Afrasianet - World leaders are expressing concern over the Trump administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A number of demonstrations are planned across the Arab world in the coming days.
• 06 December 2017
19:55 GMT
• 19:50 GMT
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was designed to reflect the city’s position as home to the country’s major government bodies. In a statement published to the State Department website, Tillerson also said that the president consulted with “friends, partners and allies” before making the decision.
“We firmly believe there is an opportunity for a lasting peace,” he added.
• 19:50 GMT
A Jordanian government spokesperson said the country rejects Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem, and the move is not legally valid because it “consolidates Israeli occupation on eastern sector of city” and violates “international legitimacy”, according to comments cited by Reuters.
• 19:43 GMT
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry says it will keep its embassy in Israel in Tel Aviv.
• 19:40 GMT
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has claimed the US decision threatens stability and reduces the prospect of peace in the region. Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani made similar remarks, saying the situation is a “dangerous escalation and death sentence for all who seek peace.”
Meanwhile, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has warned Donald Trump of the “dangerous consequences” of his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
• 19:24 GMT
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi is speaking to Abbas by phone to discuss the repercussions of the US embassy relocation, according to an Egyptian statement cited by Reuters.
• 19:24 GMT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has accused the US of abdicating its role as peacemaker in the Middle East. Calling the decision a “reward to Israel,” Abbas added that acknowledging Jerusalem as the Israeli capital will only serve to fuel “terrorist groups who wish to turn conflict in our region into a vicious war.”
Abbas also made reference to the significance of Jerusalem, calling it “the eternal capital of Palestine.”
• 19:18 GMT
• 19:17 GMT
Qatar’s foreign minister has called Trump’s decision to relocate the US Embassy to Jerusalem a “dangerous escalation and death sentence for all who seek peace”, Al Jazeera reports.
• 19:08 GMT
Turkey’s foreign ministry has condemned the move as “irresponsible” and has called on Washington to reconsider its decision.
"We condemn the irresponsible statement of the U.S. administration... declaring that it recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and it will be moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"We call upon the US Administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem."
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu echoed the sentiments in a tweet.
RT