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UN General Assembly Rejects Trump’s Decision, Threats

Dr. Riyad Mansour (center), Palestine’s observer at the United Nations, talks with members of the General Assembly prior to a vote Thursday at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Dr. Riyad Mansour (center), Palestine’s observer at the United Nations, talks with members of the General Assembly prior to a vote Thursday at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
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UN General Assembly Rejects Trump’s Decision, Threats

Dr. Riyad Mansour (center), Palestine’s observer at the United Nations, talks with members of the General Assembly prior to a vote Thursday at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Dr. Riyad Mansour (center), Palestine’s observer at the United Nations, talks with members of the General Assembly prior to a vote Thursday at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday approved a resolution banning a change in the “character, status or demographic composition of the city of Jerusalem”, in a clear rejection of US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize the city as the capital of Israel, despite his administration’s threats to punish countries voting against his decision.
 
The decision came as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met in Riyadh on Thursday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and discussed the need to “intensify practical efforts to ensure the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
 
While 128 States supported the General Assembly resolution, only nine opposed it - Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Togo, and the United States - with 35 abstentions.
 
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley repeated her threats to cut off aid to those who vote in favor of the resolution.
 
“This vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN. And this vote will be remembered,” she said ahead of the vote on the status of Jerusalem.
 
The resolution demanded that all states “comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the Holy City of Jerusalem, and not recognize any actions or measures contrary to those resolutions.”
 
“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,” it added.
 
The Assembly also called upon all states to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem, pursuant to Security Council Resolution 478 adopted in 1980.
 
Reiterating its call for the reversal of the negative trends that endanger the two-State solution, the Assembly urged greater international and regional efforts and support aimed at achieving, without delay, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
 
Abbas said the resolution “confirms the international community’s position on our side,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the United Nations a “house of lies.”
 
In his address to the General Assembly, the representative of Israel, Danny Danon, said: ““No General Assembly resolution will ever drive us from Jerusalem.”
 
Other speakers included Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, and the ambassadors of Yemen, Turkey, Venezuela, Pakistan, Indonesia, Maldives, Syria, Bangladesh, Cuba, Iran, China, Malaysia, North Korea, South Africa and the Vatican, who have all stressed that East Jerusalem was the capital of the state of Palestine and that the US decision undermined peace efforts and a two-state solution.

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Arab World

Israel-Lebanon Direct Negotiations Expected Next Week in Washington

The Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, who is expected to lead the negotiations on the Israeli side. (Reuters)
The Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, who is expected to lead the negotiations on the Israeli side. (Reuters)
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Israel-Lebanon Direct Negotiations Expected Next Week in Washington

The Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, who is expected to lead the negotiations on the Israeli side. (Reuters)
The Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, who is expected to lead the negotiations on the Israeli side. (Reuters)

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected next week in Washington, according to a person familiar with the matter, a day after deadly Israeli strikes targeted several areas simultaneously around the country and pounding the capital, Beirut.

"We can confirm that the Department will host a meeting next week to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Lebanon," the US official told AFP.

The announcement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had approved direct talks focused on disarming Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Netanyahu said there is no ceasefire in Lebanon and his country will keep striking Hezbollah.

According to several Israeli media outlets, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, is expected to lead the negotiations on behalf of the Israeli side.

Quoted by his office, Netanyahu said: “Following Lebanon’s repeated requests to begin direct negotiations with Israel, I gave my instructions yesterday to engage in direct talks with Lebanon as soon as possible”.

He added that the negotiations will address the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishment of peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon.

But a Lebanese government official said on Thursday that Lebanon seeks a ceasefire before the onset of negotiations with Israel.

Meanwhile a Hezbollah lawmaker confirmed the party’s rejection of any direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, calling instead for an Israeli withdrawal from the south of the country.

New Strikes

Previously, Netanyahu had affirmed that strikes against “Hezbollah” would continue “wherever necessary” until security is fully restored for residents of northern Israel.

On Thursday evening, the Israel army said it struck Hezbollah rocket launch platforms in Lebanon.

Two days after a US-Iran ceasefire, the international community fears that the truce could be undermined by the continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

In Beirut, rescue teams are still searching through the rubble for victims of the simultaneous strikes carried out by Israel on several areas on Wednesday. The strikes left more than 300 dead and over 1,100 injured, according to Lebanese authorities.

In southern Lebanon, strikes killed at least five people, while Hezbollah announced that its fighters are engaged in direct confrontations with Israeli forces in the area.

The Israeli army again warned residents of several neighborhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate ahead of new airstrikes.

The US-Iran ceasefire is faltering after Israel pounded Beirut and as Iran maintains its grip on the Strait of Hormuz while truce talks remain uncertain.

