A decision by US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital — which could happen as early as Wednesday according to senior American officials — would fuel extremism and violence, the Arab League has warned.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the 22-nation group, said: “It only benefits one side: the Israeli government that is hostile to peace. [It] would only result in further conflict.”
The Palestinian militant group Hamas went further: “We warn against such a move and call on the Palestinian people to revive the intifada if these unjust decisions on Jerusalem are adopted,” it said in a statement.
More than 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis died during the last intifada, or uprising, which was triggered by a visit to the al-Aqsa mosque by the Israeli leader Ariel Sharon in 2000. Jerusalem has been under a special UN trusteeship since 1947 but both the Israelis and the Palestinians claim it as their capital. Previous peace agreements have crumbled amid disagreement over the status of the city and access to its Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites.
Read the full article by Bel Trew of The Times in The Ausralian (subscription only).