December 15, 2017 TnH Global

Islamic Cooperation declares East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital

The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has recognized East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine and invited other countries to follow suit. The organization’s decision, reached during an extraordinary summit in Istanbul countering the US’s recognition of Jerusalem as the “undivided” capital of Israel.

“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,” read the final communiqué released after the OIC Summit in Istanbul, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, the current OIC term president.

The 23-article Istanbul Declaration expressed full solidarity with Palestine and “rejected and condemned in the strongest terms the unilateral decision by the President of the United States America recognizing Al-Quds as the so-called capital of Israel.”

Trump’s move is an “attack on the historical, legal, natural and national rights of the Palestinian people, a deliberate undermining of all peace efforts, a move to extremism and terrorism, and a threat to international peace and security,” read the communiqué.

The Istanbul Summit brought kings and heads of states and governments from all member countries except Syria just a week after Trump ordered to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Qatar Emir al-Thani and Jordanian King Abdullah II were among the most prominent leaders present at the summit. Saudi Arabia was represented by the country’s Islamic affairs minister

In his opening remarks, Erdoğan slammed the US (Trump’s) decision and the Israeli government’s actions, saying “Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of Palestine.”

“I declare once again that Jerusalem is our red line. Haram-I Sherif with its 144 cares, which include al-Aqsa Mosque and Kubbet ul-Sahra, will forever belong to Muslims,” he said.

News Source: www.hurriyetdailynews.com