Both Tehran and Washington are claiming victory and exerting pressure, with talks on a permanent deal set to begin soon in Islamabad and US Vice President JD Vance set to lead the US delegation.

Israeli strikes made Wednesday the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began, with more than 300 people killed. There are lingering disagreements over whether the ceasefire covers the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Iran is warning of “STRONG responses” if attacks on its militant ally don’t stop.

Arab World

Grundberg Urges Need to Keep Yemen out of Regional Escalation

Grundberg meets with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaya Zindani in Aden. (Yemeni government)
Grundberg meets with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaya Zindani in Aden. (Yemeni government)
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Grundberg Urges Need to Keep Yemen out of Regional Escalation

Grundberg meets with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaya Zindani in Aden. (Yemeni government)
Grundberg meets with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaya Zindani in Aden. (Yemeni government)

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg concluded a visit to Aden, where he met with senior Yemeni government officials to discuss the implications of recent regional and national developments on prospects for peace in Yemen, and priorities for the political, economic and military/security tracks of the UN-led mediation process.

He met with Presidential Leadership Council Member Mahmood Al-Subihi and Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaya Zindani.

Discussions focused on the regional escalation and its impact on Yemen, as well as on internal developments, including efforts to stabilize the situation in southern governorates. The envoy also briefed on the status of ongoing negotiations related to conflict-related detainees, said UN Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen in a statement.

The government’s economic priorities, including the adoption of the 2026 budget and strategic plan were at the center of Grundberg’s discussions with Minister of Finance Marwan Bin Ghanem, and Minister of Oil and Minerals Mohammed Bamaqa. The meetings focused on financial stabilization, including revenue and budgetary priorities, as well as advancing the resumption of fuel production and exports to support economic recovery.

Grundberg’s meeting with Minister of State for Women’s Affairs Ahed Jasoos, focused on the importance of inclusive participation, including the meaningful engagement of women in political, and public decision-making processes, as well as the economic empowerment of women and the need to strengthen social and legal protections.

The envoy also met with Central Bank of Yemen Governor Ahmed Ahmed Ghaleb, with discussions focusing on economic stabilization measures and the broader financial context, including monetary challenges and opportunities for advancing reforms.

In his meeting with Minister of State and Governor of Aden Abdulrahman Sheikh, Grundberg discussed local dynamics and ongoing efforts to support stability and service delivery in the governorate.

He met with members from civil society and media as part of the broader inclusion efforts of the Office.

In all his engagements, the envoy reiterated the importance of shielding Yemen from regional escalations, supporting economic stability, and preserving space for a Yemeni-led political process under UN auspices.

Arab World

Indonesia Urges 'Thorough' Probe on Lebanon Peacekeeper Deaths

UNIFIL vehicles in southern Lebanon. (Reuters)
UNIFIL vehicles in southern Lebanon. (Reuters)
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Indonesia Urges 'Thorough' Probe on Lebanon Peacekeeper Deaths

UNIFIL vehicles in southern Lebanon. (Reuters)
UNIFIL vehicles in southern Lebanon. (Reuters)

Indonesia said Friday it had submitted a joint statement on peacekeeper security with dozens of allied nations to the United Nations after three of its blue helmets were killed in Lebanon.

In the joint statement, the countries urged the UN Security Council to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents in Southern Lebanon that killed three Indonesian peacekeepers and wounded several others, including from France, Ghana, Nepal, and Poland, said AFP.

The Foreign Ministry in Jakarta said 73 countries and UN observer nations supported the statement, delivered by Indonesia's permanent representative to the UN, Umar Hadi, in New York.

"The safety and security of UN peacekeepers are non-negotiable. We urge the UN Security Council to use all available instruments to strengthen protection for peacekeeping forces amid an increasingly dangerous situation," the ministry quoted Umar as saying.

"Troop-contributing countries also call for an end to violence in Lebanon, de-escalation of tensions, and encourage all parties to return to the negotiating table to achieve a peaceful settlement," it added.

Three Indonesian peacekeepers died in two separate blasts in southern Lebanon in late March.

A third blast less than a week later -- inside a UN facility in southern Lebanon -- injured three more Indonesian soldiers.

The deadly incidents sparked calls from Indonesian authorities for an investigation and security guarantees for peacekeeping forces.

The Foreign Ministry has called the attacks "unacceptable".

It urged the UN Security Council "to immediately convene a meeting of troop-contributing countries to UNIFIL (the UN Interim Force in Lebanon) to conduct a review and take measures to enhance the protection of personnel serving with UN Interim Force in Lebanon".

President Prabowo Subianto has said he "strongly condemns every heinous act that undermines peace and causes the deaths of our nation's soldiers".