Muslim leaders condemned US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday and called on the world to respond by recognising East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who hosted the summit of more than 50 Muslim countries in Istanbul, said the US&nbsp;move meant Washington had forfeited its role as broker in efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.&nbsp;

&quot;From now on, it is out of the question for a biased United States to be a mediator between Israel and Palestine, that period is over,&quot; Erdogan said at the end of the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states.

&quot;We need to discuss who will be a mediator from now on. This needs to be tackled in the UN too,&quot; Erdogan said.

A communique posted on the Turkish Foreign Ministry website said the emirs, presidents and ministers gathered in Istanbul regarded Trump&#39;s move &quot;as an announcement of the US&nbsp;Administration`s withdrawal from its role as sponsor of peace&quot;.

It described the decision as &quot;a deliberate undermining of all peace efforts, an impetus (for) extremism and terrorism, and a threat to international peace and security&quot;.

Leaders including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Iran&#39;s President Hassan Rouhani and Jordan`s King Abdullah, a close US&nbsp;ally, all criticised Washington&#39;s move.

&quot;Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of Palestine,&quot; Abbas said, adding Trump&#39;s decision was &quot;the greatest crime&quot; and a violation of international law.

The Trump administration says it remains committed to reaching peace between Israel and the Palestinians and its decision does not affect Jerusalem&#39;s future borders or status.

It says any credible future peace deal will place the Israeli capital in Jerusalem, and ditching old policies is needed to revive a peace process frozen since 2014. But Abbas told the leaders in Istanbul that Washington had shown it could no longer be an honest broker.&nbsp;

&quot;It will be unacceptable for it to have a role in the political process any longer since it is biased in favour of Israel,&quot; he said. &quot;This is our position and we hope you support us in this.&quot;

Palestinian capital 

Jerusalem, revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, is home to Islam&#39;s third holiest site and has been at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in an action not recognised internationally.

The communique on the Turkish ministry website and a separate &quot;Istanbul Declaration&quot; distributed to journalists after the meeting said the leaders called on all countries to recognise East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

&quot;We invite the Trump Administration to reconsider its unlawful decision that might trigger...chaos in the region, and to rescind its mistaken step,&quot; the declaration said.

Iran, locked in a regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia, said the Muslim world should overcome internal problems through dialogue so it could unite against Israel.

Tehran has repeatedly called for the destruction of the Israeli state and backs several militant groups in their fight against it.&nbsp;

&quot;America is only seeking to secure the maximum interests of the Zionists and it has no respect for the legitimate rights of Palestinians,&quot; Rouhani told the summit.&nbsp;

King Abdullah, whose country signed a peace treaty with Israel more than 20 years ago, said he rejected any attempt to alter the status quo of Jerusalem and its holy sites.&nbsp;

Abdullah&#39;s Hashemite dynasty is custodian of Jerusalem`s Muslim sites, making Amman sensitive to any changes in the city.

Not all countries were represented by heads of government. Some sent ministers and Saudi Arabia, another close ally of Washington&#39;s, sent a junior foreign minister.

Summit host Turkey has warned that Trump&#39;s decision would plunge the world into &quot;a fire with no end in sight&quot;.

Erdogan described it as reward for Israeli actions including occupation, settlement construction, land seizure and &quot;disproportionate violence and murder&quot;.

&quot;Israel is an occupying state (and) Israel is a terror state,&quot; he told the summit.&nbsp;

&quot;I invite all countries supporting international law to recognise Jerusalem as the occupied capital of Palestine. We cannot be late any more,&quot; Erdogan told leaders and ministers from more than 50 Muslim countries.

Trump&#39;s declaration has been applauded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Washington had an irreplaceable part to play in the region.

&quot;There is no substitute to the role that the United States plays in leading the peace process,&quot; he said at a Hanukkah holiday candle lighting ceremony on Tuesday.&nbsp;

A communique posted on the Turkish Foreign Ministry website said the emirs, presidents and ministers gathered in Istanbul regarded Trump's move "as an announcement of the US

