OECD: Meeting in Jerusalem doesn't mean we recognize it as Israel's capital

Ma'an - The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development has urged Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to correct "misperceptions" by his government ahead of a meeting in Jerusalem.

The world economic group will hold its biannual conference 20-22 Oct. in West Jerusalem, a move perceived by some in Netanyahu's government as a sign that the international community is beginning to accept Israel's annexation of the city.

The choice of venue has for the same reasons infuriated Palestinians who, like the rest of the international community, all but universally reject Israel's unilateral claims to Jerusalem and insist that the city's future remains a matter for final-status agreements.

Adding fuel to the fire, Israeli Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov said Tuesday that the meeting's location would amount to "a declaration of intent, and a seal of approval on the fact that we have a state whose recognized capital is Jerusalem."

Not so, according to OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria, who two days later sent a terse message to Netanyahu protesting the statements and demanding that his minister "correct the misperceptions created and put the meeting in its proper perspective."

Misezhnikov's statements were "factually incorrect and quite unacceptable," Gurria wrote. Read more