Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinians, BDS Turkey declares, while promising to support the Palestinian people and their righteous struggle against all attempts to legitimize Israel amid the US move to recognize Jerusalem as the Zionist capital
BDS Turkey has restated its support for the Palestinian people after U.S. President Donald Trump moved on 6 December to recognize Jerusalem as “Israel’s official capital” by shifting the local U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the city in spite of negative reaction from around the world.
Trump’s move effectively signifies official U.S. recognition of the Israeli annexation of the area, which began with the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 and continued with the declaration of Jerusalem as the “united capital” in 1980. The move, which violates U.N. resolutions, carries the same historical significance as the Balfour Declaration that gifted Palestine to the Zionist movement in 1917 while also opening the way to complete Israel control over Jerusalem.
Undoubtedly, the ramifications of Trump’s decision will be severe not only for Israel but the whole region. The calls by Palestinian resistance organizations for “national unity and a comprehensive struggle” against the Zionist occupation are an indication of what awaits the region.
But while Trump, who has now fulfilled a campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem as “Israel’s capital,” bears responsibility for what has occurred, Russia is also culpable, having noted in a 6 April 2017 Foreign Ministry statement that Moscow “views West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.” The same goes for the Gulf monarchies, particularly Saudi Arabia, which have been increasing their contacts with the Zionist entity, as well as Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), which signed a “normalization” protocol with the entity in 2016.
By taking steps to legitimize the occupation and normalize Israel, the AKP government has contributed to this process. During a visit to Jerusalem as part of an Umrah trip on 15 April 2015, the AKP government addressed Tel Aviv, while the 28 June 2016 “normalization” agreement between the countries was also drawn up in Ankara and Jerusalem; both incidents constitute the effective recognition of Jerusalem as “Israel’s capital.” The AKP has further legitimized the Zionist entity in its military and economic relations, which include long-running arms deals and an agreement to steal natural gas that belongs to the Palestinians.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s speech to his AKP parliamentary group on 5 December, in which he said that “this issue could go as far as resulting in the cutting of our diplomatic relations with Israel,” is essentially a continuation of his previous comments; ultimately, we believe his words are merely a political show and an attempt to abdicate from true responsibility. On the contrary, halting Israel’s policies of occupation against Palestine and standing shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinian people requires the cessation of all ties with the Zionist entity, particularly economic ones, as well as boycotts and sanctions in all fields.
As BDS Turkey, we stand with the Palestinian people and their righteous struggle against all attempts to legitimize Israel, especially the U.S.’ recent decision on Jerusalem.
Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinians!
A free Palestine from the river to the sea!
Imperialism will be defeated, a Palestine that resists will be victorious!
Freedom for Palestine, boycott against Israel!
BDS Turkey