Muslim leaders condemned US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday and called on the world to respond by recognising East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who hosted the summit of more than 50 Muslim countries in Istanbul, said the US move meant Washington had forfeited its role as broker in efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "From now on, it is out of the question for a biased United States to be a mediator between Israel and Palestine, that period is over," Erdogan said at the end of the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states. "We need to discuss who will be a mediator from now on. This needs to be tackled in the UN too," Erdogan said. A communique posted on the Turkish Foreign Ministry website said the emirs, presidents and ministers gathered in Istanbul regarded Trump's move "as an announcement of the US Administration`s withdrawal from its role as sponsor of peace". It described the decision as "a deliberate undermining of all peace efforts, an impetus (for) extremism and terrorism, and a threat to international peace and security". Leaders including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Jordan`s King Abdullah, a close US ally, all criticised Washington's move. "Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of Palestine," Abbas said, adding Trump's decision was "the greatest crime" and a violation of international law. The Trump administration says it remains committed to reaching peace between Israel and the Palestinians and its decision does not affect Jerusalem's future borders or status. It says any credible future peace deal will place the Israeli capital in Jerusalem, and ditching old policies is needed to revive a peace process frozen since 2014. But Abbas told the leaders in Istanbul that Washington had shown it could no longer be an honest broker. "It will be unacceptable for it to have a role in the political process any longer since it is biased in favour of Israel," he said. "This is our position and we hope you support us in this." Palestinian capital Jerusalem, revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, is home to Islam's third holiest site and has been at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in an action not recognised internationally. The communique on the Turkish ministry website and a separate "Istanbul Declaration" distributed to journalists after the meeting said the leaders called on all countries to recognise East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. "We invite the Trump Administration to reconsider its unlawful decision that might trigger...chaos in the region, and to rescind its mistaken step," the declaration said. Iran, locked in a regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia, said the Muslim world should overcome internal problems through dialogue so it could unite against Israel. Tehran has repeatedly called for the destruction of the Israeli state and backs several militant groups in their fight against it. "America is only seeking to secure the maximum interests of the Zionists and it has no respect for the legitimate rights of Palestinians," Rouhani told the summit. King Abdullah, whose country signed a peace treaty with Israel more than 20 years ago, said he rejected any attempt to alter the status quo of Jerusalem and its holy sites. Abdullah's Hashemite dynasty is custodian of Jerusalem`s Muslim sites, making Amman sensitive to any changes in the city. Not all countries were represented by heads of government. Some sent ministers and Saudi Arabia, another close ally of Washington's, sent a junior foreign minister. Summit host Turkey has warned that Trump's decision would plunge the world into "a fire with no end in sight". Erdogan described it as reward for Israeli actions including occupation, settlement construction, land seizure and "disproportionate violence and murder". "Israel is an occupying state (and) Israel is a terror state," he told the summit. "I invite all countries supporting international law to recognise Jerusalem as the occupied capital of Palestine. We cannot be late any more," Erdogan told leaders and ministers from more than 50 Muslim countries. Trump's declaration has been applauded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Washington had an irreplaceable part to play in the region. "There is no substitute to the role that the United States plays in leading the peace process," he said at a Hanukkah holiday candle lighting ceremony on Tuesday.

Muslim leaders call on world to recognise East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital

Israeli <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-renews-call-for-wisdom-and-prudence-over-jerusalem-26389">PM Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit </a>to France said that &#39;&#39;Jerusalem is the capital of Israel&#39;&#39; and it has been the &quot;capital for 3,000 years&quot;.

&quot;Where else is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israels-netanyahu-says-wont-take-lectures-from-turkeys-erdogan-26395">the capital of Israel but in Jerusalem? Where</a> is our Knesset, our parliament, where&#39;s our supreme court, the seat of our government, the prime minister&#39;s office, the president&#39;s office?, Netanyahu asked, adding,&quot;It&#39;s not in Beersheba, it&#39;s not in Ashdod, these are wonderful cities but it&#39;s in Jerusalem, it&#39;s always been our capital and Jerusalem has never been the capital of any other people.&quot;

&quot;I think the sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we&#39;ll move towards peace,&quot; he added.

&quot;I have offered continuously to (Palestinian President) Mr (Mahmoud) Abbas to sit down and negotiate peace. I do so again,&quot; the Isreali PM said.&nbsp;

This is the first time Netanyahu has declared his views in front of another head of state. Speaking to reporters in Paris, President Macron, however, sought to strike a balance saying: &quot;I would tell Netanyahu, give a chance to peace and make a gesture towards the Palestinians.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;Peace doesn&#39;t depend on the United States on one side, on France on its own. It depends on the ability of the two leaders, Israeli and Palestinian, to make it happen,&quot; Macron added.

Meanwhile, violence continued in the Middle East over US President Trump&#39;s announcement to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard at Jerusalem&#39;s main bus station. Elsewhere, &nbsp;violence flared near the US Embassy in Beirut as demonstrators openly set torched the &nbsp;US and Israeli flags.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan said the US move &quot;could throw a lifebuoy to terrorist and armed groups, which have begun to lose ground&quot; in the Middle East.

President Macron said that he had told PM Netanyahu that France &quot;disapproved&quot; of the recent declaration by the president of the United States on Jerusalem, adding that it ran &quot;contrary to international law&quot; and was &quot;dangerous for peace&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Dangerous for peace because it doesn&#39;t seem in the short term to benefit the cause of security, including for the Israelis themselves,&quot; Macron asserted.

When asked about discontent across the region over Trump&#39;s decision, including harsh criticism from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Netanyahu said he would not be given &quot;morality lectures&quot; by Erdogan.

 
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&nbsp;

&nbsp;

President Macron said that he had told PM Netanyahu that France "disapproved" of the recent declaration by the president of the United States on Jerusalem

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to France said that ''Jerusalem is the capital of Israel'' and it has been the "capital for 3,000 years". "Where else is the capital of Israel but in Jerusalem? Where is our Knesset, our parliament, where's our supreme court, the seat of our government, the prime minister's office, the president's office?, Netanyahu asked, adding,"It's not in Beersheba, it's not in Ashdod, these are wonderful cities but it's in Jerusalem, it's always been our capital and Jerusalem has never been the capital of any other people." "I think the sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we'll move towards peace," he added. "I have offered continuously to (Palestinian President) Mr (Mahmoud) Abbas to sit down and negotiate peace. I do so again," the Isreali PM said. This is the first time Netanyahu has declared his views in front of another head of state. Speaking to reporters in Paris, President Macron, however, sought to strike a balance saying: "I would tell Netanyahu, give a chance to peace and make a gesture towards the Palestinians." "Peace doesn't depend on the United States on one side, on France on its own. It depends on the ability of the two leaders, Israeli and Palestinian, to make it happen," Macron added. Meanwhile, violence continued in the Middle East over US President Trump's announcement to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard at Jerusalem's main bus station. Elsewhere, violence flared near the US Embassy in Beirut as demonstrators openly set torched the US and Israeli flags. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan said the US move "could throw a lifebuoy to terrorist and armed groups, which have begun to lose ground" in the Middle East. President Macron said that he had told PM Netanyahu that France "disapproved" of the recent declaration by the president of the United States on Jerusalem, adding that it ran "contrary to international law" and was "dangerous for peace". "Dangerous for peace because it doesn't seem in the short term to benefit the cause of security, including for the Israelis themselves," Macron asserted. When asked about discontent across the region over Trump's decision, including harsh criticism from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Netanyahu said he would not be given "morality lectures" by Erdogan.

