Arab League calls for boycott of Israel's Christmas celebrations in East Jerusalem

The Arab League has urged those invited to a Christmas reception hosted by the Israeli government in occupied East Jerusalem to boycott the event as it is a “clear violation of international law”. In a press release, the League’s Secretariat warned that attending such a programme will encourage Israel to continue to ignore the will of the international community and resolutions which regard East Jerusalem as illegally occupied territory. The statement denounced the Israeli Tourism Ministry for planning Christmas celebrations in East Jerusalem, calling the plans “a dangerous infringement on peace and stability in the region”.

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The Arab League renewed its call on everyone – individuals, organisations and states   to boycott any such events in East Jerusalem, and urged the international community to “support the perseverance of Jerusalemites and confront any move towards the Judaisation of the city”. Peace, the statement added, “begins in Jerusalem”.

On a related note, the Arab League Secretariat hailed Brazil and Argentina for giving official recognition to a Palestinian state based on the borders before the 1967 war.