Warnings from other leaders pour in after Donald Trump delays decision on recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
Such a decision would violate decades of foreign policy not to take a stance on the fate of the holy city, which includes the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam
International leaders warned US President Donald Trump on Tuesday that he risked outraging Muslims and jeopardising Middle East peace efforts if he recognised Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and moved the US embassy there.
Trump delayed a controversial decision on the ancient holy city on Monday, following frantic public warnings from allies and private phone calls between world leaders.
Jerusalem’s status is a key issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both Israelis and Palestinians claiming the city as their capital.
Warnings multiplied on Tuesday, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning Trump in a speech that the status of Jerusalem is a “red line” for Muslims and could even prompt Turkey to cut ties with Israel.
Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said member states had decided to meet in Cairo “given the danger of this matter, if it were to happen, and the possible negative consequences not only for the situation in Palestine but also for the Arab and Islamic region”.
US officials said Trump was expected to stop short of moving the embassy to Jerusalem outright – a central campaign pledge which his administration has postponed once already. But domestic politics may still push him to break with decades of US policy recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital instead in a gesture towards conservative voters and donors.