Germany again opposes US Embassy's move to Jerusalem

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

Germany has renewed its opposition to the U.S. decision to relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Speaking at a news conference in Berlin on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Adebahr highlighted that Germany’s longstanding policy on the status of Jerusalem remains unchanged.

“We, and also the European Union, continue to believe that this conflict can only be resolved by a mutually agreed agreement on substantial issues, and accordingly Jerusalem should be the capital of both Israel and Palestine,” she said.

Adebahr also noted that German Ambassador to Israel, Clemens von Goetze, did not attend a gala reception given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday night, marking the U.S. Embassy’s move to Jerusalem.

“Germany will not do anything that would raise doubts about its legal position on the status of Jerusalem, and accordingly the German ambassador did not attend the reception by the Israeli prime minister yesterday,” she said.

The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called on Israeli and Palestinian authorities to exercise restraint amid widespread protests against the controversial move by the U.S. administration.

“The right to peaceful demonstration should not be misused, and at the same time, Israel’s security measures must conform to the principle of proportionality,” she said.

At least 28 Palestinians were martyred on Monday by Israeli gunfire during anti-occupation rallies in the Gaza Strip, according to the Health Ministry.

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered on Gaza Strip’s eastern border since early morning to take part in protests aimed to commemorate the Nakba anniversary and protest relocating the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The rallies will culminate on Tuesday, May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment -- an event Palestinians refer to as the "Nakba" or "the Catastrophe".

Since the rallies began on March 30, at least 49 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed and hundreds injured, according to Health Ministry figures.

Last week, the Israeli government said rallies are part of state of war and human rights laws are not applicable in such cases.