The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a draft resolution presented by Egypt, aimed at cancelling a decision by the US to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the Holy city of Jerusalem.
This decision has been seen as a violation of international law and the peace accord, largely by Arab states.
The peace plan stipulates that the status of Jerusalem should only be determined in talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.
It demands that “all states comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the Holy City of Jerusalem,”
The one-page draft resolution affirms that “any decisions and actions which purport to have altered, the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council”.
The draft resolution also instructs member states not to establish diplomatic missions in Jerusalem.
The draft does not mention US president Donald Trump or the US specifically, although it’s in response to a decision by Trump to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel.
The US decision has caused widespread anger and demonstrations in Palestine as well as the Arab and Muslim world.
It has also been rejected by the EU.
Egypt’s resolution is therefore expected to garner the 9 votes out of 15 at the Security Council.
However, the Egyptian draft can still be scuppered by a veto from Washington.
The UN vote comes only a couple of days before a visit by US vice president Mike Pence to Cairo, where Jerusalem will top the agenda of talks.
