US recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel ‘violation of its own law’ — ATF

AMMAN — The Arab Thought Forum (ATF) on Monday addressed the US administration with a statement in which it urged Washington not to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The forum, a think tank comprising prominent Arab intellectuals who believe in the right of having different opinions, expressed its “astonishment” over the decision, especially that the US was the leader in constructing the International Humanitarian Law that was based on the Lieber Code worded by US president Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War.

ATF recalled the unaltered official US stance on Jerusalem as an occupied land, whereby its legal status cannot be changed but through agreement between conflicting parties, according to an ATF statement.

Recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a change of and a clear violation to all principles of the international law, and it is a step that allows attacking the lands of others by force, making it an unprecedented move that leads to destabilising the international security and order, ATF added. 

The forum also referred to the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion dated July 9, 2004, in the case concerning the legal consequences of the construction of a wall in the occupied Palestinian Territory, in which it said “... they are occupied lands and Israel has the status of an occupying force... and all these territories, including East Jerusalem, are still under occupation”. 

It is also worth mentioning that Jerusalem enjoys religious and heritage status for three religions, and that the US will violate its law of land warfare if it recognises the city as the capital of Israel.

Article 405 of the law says: “The property of municipalities, that of institutions dedicated to religion, charity and education, the arts and sciences, even when state property, shall be treated as private property”. 

The intentional confiscation, destruction or harm to such institutions or archaeological sites are banned and will be subject to legal procedures, said the ATF, adding that recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a clear violation by the US to its own law.