Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Muslims worldwide protest Trump move
One dead in clashes over Jerusalem decision
JERUSALEM, GAZA: Thousands of people on several continents protested against US President Donald Trump’s recognition of of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in a Palestinian “day of rage” yesterday.
Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem, announced on Wednesday, has infuriated the Arab world and upset Western allies.
Yesterday’s protest saw at least one fatality, with Israeli soldiers shooting a man dead near the Gaza border where there were clashes between Palestinians and the military.
The enclave is controlled by Hamas, which has called for a new Palestinian uprising like the “intifadas” of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005 that together saw thousands of Palestinians and more than 1 000 Israelis killed.
“Whoever moves his embassy to occupied Jerusalem will become an enemy of the Palestinians and a target of Palestinian factions,” said Hamas leader Fathy Hammad.
“We declare an intifada until the liberation of Jerusalem and all of Palestine.”
in Jerusalem, as Friday prayers ended at the Al Aqsa mosque, worshippers made their way toward the walled Old City gates, chanting “Jerusalem is ours, Jerusalem is our capital” and “We don’t need empty words, we need stones and Kalashnikovs”.
In Hebron and Bethlehem, Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers who fired back with tear gas.
In Iran, which has never recognised Israel and supports anti- Israel militants, demonstrators burned pictures of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chanting “death to the devil”.
In Cairo, capital of Egypt, a US ally which has a peace treaty with Israel, protesters chanted “Jerusalem is Arab! Trump, you madman, the Arab people are everywhere!”
The imam leading Friday prayers at the Al-Azhar mosque said the US plan to move its embassy to Jerusalem was a “terrorist decision”.
Thousands also took to the streets in Muslim- majority Malaysia and Indonesia.
The status of Jerusalem has long been one of the biggest obstacles to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its capital. Palestinians want the eastern part of the city as the capital of a future independent state of their own. Most countries consider East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in a 1967 war, to be occupied territory.
Washington, like most of the international community, has held back from recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, arguing its status should be determined as part of the peace process. No other country has its embassy there.
The Trump administration argues the peace process has become moribund and outdated policies need to be jettisoned for them to make progress. – Reuters and AP