Sooner Palestinians come to grips with reality, we can move towards peace: Israeli PM Netanyahu

An Israeli air strike on a Gaza base of Hamas&#39;s military wing killed two people on Saturday, health officials of the territory&#39;s Palestinian Islamist rulers said.&nbsp;Hamas confirms both men as militants, clarifies the name of the first.&nbsp;

The strike on a base in Nusseirat in the central Gaza Strip, one of several in the early hours, came amid protests across the Palestinian territories against US President Donald Trump&#39;s deeply controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

The Hamas health ministry in Gaza named the men as Abdullah al-Atal, 28 and Mohammed al-Safdi, 30.

It said that their bodies &nbsp;were only recovered several hours after the pre-dawn strike on a base of Hamas&#39;s military wing in Nusseirat in the central Gaza Strip.

The militants did not say if the dead men were its members.

The strike followed three rocket attacks Friday night from Gaza into southern Israel.

&quot;Today... in response to the rockets fired at southern Israeli communities throughout yesterday, Israel air force aircraft targeted four facilities belonging to the Hamas terror organisation in the Gaza Strip,&quot; an English-language army statement said on Saturday.

It said the targets were &quot;two weapons manufacturing sites, a weapons warehouse and a military compound.&quot;

&quot;In each target, several components were hit,&quot; it added.

Israeli strikes on Hamas facilities on Friday night wounded 14 people, among them women and children, the Hamas medical services said.&nbsp;

They followed three rocket attacks during Friday&#39;s Palestinian &quot;day of rage&quot; over Trump&#39;s decision.

In one of them, a rocket hit the southern Israeli city of Sderot although Israeli public radio said it did not explode and did not cause any casualties.

The Israeli military said that its Iron Dome air defence system intercepted an earlier rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave.

It said it later detected a second missile launch, but had not found evidence that it had reached Israeli territory.

The military retaliated Friday with air strikes on what it said were two targets.

&quot;In response to the projectiles fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip earlier today, Israel air force aircraft targeted a Hamas training compound and an ammunition warehouse in the Gaza Strip,&quot; an English-language statement said.

Gaza security officials said that both targets were in the vicinity of Beit Lahiya, in the northern part of the strip, close to the border with Israel.

A previously unknown Salafist group calling itself the Salahedin Brigades claimed responsibility for one of the attacks.

But the Israeli army said it held Hamas responsible for all &quot;hostile activity&quot; originating from the territory under its control.

The strike followed three rocket attacks Friday night from Gaza into southern Israel

An Israeli air strike on a Gaza base of Hamas's military wing killed two people on Saturday, health officials of the territory's Palestinian Islamist rulers said. Hamas confirms both men as militants, clarifies the name of the first. The strike on a base in Nusseirat in the central Gaza Strip, one of several in the early hours, came amid protests across the Palestinian territories against US President Donald Trump's deeply controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Hamas health ministry in Gaza named the men as Abdullah al-Atal, 28 and Mohammed al-Safdi, 30. It said that their bodies were only recovered several hours after the pre-dawn strike on a base of Hamas's military wing in Nusseirat in the central Gaza Strip. The militants did not say if the dead men were its members. The strike followed three rocket attacks Friday night from Gaza into southern Israel. "Today... in response to the rockets fired at southern Israeli communities throughout yesterday, Israel air force aircraft targeted four facilities belonging to the Hamas terror organisation in the Gaza Strip," an English-language army statement said on Saturday. It said the targets were "two weapons manufacturing sites, a weapons warehouse and a military compound." "In each target, several components were hit," it added. Israeli strikes on Hamas facilities on Friday night wounded 14 people, among them women and children, the Hamas medical services said. They followed three rocket attacks during Friday's Palestinian "day of rage" over Trump's decision. In one of them, a rocket hit the southern Israeli city of Sderot although Israeli public radio said it did not explode and did not cause any casualties. The Israeli military said that its Iron Dome air defence system intercepted an earlier rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave. It said it later detected a second missile launch, but had not found evidence that it had reached Israeli territory. The military retaliated Friday with air strikes on what it said were two targets. "In response to the projectiles fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip earlier today, Israel air force aircraft targeted a Hamas training compound and an ammunition warehouse in the Gaza Strip," an English-language statement said. Gaza security officials said that both targets were in the vicinity of Beit Lahiya, in the northern part of the strip, close to the border with Israel. A previously unknown Salafist group calling itself the Salahedin Brigades claimed responsibility for one of the attacks. But the Israeli army said it held Hamas responsible for all "hostile activity" originating from the territory under its control.

Israel air strikes kill 2 Palestinian militants

North Korea has lambasted US President Donald Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, renewing its description of him as a &quot;dotard&quot; in a statement released Saturday on state media.

Trump and North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months as tensions remain high over the North&#39;s missile and nuclear threats.

