The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned Colombia’s decision to open an embassy in occupied Jerusalem, describing the move as a violation of international law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

OIC Secretary-General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the decision contravened Security Council Resolution 478, adopted in 1980, which called on states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from Jerusalem following Israel’s measures to alter the city’s status.

He stressed that all Israeli legislative and administrative measures intended to change the character and status of occupied Jerusalem were null and void under international law and must be rescinded.

The OIC chief reiterated the organisation’s rejection of any decision or action that could legitimise Israel’s occupation or its claimed sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem, warning that such moves also undermine international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution.

In a written message to Colombia’s foreign minister, Ould Cheikh Ahmed urged the government to reverse its decision, saying the move supported Israeli policies aimed at changing Jerusalem’s character, legal status and demographic composition.

He said the decision disregarded the rights of the Palestinian people and the city’s profound religious and historical significance for Muslims and Christians worldwide.

The secretary-general also warned that the move could have far-reaching consequences for Colombia’s relations with countries across the Islamic world.

The status of Jerusalem remains one of the central issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians regard East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel claims the city as its capital. Most countries do not recognise Israeli sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem. (ILKHA)