgia did not participate in discussions or voting at all.
“We had beforehand consultations with our partners over the topic,” Janelidze told the media.
The UN voting came after Trump threatened to cut financial aid to those who backed the UN resolution.
In the wake of the vote the US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley expressed gratitude thanked the countries who voted against the UN resolution or abstained from voting. Georgia was among the countries the US revealed its gratitude.
The Georgian Dream ruling party, most of the opposition members and experts believe that abstaining from voting was the best choice for the country, as the case was particular, related to the countries Georgia enjoyed close partnership with.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu grilled the UN resolution, promised to reject the results of the vote, and called the UN a "house of lies".
The US leadership says they are still exploring the ways for the issue.
The status of Jerusalem is closely linked with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel occupied the east of the city, which was previously occupied by Jordan, in the 1967 Middle East war and now declares the city as its indivisible capital.
However, Jerusalem has never been internationally recognized as the capital of Israel and it is the reason all countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv.
The Palestinians say that the East Jerusalem is the capital of their future state and its final status must be discussed in the final stages of peace talks.
Trump was the first president who recognized Jerusalem as the capital or Israel and announced about the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem in several years.