Now the hermit state has joined <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-cornered-on-jerusalem-move-in-united-nation-26295" target="_blank">near-universal condemnation</a> of the US president&#39;s decision on Jerusalem, calling it a &quot;reckless, wicked act&quot;.

&quot;Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising&quot;, a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run KCNA news agency.

&quot;But this move clearly shows to the whole world who is the destroyer of world peace and security, pariah and rogue in the international community&quot;, he said, using epithets usually reserved for the North.

Trump&#39;s declaration Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv sparked anger across the Muslim world, and drew expressions of concern and disapproval from US allies.

Trump has previously warned Pyongyang of &quot;fire and fury&quot;, telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would &quot;totally destroy North Korea&quot; if it had to defend itself or its allies.

Trump dubbed Kim &quot;Rocket Man&quot; in the same speech -- Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland -- and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling him a &quot;dotard&quot;, an obscure term for a weak or senile old man.

According to the latest KCNA statement, the North &quot;strongly condemns&quot; the US move to recognise Jerusalem as capital, and expressed &quot;firm support and solidarity for Palestinians and Arab peoples struggling to win their legitimate rights&quot;.

&quot;The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act&quot;, it added.

'Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising,' a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying

North Korea has lambasted US President Donald Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, renewing its description of him as a "dotard" in a statement released Saturday on state media. Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months as tensions remain high over the North's missile and nuclear threats. Now the hermit state has joined near-universal condemnation of the US president's decision on Jerusalem, calling it a "reckless, wicked act". "Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising", a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run KCNA news agency. "But this move clearly shows to the whole world who is the destroyer of world peace and security, pariah and rogue in the international community", he said, using epithets usually reserved for the North. Trump's declaration Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv sparked anger across the Muslim world, and drew expressions of concern and disapproval from US allies. Trump has previously warned Pyongyang of "fire and fury", telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would "totally destroy North Korea" if it had to defend itself or its allies. Trump dubbed Kim "Rocket Man" in the same speech -- Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland -- and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling him a "dotard", an obscure term for a weak or senile old man. According to the latest KCNA statement, the North "strongly condemns" the US move to recognise Jerusalem as capital, and expressed "firm support and solidarity for Palestinians and Arab peoples struggling to win their legitimate rights". "The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act", it added.

North Korea condemns 'mentally deranged dotard' Trump over Jerusalem

President Donald Trump will come good on election promises and shift the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city of Jerusalem. This is music to Israeli ears.&nbsp;

But Washington&rsquo;s European allies and the Islamic Middle East have condemned the move. Islamist groups around the world have asked people to take to the streets for a &#39;day of rage&#39;, travel advisories are being issued thick and fast. &nbsp;What is the unpredictable Mr Trump up to?

But WION got it right, hours before the President&rsquo;s speech. WION&rsquo;s senior Foreign Editor Padma Rao Sundarji analyses the least reported and most important part of the president&rsquo;s announcement.

Le shanah haba be Yerushalayim: Next year in Jerusalem.&nbsp;

That&rsquo;s what devout Jews have chanted for thousands of years at the end of Passover and Yom Kippur, two solemn Jewish holidays and continue to, in the Jewish state of Israel today.

But US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is a man in a hurry: he wants to shift the American embassy to Jerusalem. And, as the Americans say, he wants to do that not next year but &lsquo;asap.&rsquo;

Israel considers the ancient city of Jerusalem its capital; its parliament, the Knesset, is situated there, all official business is conducted in the city holy to three of the world&rsquo;s oldest faiths.

But Jerusalem is a divided city. &nbsp;Known as Al-Quds in Arabic, the section holiest to all Muslims falls in East Jerusalem: for it is here, from the Dome of the Rock, that the Prophet Mohammed is said to have ascended to the heavens on a white steed. &nbsp;

Consequently, the Palestinians have always claimed East Jerusalem as their real capital in vain and &ndash; the status of the city remains globally disputed. So what is Mr Trump trying to achieve by his announcement?

American analysts say that it is absurd to imagine that a shift of the American embassy will help solve the Middle East&rsquo;s longstanding conflict.&nbsp;

There is an American consulate in Jerusalem. If President Trump were really in a hurry, he only need change the nameplate on that building, they point out. Further, it&rsquo;s been nearly seventy years since the first US&nbsp;ambassador presented his credentials to Israel&rsquo;s government and promises to broker peace have been since made by one envoy after another.

Yet, peace between the Palestinians and Israelis remains a distant dream.

Hours ahead of Mr Trump&rsquo;s announcement last night, WION had reasoned that moving the embassy will not mean that the United States, through the move, recognizes Israel&rsquo;s claim that all of Jerusalem - both its Palestinian-dominated Eastern and Jewish Western sectors - is sovereign Israel territory. &nbsp;

And a section of Mr Trump&rsquo;s announcement that went largely unnoticed in the frenetic media coverage that followed it across the world, proved WION&rsquo;s prophecy right.

&ldquo;In making these announcements, I also want to make one point very clear,&rdquo; said Mr Trump, with a dramatic pause and deliberate emphasis.

&ldquo;This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians. We are not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved. The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
Mr Trump could have easily glossed over territorial issues between Israel and Palestine without mentioning Jerusalem. Instead, he mentioned the city&rsquo;s divided status not once, but twice.

 
&ldquo;Without question, Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in those talks,&rdquo; he continued.

