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On Jerusalem After Trump Speech, 8 UNSC Members Requested Meeting, UK Explains

By Matthew Russell Lee, Periscope, Photos

UNITED NATIONS, December 7 -- UN senior administration officials confirmed to the Press at 5:30 pm on December 5 that President Trump would on December 6 not only recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital but also order the US State Department to act to move its embassy there. On December 6 in front of the UN Security Council chamber Ambassador Llorenti Soliz of Council member Bolivia said that if Trump makes the announcement, at 1 pm, he will ask for an open Security Council meeting. Inner City Press Periscope video here. Then this: "In light of the statement today by the President of the United States regarding the status of Jerusalem, the delegations of Bolivia, Egypt, France, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, the UK, and Uruguay kindly request the Presidency to organize an emergency meeting of the Council, with a briefing by the Secretary-General, to be held in the Chamber before the end of this week. On behalf of the delegations of Bolivia, Egypt, France, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, the UK, and Uruguay." The meeting has been set for December 8, and on December 7 UK Deputy Ambassador Jonathan Allen explained his country's request: "I think it’s right that the Middle East peace process is an important part of the Security Council’s agenda. I think it is right that we have an opportunity to discuss as a Security Council the recent developments in the news, and we ask Secretary-General for his briefing and contribution to that. My Prime Minister made a statement last night that was clear. It said that we disagreed with the US’s decision, and we did not think it was a helpful move at this stage. It also made clear that we welcomed the focus in the US statement on a two-state solution negotiated by the parties, welcomed the US’s recommitment to the final status of Jerusalem being part of those negotiations, and we urged the United States to bring forward their proposals on the Middle East peace process as soon as they can." Egypt was among the requesters - but Egyptian state media Akhbar al Yom to which UN DPI under Alison Smale has purported to give Inner City Press' long time office wasn't present on December 5, 6 or 7, as Smale was informed, and hasn't asked a single question in two years. After Trump spoke, Jordan's State Minister for Media Affairs Mohammad al-Momani, said that "'this recognition is legally invalid as it enshrines the Israeli occupation of the eastern part of the city, which was occupied by Israel in June 1967,' the minister said, pointing out that the UN Security Council resolution No. 478 doesn't recognize the Israeli Basic Law on Jerusalem and calls on countries that have established embassies in Jerusalem to close them. He added that all of Israel's actions in Jerusalem, which aim at changing its character and legal status, including its declaration as its capital, are null and void, as confirmed by relevant UN Security Council resolutions, in particular resolutions No. 465, 476 and 478. He indicated that the Kingdom and Turkey had agreed to hold an OIC summit and foreign ministers' meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday to discuss the issue." Earlier at the stakeout they started setting up for a belated media availability by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, less than an hour after he excluded the Press from a ceremony always Open Press in the past, amid the multiple scandals already surrounding his administration. Then just before noon they canceled the UN's daily noon press briefing on all other topics, from North Korea to Yemen to Cameroon, in order to promote Guterres' stakeout at 1:30 pm.  But when Guterres and his entourage - minus Katrin Hett in North Korea and Alison Smale God knows where -- showed up, Spokesman Dujarric said, "No questions." This is a new low. Here's Guterres' statement: "From day one as Secretary-General of the United Nations, I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians. Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between the two parties on the basis of the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, taking into account the legitimate concerns of both the Palestinian and the Israeli sides. I understand the deep attachment that Jerusalem holds in the hearts of so many people. It has been so for centuries and it will always be. In this moment of great anxiety, I want to make it clear : there is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B. It is only by realizing the vision of two states living side-by-side in peace, security and mutual recognition, with Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and Palestine, and all final status issues resolved permanently through negotiations, that the legitimate aspirations of both peoples will be achieved.  For my part as the United Nations Secretary-General, I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations and to realize this vision of a lasting peace for both people." From the UN's December 5 noon briefing, by Guterres' holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric: "on Jerusalem, I mean, like you we have seen the press reports.  I'm not aware of any direct communication between the US and the Secretariat on this particular issue here in New York.  We obviously await to see an official announcement." We'll see what happens on December 6, after Guterres swears in his censor in chief Alison Smale, who has upheld without even attempting to defend the nearly two year restrictions on the investigative Press which most aggressively covers the UN, in favor of n0 show, no question Egypt state media Akhbar al Yom. The UN is not only corrupt but also disgusting. Back on March 22 when Palestine's Permanent Observer Riyad Mansour came to the UN Security Council stakeout after a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, he said it was a good meeting but that it remains unclear if Guterres' report on Israeli settlements on March 24 will be in writing or merely oral. On the choreographed withdrawal of the ESCWA report on the topic, a question was not answered, but Mansour said he was going to meet the Security Council president but the press could wait for a read-out in an hour. Periscope video here. Some media were blocked from following Mansour down the second floor hallway and complained; for more than a year, following trying to cover the UN Ng Lap Seng bribery scandal in the UN Press Briefing Room, Inner City Press has been banned from that second floor hall, following or not. This remains the case in December 2017...

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