Explanation of vote delivered by Fergus Eckersley, UK Political
Coordinator at the UN, at the General Assembly vote on resolution
A/76/L.16
The United Kingdom’s position on the status of Jerusalem is clear
and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated
settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The final
determination of Jerusalem must ensure that the holy city is a
shared capital of Israel and a Palestinian state, granting access
and religious rights for all who hold it dear. The United Kingdom
opposes unilateral action in Jerusalem absent a final status
settlement and remains supportive of the historic status quo.
The UK recognises that Jerusalem and the holy sites at Haram al
Sharif/Temple Mount hold particular significance for many groups
around the globe, especially the three Abrahamic faiths of
Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The UK welcomes language in the
resolution reaffirming the special significance of the holy sites
and the City of Jerusalem for these three religions and calling
for respect for the historic Status Quo.
However, the resolution adopted today refers to the holy sites in
Jerusalem in purely Islamic terms, without recognising the Jewish
terminology of “Temple Mount”. The UK has made clear for many
years that we disagree with this approach, and while we welcome
the removal of the majority of these references, we are
disappointed that we were unable to find a solution to the final
instance. On principle, the United Kingdom has therefore moved
our vote today from a “yes” to an “abstention”. If the unbalanced
reference had been removed, the UK would have been ready and
willing to vote “yes”.
The United Kingdom is clear that this should not be understood to
be a reflection of a change in UK policy towards Jerusalem, but
instead as an important signal of our commitment to recognising
the history of Jerusalem for the three monotheistic religions.