&ldquo;The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
The American president also asked for the status quo at Jerusalem&rsquo;s Muslim and Jewish holy sites both on the Dome of the Rock to remain the same for now. &nbsp;This effectively opens a window of opportunity for the Palestinians to achieve what is core to their demand: East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. &nbsp;

Finally: by &#39;leaving&#39; the resolution of Jerusalem&rsquo;s disputed status to the Israelis and Palestinians and welcoming the Two-States solution in the same -magnanimous -breath, &nbsp;the US President is also keeping an avenue open for the United States &ndash; speak, for the garrulous Mr Trump himself &ndash; to squeeze his large frame into the centre of that photo-op, if and when that happens.

But will it? Will both the Israelis and Palestinians see it as a now-or-never chance to settle their issues once and for all ? &nbsp; That&rsquo;s a question as eternal as the city of Jerusalem. But this time, the outlook seems positive. &nbsp;

 
Over a span of nearly thirty years, the Palestinians have gone from accepting no Jewish state to living as neighbors with one, from daily disturbances to a slightly less turbulent existence.Fundamentalist Palestinian organization, Hamas, is in the process of shedding its rebel clothing, demilitarizing and acquiring mainstream respectability.

And be it militant nationalists or moderate Palestinians, East Jerusalem has always been the emotional core of their demand. &nbsp;

There&#39;s another point worth noting in the President&#39;s announcement. Through his slowly and deliberately enunciated passage on the disputed status of the entire city of Jerusalem side-by-side with his recognition of Jerusalem (with &lsquo;West&rsquo; remaining the unsaid word), Mr Trump has subtly positioned himself on the same side as his allies like France and Germany who have criticized the move.

After all, there&rsquo;s hardly a country in the world with full diplomatic and trade relations with Israel that has not long &lsquo;recognized&rsquo; Israel&rsquo;s sovereignty over West Jerusalem. Otherwise, the Israel government&rsquo;s mere operation out of West Jerusalem would long emerged as a key bone of contention in every international forum. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Will there be a Muslim backlash to Mr Trump&rsquo;s announcement in the Middle East?

Elsewhere in the Middle East, governments have slammed the American president. Yet, most will likely spot that slightly-opened window and keep up protests -but under temperature control - as a key negotiating tool. &nbsp;

 
And what about Islamist terror groups? They&rsquo;ve been on decades-long killing sprees against the &ldquo;Satanic&rdquo;, US-led western bloc&rsquo;s global war against terror and it&rsquo;s been quite a while since any of them mentioned Jerusalem.

To them, this announcement will make little difference. They will merely add the Zionist Enemy to the Satanic West - and the killings and lone wolf attacks will continue. And they, too, may be temperature-controlled by Saudi Arabia, the country said to be the fountainhead for all Waha&rsquo;bi terrorism.

Sunni Saudi Arabia and Jewish Israel have no diplomatic relations. As home to the holiest sites of Islam itself, Saudi Arabia must officially support the Palestinian demand for East Jerusalem &ndash; the home of the Al-Aqsa mosque - of course.

As expected, &nbsp;Riyadh offered sharp and immediate condemnation of President Trump&rsquo;s announcement. &nbsp;But, there&rsquo;s a twist.

Israel and Saudi Arabia have been making overtures towards each other for years. And though for different reasons, Israel and Sunni Saudi Arabia have a common bogeyman: Shia Iran. &nbsp;

There&rsquo;s an old saying that may well have originated in the stormy sands: &quot;my enemy&rsquo;s enemy is my best friend.&#39;&#39; It would surprise no one if Riyadh &lsquo;informed&rsquo; Jerusalem, before slamming President Trump in public.

And as over the past seventy years with fledgling friendships that later developed into full-blown relationships (see India), the Israelis must have nodded in understanding.

 
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WION?s accurate prediction ahead of President Trump?s speech

