Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Abu El-Gheit expressed his rejection and condemnation of the announcement made by Honduras and Romania that they will be transferring their embassies to Jerusalem during a pro-Israel forum held in Washington, DC.

"Some countries that seek to please the United States and Israel by announcing the transfer of their embassy to Jerusalem are involved in a serious violation of international law, which stipulates that Jerusalem has been an occupied territory since 1967," said spokesman for the Arab League secretary-general Ambassador Mahmoud Afifi, who added that the transfer of embassies does not change this legal status.

Afifi said that that the countries taking these steps are risking their friendship with the Arab world, calling on them to revise this negative policy, which does not serve to achieve peace in the region.

Afifi said that in the case of Romania, it seems that the decision to transfer the embassy was based on the personal desires of the country’s prime minister, and that the Romanian president has a different view on the matter.

The spokesman added that some countries that had taken steps to transfer their embassy, such as Paraguay, have reversed their decision after careful consideration of its negative and serious consequences. 

He called on Honduras and Romania to conduct a similar revision of their positions, adding that the Arab summit in Tunis early next week will study this issue.