Arab Nations Mount Pressure on Trump over Jerusalem

The tension and controversy generated by President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel is yet to settle following Saturday’s emergency meeting by Arab foreign ministers in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

The meeting is designed to formulate a unified response to President Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a move that has sparked anger and protests in the Arab world.

The Arab League meeting, which brings together foreign ministers from memberstates, is taking place as protests continued for three consecutive days in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In Cairo, the head of Egypt’s largest Christian church announced he would not meet U.S. Vice President Mike Pence when he visits Cairo on Dec. 20.

A similar decision was made Friday by the head of Al-Azhar, the world’s supreme seat of learning for Sunni Muslims.

Hundreds of worshippers protested Trump’s decision after Friday prayers at Al-Azhar mosque, but security forces prevented them from marching to the city centre.

Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem, and his intention to move the US Embassy there, triggered denunciations from around the world, with even close allies suggesting he had needlessly stirred more conflict in an already volatile region.

The city’s status lies at the core of the Israeli-Palestinians conflict, and Trump’s move was widely perceived as siding with Israel.

Even small crises over Jerusalem’s status and that of the holy sites in its ancient Old City have sparked deadly bloodshed in the past.

It was not immediately clear what the foreign ministers will decide on in terms of concrete measures to counter Trump’s decision, but Arab diplomats have spoken of submitting a draft resolution condemning the move to the U.N. Security Council and unspecified measures touching bilateral ties between Arab League member states and Washington.

The diplomats also speculated that an Arab summit might be called to convene following the foreign ministers’ meeting, a proposition the diplomats said was already embraced by several member states.

The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.