President Donald Trump will come good on election promises and shift the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city of Jerusalem. This is music to Israeli ears. But Washington’s European allies and the Islamic Middle East have condemned the move. Islamist groups around the world have asked people to take to the streets for a 'day of rage', travel advisories are being issued thick and fast. What is the unpredictable Mr Trump up to? But WION got it right, hours before the President’s speech. WION’s senior Foreign Editor Padma Rao Sundarji analyses the least reported and most important part of the president’s announcement. Le shanah haba be Yerushalayim: Next year in Jerusalem. That’s what devout Jews have chanted for thousands of years at the end of Passover and Yom Kippur, two solemn Jewish holidays and continue to, in the Jewish state of Israel today. But US President Donald Trump is a man in a hurry: he wants to shift the American embassy to Jerusalem. And, as the Americans say, he wants to do that not next year but ‘asap.’ Israel considers the ancient city of Jerusalem its capital; its parliament, the Knesset, is situated there, all official business is conducted in the city holy to three of the world’s oldest faiths. But Jerusalem is a divided city. Known as Al-Quds in Arabic, the section holiest to all Muslims falls in East Jerusalem: for it is here, from the Dome of the Rock, that the Prophet Mohammed is said to have ascended to the heavens on a white steed. Consequently, the Palestinians have always claimed East Jerusalem as their real capital in vain and – the status of the city remains globally disputed. So what is Mr Trump trying to achieve by his announcement? American analysts say that it is absurd to imagine that a shift of the American embassy will help solve the Middle East’s longstanding conflict. There is an American consulate in Jerusalem. If President Trump were really in a hurry, he only need change the nameplate on that building, they point out. Further, it’s been nearly seventy years since the first US ambassador presented his credentials to Israel’s government and promises to broker peace have been since made by one envoy after another. Yet, peace between the Palestinians and Israelis remains a distant dream. Hours ahead of Mr Trump’s announcement last night, WION had reasoned that moving the embassy will not mean that the United States, through the move, recognizes Israel’s claim that all of Jerusalem - both its Palestinian-dominated Eastern and Jewish Western sectors - is sovereign Israel territory. And a section of Mr Trump’s announcement that went largely unnoticed in the frenetic media coverage that followed it across the world, proved WION’s prophecy right. “In making these announcements, I also want to make one point very clear,” said Mr Trump, with a dramatic pause and deliberate emphasis. “This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians. We are not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved. The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement.” Mr Trump could have easily glossed over territorial issues between Israel and Palestine without mentioning Jerusalem. Instead, he mentioned the city’s divided status not once, but twice. “Without question, Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in those talks,” he continued. “The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides.” The American president also asked for the status quo at Jerusalem’s Muslim and Jewish holy sites both on the Dome of the Rock to remain the same for now. This effectively opens a window of opportunity for the Palestinians to achieve what is core to their demand: East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Finally: by 'leaving' the resolution of Jerusalem’s disputed status to the Israelis and Palestinians and welcoming the Two-States solution in the same -magnanimous -breath, the US President is also keeping an avenue open for the United States – speak, for the garrulous Mr Trump himself – to squeeze his large frame into the centre of that photo-op, if and when that happens. But will it? Will both the Israelis and Palestinians see it as a now-or-never chance to settle their issues once and for all ? That’s a question as eternal as the city of Jerusalem. But this time, the outlook seems positive. Over a span of nearly thirty years, the Palestinians have gone from accepting no Jewish state to living as neighbors with one, from daily disturbances to a slightly less turbulent existence.Fundamentalist Palestinian organization, Hamas, is in the process of shedding its rebel clothing, demilitarizing and acquiring mainstream respectability. And be it militant nationalists or moderate Palestinians, East Jerusalem has always been the emotional core of their demand. There's another point worth noting in the President's announcement. Through his slowly and deliberately enunciated passage on the disputed status of the entire city of Jerusalem side-by-side with his recognition of Jerusalem (with ‘West’ remaining the unsaid word), Mr Trump has subtly positioned himself on the same side as his allies like France and Germany who have criticized the move. After all, there’s hardly a country in the world with full diplomatic and trade relations with Israel that has not long ‘recognized’ Israel’s sovereignty over West Jerusalem. Otherwise, the Israel government’s mere operation out of West Jerusalem would long emerged as a key bone of contention in every international forum. Will there be a Muslim backlash to Mr Trump’s announcement in the Middle East? Elsewhere in the Middle East, governments have slammed the American president. Yet, most will likely spot that slightly-opened window and keep up protests -but under temperature control - as a key negotiating tool. And what about Islamist terror groups? They’ve been on decades-long killing sprees against the “Satanic”, US-led western bloc’s global war against terror and it’s been quite a while since any of them mentioned Jerusalem. To them, this announcement will make little difference. They will merely add the Zionist Enemy to the Satanic West - and the killings and lone wolf attacks will continue. And they, too, may be temperature-controlled by Saudi Arabia, the country said to be the fountainhead for all Waha’bi terrorism. Sunni Saudi Arabia and Jewish Israel have no diplomatic relations. As home to the holiest sites of Islam itself, Saudi Arabia must officially support the Palestinian demand for East Jerusalem – the home of the Al-Aqsa mosque - of course. As expected, Riyadh offered sharp and immediate condemnation of President Trump’s announcement. But, there’s a twist. Israel and Saudi Arabia have been making overtures towards each other for years. And though for different reasons, Israel and Sunni Saudi Arabia have a common bogeyman: Shia Iran. There’s an old saying that may well have originated in the stormy sands: "my enemy’s enemy is my best friend.'' It would surprise no one if Riyadh ‘informed’ Jerusalem, before slamming President Trump in public. And as over the past seventy years with fledgling friendships that later developed into full-blown relationships (see India), the Israelis must have nodded in understanding.

In four years in Jerusalem...

President Trump&rsquo;s announcement on Wednesday, Nov. 6 that the U.S. would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel received widespread criticism. Observers quickly recognised the decision as related not so much to national security concerns as to domestic US politics and promises candidate Trump made to his evangelical supporters, who welcomed the announcement.

Historian Diana Butler Bass posted on Twitter:

<blockquote>
&ldquo;Of all the possible theological dog-whistles to his evangelical base, this is the biggest. Trump is reminding them that he is carrying out God&rsquo;s will to these Last Days.&rdquo;
</blockquote>

It is true that evangelicals have often noted that their support for Trump is based on their conviction that God can use the unlikeliest of men to enact his will. But how did conservative American Christians become invested in such a fine point of Middle East policy as to whether the US Embassy is in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?

For many of President Trump&rsquo;s evangelical supporters, this is a key step in the progression of events leading to the second coming of Jesus. There&rsquo;s an interesting story as to how that came to be.

Ushering in the kingdom of God

The nation of Israel and the role of the city of Jerusalem are central in the &ldquo;end-times&rdquo; theology &ndash; a form of what is known as &ldquo;pre-millennialism&rdquo; &ndash; embraced by many American conservative Protestants.

While this theology is often thought of as a &ldquo;literal&rdquo; reading of the Bible, it&rsquo;s actually a reasonably new interpretation that dates to the 19th century and relates to the work of Bible teacher John Nelson Darby.

