KARACHI: Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said the United States, by means of its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, targeted not only Palestinians, but the entire Muslim world.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital – a historic decision that overturns decades of US policy and risks triggering a fresh spasm of violence in the Middle East.
“I have determined that it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Trump said from the White House. “It’s the right thing to do.”
Asif said, “Not only Palestinians are a target of this wound, but the entire Muslim world.”
He said the sanctity of Al-Quds for Muslims was not hidden from anyone.
“This is a blatant evidence of opposition to Muslims. A proxy is being propped up in the Middle East, which is extremely condemnable,” the foreign minister said.
Trump also kicked off the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, saying his decision marked the start of a “new approach” to solving the thorny conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Asif said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the OIC summit, adding, “We fully back it and the Muslim world will present its detailed stance from the platform, so that we may fight for the aspirations of our Palestinian brothers.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called an OIC summit in Istanbul on December 13 to discuss the US move, his spokesman said on Wednesday, hours before Trump’s announcement.
Earlier in a tweet prior to the announcement by President Trump, Asif had said that “by moving the embassy US will practically alter the status of Jerusalem, an affront to Palestinians and the Muslim world.”
He had said the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will be practically burying the two-state solution. “It will add another wound to already bleeding body of Muslim Ummah.”
Published in Daily Times, December 7th 2017.
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