East Jerusalem 'should be capital of Palestine'

Last updated: 14 December 2017, 9:41 am

Islamic leaders have urged the world to recognise occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

The call came at an emergency summit of the world main pan-Islamic body, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), organised by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas warned the United States no longer had any role to play in the peace process.

They declared Trump's decision "null and void legally" and "a deliberate undermining of all peace efforts" that would give impetus to "extremism and terrorism".

The status of Jerusalem, a city considered holy by Christians, Jews and Muslims, is perhaps the most sensitive issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel sees the entire city as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians want the eastern sector, which the international community regards as annexed by Israel, as the capital of their future state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response that he was "not impressed" by the OIC statements.

"The Palestinians would do better by recognising reality and acting in favour of peace and not extremism," Netanyahu said.

Erdogan, who sees himself a champion of the Palestinian cause, sought to underline his point with a powerpoint map presentation, flashing a laser pointer at how Palestinian territory had shrunk since the 1948 creation of Israel.

"The real proprietor of these lands is Palestine," he said.

"Mr Trump wants all this to be Israel. This is the product of an evangelist and Zionist mentality," said Erdogan, the current OIC chairman.