Aboul Gheit: East Jerusalem is an Occupied Territory by Int’l Law

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
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Aboul Gheit: East Jerusalem is an Occupied Territory by Int’l Law

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit emphasized on Saturday that by international law and the United Nations and Security Council resolutions, East Jerusalem is an “occupied land” and should not be treated otherwise.

On his Twitter page, Aboul Gheit said “those who brandish respect for international laws must not have double standards.”

Aboul Gheit had on Thursday met with the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

“Aboul Gheit had listened to the explanation given by the President of Kosovo regarding her country’s efforts to obtain additional international recognition,” Jamal Rushdie, spokesman for the League’s Secretary-General said.

Aboul Gheit stressed that the 2021 decision of Kosovo’s previous administration to open its embassy in Jerusalem is a clear violation of international law.

“The position taken by Kosovo’s former administration to open an embassy in Jerusalem in 2021, although it was a sovereign state decision, we consider it a blatant violation of international law, which considers Jerusalem a city under occupation and does not recognize it as the capital of Israel,” said Aboul Gheit.

Rushdie also stated that Aboul Gheit had conveyed to Kosovo’s President the “need to reconsider this decision, which we believe fails to serve the goal of achieving comprehensive peace in the region, nor does it reflect the deep relations between a number of Arab countries with the people of Kosovo.”



Biden: Joseph Aoun is ‘First-Rate Guy’

FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)
FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)
TT

Biden: Joseph Aoun is ‘First-Rate Guy’

FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)
FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)

US President Joe Biden welcomed the election of Joseph Aoun as Lebanon's president on Thursday, saying in a statement that the army chief was the “right leader” for the country.

“President Aoun has my confidence. I believe strongly he is the right leader for this time,” said Biden, adding that Aoun would provide “critical leadership” in overseeing an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.

Aoun's election by Lebanese lawmakers ended a more than two-year vacancy and could mark a step towards lifting the country out of financial meltdown.

“We finally have a president,” Biden said later, at the end of a meeting on the response to major wildfires in the US city of Los Angeles.

He said he had spoken to Aoun by phone on Thursday for “20 minutes to half an hour,” describing the Lebanese leader as a “first-rate guy.”

Biden pledged to continue US support for Lebanon’s security forces, and for Lebanon’s recovery and reconstruction, the White House said in a readout of Biden’s call with Aoun.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Aoun's election “a moment of historic opportunity,” which offered Lebanon a chance to “establish durable peace and stability.”

Aoun, who turned 61 on Friday, faces the difficult task of overseeing the fragile ceasefire with Israel in south Lebanon.

Separately, Biden spoke about the hostage talks between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“We’re making some real progress,” he told reporters at the White House, adding that he had spoken with US negotiators earlier Thursday.

“I know hope springs eternal, but I’m still hopeful that we’ll be able to have a prisoner exchange.”

Biden added: “Hamas is the one getting in the way of that exchange right now, but I think we may be able to get that done. We need to get it done.”