Palestine protests to Chakwera over Malawi plan on embassy in Jerusalem: Abbas says violation of UN resolution
Palestinian president’s special envoy Hanan Jarrar arrived in Malawi on Wednesday to hand over a letter of protest from Mahmoud Abbas against President Lazarus Chakwera’s decision to open an embassy in the disputed city of Jerusalem and has asked Lilongwe to immediately withdraw the decision.
The Palestine envoy handed the protest letter to Chakwera, who announced after the election in June this year, that he will establish a diplomatic mission with Israel in Jerusalem.
“Any step taken to establish a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem constitutes a violation of relevant United Nations resolutions,” warned Jarrar in a statement on her arrival.
Chakwera met Jarrar and received the letter.
Jarrar was tight lipped on her discussions with the Malawi leader on the matter, saying Chakwera was “accommodative.”
Miles away in Israel, Malawi’s Foreign Affairs Minister Eisenhower Mkaka was meeting that country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu over the same issue.
Mkaka on Tuesday said the east southern nation will open a full embassy to Israel in Jerusalem by the summer of 2021.
Malawi would become the first African nation to do so.
Mkaka, currently on a visit to Israel, called the decision a “bold and significant step”.
But the Palestinian envoy said Jerusalem is still a disputed territory and called on all countries “that have established diplomatic missions at Jerusalem to withdraw such missions from the Holy City”.
Jarrar said the UN Security Council Resolution 476 (1980), recently reaffirmed by Resolution 2334 (2016), does not recognize any action that seeks to alter the character and status of Jerusalem.
“Under international law, East Jerusalem [including the Old City and its holy sites] are not legally part of Israel,” Jarrar said.
“Since Israel’s establishment in 1948, the US and the international community have refused to recognize the sovereignty of any country to any part of Jerusalem in the absence of a permanent Arab-Israeli peace agreement.”
There was no immediate comment from the government of Malawi.
Opposition members of Malawi’s parliament have recently also raised concern about opening an embassy in Jerusalem, but President Chakwera — a former preacher — has been firm on the move.
Chakwera justified his foreign policy decision, saying that it was not new in Malawi, as during the one-party regime of founding President Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the country also had diplomatic ties with Israel until 1994.
Chakwera’s decision follows that of US President Donald Trump, who in December 2017 — breaking with longstanding diplomatic practice — recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the US embassy to the city in May this year.
Israel considers the Holy City its eternal capital, but Palestinians want East Jerusalem, seized in a 1967 Middle East war, as part of a future state.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Religious beliefs should not interfere with leadership judgement. This kind of thing could put our usually low profile country on the radar for some nasty people with opposing beliefs on the same issue.
sick brains
Biden will relocate US embassy back to telviv, amalawi tiyenazoni
Kachakwera has goofed. When Trump is out, America shall not recognize Jerusalem any more. And kachakwera will be left alone caressing Jerusalem. A Poor decision this is. Palestine is right.
i support the President on this one. There can never be Israel without Jerusalem.
And why is that our problem? Is it for us to ensure that there is Israel?
nde umbuli ukunenedwa wo umenewu
The problem is that the Palestines want their enemies to be our enemies as well. They should not be determining who our friends should be. Let our president decide where our embassies should be. He is mature enough to know the pros and cons of a relationship with Israel.
On such s matter which can create dangerous enemies for us, he should seek the opinions of the Malawian pipo
This is a very dangerous direction my president.
Indeed
Malawi sanafikepo poti akhoza kukayika emabssy ku Jerusalem izizi ndikufuna kids nsanga ndi azifwambwa tiyeni tidzingolima
Tru. We have hitherto avoided the attention of such people. Why can’t we keep it that way. Be a little more secular and neutral in that position.
That’s a bad decision Jerusalem indeed belonged to the Palestinians in the first place. Not only we will be targeted by terrorists but you are putting Africa at risk
Which Africa?
That is a lie.. Jerusalem belongs to Israel and this has been like that for so long.
Please leave the [president alone, kodi mungoti ng’weng;we apa ma Palestinawotipindula nawo chani ife? Akulowerera akukamba zothandiza dziko lake bwanji Abbasyo naye akambe zake? Kodi mdani wawo akhalenso wathu?
Very good question! kodi mdani wawo ndi wathuso?
We are not under Palestine, we are under our own leadership! Palestinians has nothing to do and or to chose for us where we can put our Office. We are Malawi not UN, This is our affairs which Palestinians has nothing to! by the way it was by our own right standing faith that has taken Malawi to where we are not by Palestinians. Fight or no fight Israel is our best friends! and Jerusalem is their Capital City!
Chakwera ng’ombe kulowelera za eni…Ma pulezident anzawo angoti pheeee!Kodi ndi ubulutu?…Kapena chani???
Chakwera ngombe kulowelera za eni.
The way he is looking at the letter 😂
Paja amati Osamva anazi ……………
Rev this is politics world youre now in its not Biblic world you where ……Leave it to us historians of open minded.Did you ever knew of the UN charter on this matter? By the way who are your advisers on foreing Affairs …are they compitent enough? Anyway Malawians are the most vanurable ones since you are the only one with the best security around you so far….For you my fellow people how can you vote for someone before hearing his foreign policy agender ….shame on us ……But dont loose hope we as Malawi will make sure we create no enemy coz of Chakwera’s christian idiology on Jerusalem .We are christians and of no side between Jews &Palestines as Jesus christ our leader tought us .Neigther among you a jew or polestilite all are brothers ….
asatiopseze, jerusalem is for israel, the city of david son of solomon. there is no retreat nor surrender.
you are probably not even circumcised to be commenting on such matters.
Does it need some one to be circumcised to comment on this matter? The circumcision you are advocating here has got nothing to do with this matter, if that is the issue, do you even know the meaning of it?
Mukukawaputa dala ma terrorist ali pheeee. Pa kenya ndi mozambique pomwepa akuvutika ndi alshabab and other exteimists,…do we as a country have enough security resources to protect our country against terrorism? MCP will regret decision yoyika embassy in Jerusalem. It won’t be long.
Is Chakwera a Hastings Banda clone? Why does he defy standing UN resolutions and Collective AU Position on Palestine? Malawians must rise against this decision
We are sovereign country.
how can you be sovereign when you are begging for people to help you with most of your national budget
what have we begged from Palestinians?
You might not be begging from Palestinians ,but you do beg,so much for sovereignty.
But you obviously want to leak Israeli boots, that’s what
Then why are you worried if we have decide to have our own friends to beg the same?
Kodi pakati pa awiriwa kwa if monga Malawi wamphindu ndani?
The UN Resolution nde ya phindu kwa ife
Phindu lake mchani nanuso inu? you dont even know yourself who you are! wait and listen to the Big man Dr Lazarus Chakwera the answer he will give them.
2025.
To be honest chakwera has started on very poor note, needs to slow down. His religious fanatism will get the country into trouble. Malawi can be at peace with both Israel, Palestine and Iran by simply staying out. Let them solve their 1,000 year conflicts.
2ru
Olo feteleza wa subsidy sanamalize kugawa, waishosha kale. Za shame
Nyekhwe.. next step is Isis and Boko haram. A Chakwera atiphetsa chifukwa cha umbuli. Siza baibulo izi. This is 21st century
Indeed. Ndipo zikayamba sizitherapo. Someone advise him