US Calling Jerusalem Israel’s Capital Is ‘Naked Aggression,’ Muslim Nations Say
Image by Getty images
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would be a “naked aggression” that would cause the United States to lose “its mediating role and turn it into a biased party to the conflict,” the Organization of Islamic States said.
The statement by the group, representing 57 countries, came as President Trump delayed a waiver on moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem that presidents have routinely issued since 1995 when Congress passed a law mandating the move.
The resolution issued Monday after an emergency meeting at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia “warns against recognizing Al-Quds [Jerusalem] as the capital of Israel, the occupying power, or establishing or transferring any diplomatic mission to Al-Quds, given that this is considered a naked aggression not only on the Arab and Islamic Ummah [community], but also on the rights of Muslims and Christians alike, and on the Palestinian people’s national rights, including their right to self-determination.”
Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would cause “the United States to lose the legal and moral ground and its mediating role, and turning it into a biased party to the conflict,” the resolution said.
Trump’s deadline for issuing the waiver, which according to the law must be issued every six months, was Friday Dec. 1. On Monday evening, the White House said it would be delayed.
Trump, who campaigned on a promise of moving the embassy, walked it back after assuming the presidency. Recent reports say that he was unhappy with his first waiver issued in June and wants to go ahead and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as early as Wednesday.
Palestinian officials have said that moving the embassy would scuttle attempts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks led by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Kushner, in a rare public appearance this weekend, said he was optimistic about restarting the talks.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
