Muslim leaders urge recognition of E. Jerusalem

World
Europe

‍Muslim leaders on Wednesday called on world powers to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, and argued the US has relinquished its right to broker peace in the region following a controversial decision to move its embassy last week.

“(We) declare East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine and invite all countries to recognize the State of Palestine and East Jerusalem as its occupied capital,” the 57-state Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said in a final statement after meeting in Istanbul.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had convened an extraordinary summit of the pan-Islamic body to discuss the US decision last week to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move its embassy there from Tel Aviv – contradicting decades of US policy.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan poses with Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Jordan's King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, December 13, 2017. /Reuters Photo

While Israel considers undivided Jerusalem its capital, the Palestinians see the east of the city – which the international community says was annexed by Israel – as the capital of its future state.

On Wednesday, the OIC’s members – including Egypt, Jordan, Saudia Arabia and Iran – said they “reject and condemn in the strongest terms the unilateral decision by the President of the United States America… (and) reject it as null and void legally.”

The US decision was “a deliberate undermining of all peace efforts, an impetus to extremism and terrorism, and a threat to international peace and security,” they said.

In a separate Istanbul Declaration, the OIC leaders called on Washington “to rescind its mistaken step.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, December 13, 2017. /Reuters Photo

"Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of Palestine," Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas also said in Istanbul.

Neither he nor Erdogan minced their words regarding the US’s future role in mediating a peaceful solution in the Middle East.

"We do not accept any role of the United States in the political process from now on. Because it is completely biased towards Israel," Abbas said.

"From now on, it is out of the question for a biased United States to be a mediator between Israel and Palestine, that period is over," Erdogan added at the end of the meeting, in comments later echoed by the joint statement.

Other leaders present at the summit included Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Jordan's King Abdullah, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Indonesia’s Joko Widodo.

Saudi Arabia, a close ally of Washington's, sent a state minister for foreign affairs. But speaking from Riyadh, King Salman said it was the "right" of the Palestinians to establish "their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital".

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators shout slogans near the Istanbul Congress Center as the leaders and the representatives of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries gather for an extraordinary meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, December 13, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Reacting to the Istanbul meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unfazed.

"Palestinians should accept the reality and work for peace and not for extremism,” he said.

“All of these declarations do not impress us. In the end the truth will prevail and they will, like many other countries, recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will move their embassies, too."

Erdogan had earlier described the US move as rewarding Israeli for its occupation of Palestinian territory, settlement construction and "disproportionate violence and murder".

"Israel is an occupying state (and) Israel is a terror state," the Turkish president said at the summit.

US President Donald Trump’s announcement last week sparked off protests in the Palestinian territories that escalated with rockets being fired from Gaza and Israel's Defense Forces retaliating with airstrikes.

Throughout the Arab world, tens of thousands of people also took to the streets to condemn the US decision.

(With input from agencies)

7057km