By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal and Ahmet Sait Akcay
LONDON
European media gave wide coverage to the UN's overwhelming resolution rejecting recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital Thursday.
The Guardian “The United Nations body’s debate and vote highlighted for a second time in a week the international isolation of the United States over the Jerusalem issue.”
It used the headline “UN votes resoundingly to reject Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as capital.”
The paper said the United Nations general assembly has delivered “a stinging rebuke to Donald Trump,” voting by a huge majority to reject his unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
“The UN General Assembly has decisively backed a resolution effectively calling on the US to withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said “the text put forward by Turkey and Yemen did not mention the U.S., but expressed, "deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem".
The Telegraph used the headline, “Donald Trump's decision on Jerusalem condemned by UN general assembly despite U.S. 'bullying' over of censure,” to report the outcome of the vote.
It said, “the majority of countries shrugged off the U.S. bullying tactics and, throwing salt onto the wounds in Washington, U.S. allies including Saudi Arabia, the UAE South Africa added their names at the last minute to the document condemning the decision.”
The Evening Standard described the vote as “a crushing blow to Trump.”
“The United Nations general assembly delivered a crushing blow to Mr. Trump by voting in a huge majority that the United States withdraw its decision on the city," it said.
“The move came despite a threat by the U.S. to cut off financial aid to countries that the resolution,” it added.
Sky News ran a headline, “UK joins UN vote to reject Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.” It also gave wide publicity to statements of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the move.
Switzerland
Zurich based daily newspaper Blick underscored on the front page that the U.S. should revoke its decision following the U.N. resolution.
Hungary
A major Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet’s headline read, “The World did not allow Trump to blackmail.” The news also said close allies like England and Japan left the U.S. alone in voting. It also noted Hungary abstained not to anger Israel and Trump.
France
The AFP news agency said, “Defying President Donald Trump's threat to cut off funding, the United Nations approved by a resounding vote on Thursday a motion rejecting the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.”
While the Le Monde headline read “Jerusalem Status: UN condemns Donald Trump's decision,” weekly magazine Le Figaro ran a headline “Jerusalem: By a large majority, the United Nations condemned the U.S. decision.” The daily also gave the coverage of Turkish President Erdogan’s call on to revoke its decision. Le Parisien daily also used the same headline.
Italy
The UN resolution dominated second place after the Catalonia elections in the Italian press. Mainstream newspaper Repubblica ran a headline saying, “From UN General Assembly to slap to Trump.” It also said the draft resolution was spearheaded by Turkey and Yemen.
The Corriere Sera with wide circulation said the UN voted No as the Italian news agency ANSA said the UN voted against Trump.
Germany
German newspaper The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said Trump’s attempt to blackmail failed.
Süddeutsche Zeitung said the U.S. was urged to reverse the decision after the UN resolution.
Zeit newspaper said the UN resolution shows the Trump decision was “null and void," as Welt stated in the headline Germany condemns the U.S. decision on Jerusalem.
German magazine Spiegel stressed Trump came under criticism after the decision.
Netherlands
As the Algemeen Dagblad daily stated that Trump should revoke its decision in the headline, The Telegraaf newspaper asserted the UN ruled out the US Jerusalem decision.
De Volkskrant went on to say Trump’s threats did not serve the purpose.
The UN on Thursday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on Jerusalem, calling on the US to withdraw its recognition of the city as Israel's capital.
A total of 128 members voted in favor of the Jerusalem resolution, nine countries voted against and 35 others abstained.
The UN’s 193-member General Assembly voted on the resolution rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s Dec. 6 decision to recognize the city as Israel’s capital -- a move that has drawn condemnation from across the Arab and Muslim world.
Israel, Honduras, Togo, U.S., Palau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Guatemala voted against Jerusalem resolution.
Two-thirds of the UN member states including Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Spain, and Greece voted in favor of the resolution.
Australia, Antigua-Barbuda, Argentina, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Latvia, Lesotho, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda and Vanuatu abstained in the vote.
Unlike the UN’s 15-member Security Council, the U.S. does not have veto power in the General Assembly.
International law views the West Bank -- including East Jerusalem -- as “occupied territory” and considers all Jewish settlement building on the land to be illegal.
Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem might eventually serve as the capital of an independent state of Palestine.
The adopted resolution stresses on the need to protect and preserve the "unique spiritual, religious and cultural dimensions" of Jerusalem.
It adds that the final status issue of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiation in line with relevant UN resolutions and declares any decision to alter its status "null and void".
It also calls upon all countries to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in Jerusalem.
