The Palestinian National Council (PNC) considered the decision of the State of Honduras to open a diplomatic mission in occupied Jerusalem - linked to its embassy in Tel Aviv - is an attack on the right of the Palestinian people in the capital of their state.

PNC said in a press statement declared by its Speaker Mr. Saleem Al-Za’anoun on Thursday, that this resolution is a serious violation of international law and Security Council resolutions, particularly: resolutions 476 (1980), 478 (1980) and 2334 (2016), which all confirm that Jerusalem is an Arab land, and revoke any decision or action aimed at changing the identity, legal status or demographic composition of Jerusalem.

Under those international resolutions, no state may recognize any right to the Israeli occupation therein, Mr. Saleem Al-Za’anoun added, and may not open missions or embassies in this occupied city.

PNC stressed that it is the duty of the United Nations, in accordance with its Charter, and the duty of the world to protect security and stability in the worldwide, defend the decisions of the United Nations and ensure that Honduras will pay respect for international law, and pressure on it to reverse its illegal decision.

PNC called upon the Inter-Parliamentary Union and its member parliaments to work with the Honduras Parliament to pressure its government to comply with the resolutions of international legitimacy, and highlight the need to respect the rules of international law, particularly its commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 478 of 1980, which invalidated the Israeli Knesset decision to annex East Jerusalem as a so-called unified capital of Israel. PNC called on all states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from Jerusalem, and not to recognize the Israeli Basic Law of Jerusalem annexation.

PNC called on also the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, Arab Parliaments, the Union of Islamic Parliaments and friendly Parliaments to move towards Parliaments of the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) Union, to pressure the Parliament and Government of Honduras to reverse this decision which is contradicting with the resolutions of international legitimacy, and is an explicit and complete bias towards the Israeli occupation and settlement.