Vietnam calls for restraint in East Jerusalem tensions

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam at the UN, called on sides involved to restrain in the latest escalation of tensions in East Jerusalem.

Palestinian protesters injured in conflict with Israeli police. Photo: AFP/VNA

Quy expressed Vietnam’s strong concern at a UN Security Council emergency meeting held in New York on May 10 over the upsurge in violence between Israel police and unarmed Palestinians over the weekend.

The tensions came as Israel celebrated “Jerusalem Day”, marking its capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Vietnam condemns all acts of violence and unnecessary use of lethal weapons against civilians, the ambassador said at the meeting that marked the participation of UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland. The event was held at the request of nine council member countries namely Tunisia, Ireland, China, Estonia, France, Norway, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Vietnam.

Quy said the tensions would likely escalate and lead to the return of violence circle anytime in the future if no specific steps are made, adding that Vietnam continues to urge all parties to refrain from any unilateral action that may lead to the recurrence of violence.

The ambassador expressed his serious concern over the fact that around 970 Palestinians face the risk of being deported from their homes in East Jerusalem, calling for an end to all acts that violate international law and humanitarian obligations.

Meanwhile, he said Vietnam called on the Israeli government to fully respect Palestinians rights in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and their rights to traditional religious and cultural practices, mostly during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Vietnam has repeatedly shown concern over the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Earlier on March 26, 2021, Quy said at the Security Council open videoteleconference on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question" that Vietnam remained concerned about the developments on the ground that run counter to Security Council Resolution 2334. The resolution was adopted in 2016 reaffirming that Israel’s establishment of settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity, constituting a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the vision of two States living side-by-side in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders.

Vietnam reiterates its support for the two-State solution, including the establishment of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, with secure and internationally recognized borders on the basis the pre-1967 lines, in accordance with international law, the UN Charter and the relevant UN resolutions, especially Security Council Resolution 2334, he said.

Over the weekend, Israeli police beat hundreds of unarmed Palestinians and threw stun grenades into crowds – one fell into the prayer room of Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque – in an effort to control protests that drew tens of thousands of Arabs, according to FT.