According to Darby, for this to happen the Jewish people must have control of Jerusalem and build a third Jewish temple on the site where the first and second temples &ndash; destroyed centuries ago by the Babylonians and Romans &ndash; once were. In Darby&rsquo;s view, this was a necessary precursor to the rapture, when believers would be &ldquo;taken up&rdquo; by Christ to escape the worst of the seven-year-period of suffering and turmoil on Earth: The Great Tribulation. This is to be followed by the cosmic battle between good and evil called Armageddon at which Satan will be defeated and Christ will establish his earthly kingdom. All of this became eminently more possible when the modern state of Israel was established in the 1940s.

But to understand the power of this way of looking at the world, it is necessary to do more than point to theological tenets. It is their dissemination through the culture that determines which thought systems take hold and which ones are lost to history.

As an author of &ldquo;Building God&rsquo;s Kingdom,&rdquo; I focus on various aspects of conservative American Protestantism in American culture and politics. In my research, I have seen how some thought systems get lost in history and others take hold.

Here is what happened with the end-time narrative that made it a core undercurrent to how these Christians look at the world and history.

The origins of this narrative

The end-times framework was popularised in the 1970s with an inexpensive and widely available paperback by evangelist and Christian writer Hal Lindsey called &ldquo;The Late Great Planet Earth.&rdquo; Lindsey argued that the establishment of the state of Israel in the 1940s set up a chain of events that would lead to Jesus&rsquo;s return.

He calculated a date for that return in the 1980s. Lindsey, like many end-times prognosticators before him, argued that he lived in the &ldquo;first time in history&rdquo; when the biblical prophecies could possibly be fulfilled. This, he thought, was due in large part to the reestablishment of Israel.

Despite his claim to be reading the Bible literally, Lindsey&rsquo;s interpretation was far from literal. He said, for example, that the locusts predicted in one of the plagues in the book of Revelation were &ldquo;really&rdquo; helicopters.

As adults were reading Lindsey&rsquo;s book, a generation of young people watched an &ldquo;evangelistic&rdquo; film, &ldquo;A Thief in the Night,&rdquo; in church services and youth group meetings.

Beginning with an ominous ticking clock, the film begins at the rapture. It shows how all the faithful Christians suddenly disappeared. For those who remained, there was one more chance to accept the Gospel but that chance required living through extreme persecution. 
The film scared young people into conversion by depicting the experiences of these young Christians who were suffering because they had arrogantly dismissed warnings from their friends, families and churches to repent and had missed the rapture.

According to scholar Amy Frykholm, an estimated 50 million to 300 million people viewed &ldquo;A Thief in the Night.&rdquo;

The end-times and the culture wars

The use of popular media to spread a terrifying vision of the end of history to draw young people into repentance continued in the 1980s with the apocalyptic novels of Frank Peretti. The Peretti novels depicted a vibrant and active spiritual world in which cosmic forces of good and evil were vying for supremacy all around us.

As the book presented it, every person is obliged to play a part for one side or the other in very literal ways. This applies to all people: &ldquo;True Christians&rdquo; were meant to fight on God&rsquo;s side, and the rest on the side of Satan. The first of these was called &ldquo;This Present Darkness.&rdquo;

Though clearly recognised as fictional, these books were also perceived as &ldquo;real.&rdquo; For example, while the seat of the diabolical scheming was the fictional local college and the chief antagonist was a fictional professor, it wasn&rsquo;t lost on readers that they were to perceive colleges and professors as likely enemies.

The depiction of literal &ldquo;good guys&rdquo; and &ldquo;bad guys&rdquo; as regular people aligned with God and Satan, respectively, played into the increasingly divisive culture war battles of the time. These books were powerful and effective until a decade later when they were replaced in a popular Christian culture by the &ldquo;Left Behind&rdquo; series, co-authored by culture warrior Tim LaHaye.

These 16 books and four films, released over the course of a decade, also trace the lives of the late-coming believers who had missed the rapture and were now part of the &ldquo;Tribulation Force,&rdquo; as they endured the post-rapture world and sought to remain faithful despite persecution. The series&rsquo; successes included a New York Times best-seller, while seven others set sales records. The entire series sold more than 65 million copies.

It&rsquo;s impossible to overemphasise the effects of this framework on those within the circles of evangelicalism where it is popular. A growing number of young people who have left evangelicalism point to end-times theology as a key component of the subculture they left. They call themselves &ldquo;exvangelicals&rdquo; and label teachings like this as abusive.

It&rsquo;s hard to get away from the invocation of mythic narratives in American politics. They get used often and are invented and reinvented to be deployed at different times in history. While supporters and opponents of the Trump announcement agree that the results might be cataclysmic, some of the supporters are happy. That is because they are reading it through a lens that promises the return of Jesus and the establishment of God&rsquo;s kingdom.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-trumps-evangelical-supporters-welcome-his-move-on-jerusalem-88775" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="blank">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Many American evangelicals believe that the establishment and protection of Israel set up a chain of the event for the return of Jesus.

President Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, Nov. 6 that the U.S. would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel received widespread criticism. Observers quickly recognised the decision as related not so much to national security concerns as to domestic US politics and promises candidate Trump made to his evangelical supporters, who welcomed the announcement. Historian Diana Butler Bass posted on Twitter: “Of all the possible theological dog-whistles to his evangelical base, this is the biggest. Trump is reminding them that he is carrying out God’s will to these Last Days.” It is true that evangelicals have often noted that their support for Trump is based on their conviction that God can use the unlikeliest of men to enact his will. But how did conservative American Christians become invested in such a fine point of Middle East policy as to whether the US Embassy is in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem? For many of President Trump’s evangelical supporters, this is a key step in the progression of events leading to the second coming of Jesus. There’s an interesting story as to how that came to be. Ushering in the kingdom of God The nation of Israel and the role of the city of Jerusalem are central in the “end-times” theology – a form of what is known as “pre-millennialism” – embraced by many American conservative Protestants. While this theology is often thought of as a “literal” reading of the Bible, it’s actually a reasonably new interpretation that dates to the 19th century and relates to the work of Bible teacher John Nelson Darby. According to Darby, for this to happen the Jewish people must have control of Jerusalem and build a third Jewish temple on the site where the first and second temples – destroyed centuries ago by the Babylonians and Romans – once were. In Darby’s view, this was a necessary precursor to the rapture, when believers would be “taken up” by Christ to escape the worst of the seven-year-period of suffering and turmoil on Earth: The Great Tribulation. This is to be followed by the cosmic battle between good and evil called Armageddon at which Satan will be defeated and Christ will establish his earthly kingdom. All of this became eminently more possible when the modern state of Israel was established in the 1940s. But to understand the power of this way of looking at the world, it is necessary to do more than point to theological tenets. It is their dissemination through the culture that determines which thought systems take hold and which ones are lost to history. As an author of “Building God’s Kingdom,” I focus on various aspects of conservative American Protestantism in American culture and politics. In my research, I have seen how some thought systems get lost in history and others take hold. Here is what happened with the end-time narrative that made it a core undercurrent to how these Christians look at the world and history. The origins of this narrative The end-times framework was popularised in the 1970s with an inexpensive and widely available paperback by evangelist and Christian writer Hal Lindsey called “The Late Great Planet Earth.” Lindsey argued that the establishment of the state of Israel in the 1940s set up a chain of events that would lead to Jesus’s return. He calculated a date for that return in the 1980s. Lindsey, like many end-times prognosticators before him, argued that he lived in the “first time in history” when the biblical prophecies could possibly be fulfilled. This, he thought, was due in large part to the reestablishment of Israel. Despite his claim to be reading the Bible literally, Lindsey’s interpretation was far from literal. He said, for example, that the locusts predicted in one of the plagues in the book of Revelation were “really” helicopters. As adults were reading Lindsey’s book, a generation of young people watched an “evangelistic” film, “A Thief in the Night,” in church services and youth group meetings. Beginning with an ominous ticking clock, the film begins at the rapture. It shows how all the faithful Christians suddenly disappeared. For those who remained, there was one more chance to accept the Gospel but that chance required living through extreme persecution. The film scared young people into conversion by depicting the experiences of these young Christians who were suffering because they had arrogantly dismissed warnings from their friends, families and churches to repent and had missed the rapture. According to scholar Amy Frykholm, an estimated 50 million to 300 million people viewed “A Thief in the Night.” The end-times and the culture wars The use of popular media to spread a terrifying vision of the end of history to draw young people into repentance continued in the 1980s with the apocalyptic novels of Frank Peretti. The Peretti novels depicted a vibrant and active spiritual world in which cosmic forces of good and evil were vying for supremacy all around us. As the book presented it, every person is obliged to play a part for one side or the other in very literal ways. This applies to all people: “True Christians” were meant to fight on God’s side, and the rest on the side of Satan. The first of these was called “This Present Darkness.” Though clearly recognised as fictional, these books were also perceived as “real.” For example, while the seat of the diabolical scheming was the fictional local college and the chief antagonist was a fictional professor, it wasn’t lost on readers that they were to perceive colleges and professors as likely enemies. The depiction of literal “good guys” and “bad guys” as regular people aligned with God and Satan, respectively, played into the increasingly divisive culture war battles of the time. These books were powerful and effective until a decade later when they were replaced in a popular Christian culture by the “Left Behind” series, co-authored by culture warrior Tim LaHaye. These 16 books and four films, released over the course of a decade, also trace the lives of the late-coming believers who had missed the rapture and were now part of the “Tribulation Force,” as they endured the post-rapture world and sought to remain faithful despite persecution. The series’ successes included a New York Times best-seller, while seven others set sales records. The entire series sold more than 65 million copies. It’s impossible to overemphasise the effects of this framework on those within the circles of evangelicalism where it is popular. A growing number of young people who have left evangelicalism point to end-times theology as a key component of the subculture they left. They call themselves “exvangelicals” and label teachings like this as abusive. It’s hard to get away from the invocation of mythic narratives in American politics. They get used often and are invented and reinvented to be deployed at different times in history. While supporters and opponents of the Trump announcement agree that the results might be cataclysmic, some of the supporters are happy. That is because they are reading it through a lens that promises the return of Jesus and the establishment of God’s kingdom. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Why Trump's supporters welcome his move on Jerusalem

Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East on Wednesday condemned the US&nbsp;recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region and Palestinians said Washington was abandoning its leading role as a peace mediator.

The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to move the US&nbsp;Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

Major US&nbsp;allies came out against Trump&#39;s reversal of decades of US&nbsp;and broad international policy on Jerusalem.

France rejected the &quot;unilateral&quot; decision while appealing for calm in the region. Britain said the move would not help peace efforts and Jerusalem should ultimately be shared by Israel and a future Palestinian state. Germany said Jerusalem&#39;s status could only be resolved on the basis of a two-state solution.

Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump&#39;s move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was &quot;an important step towards peace&quot; and it was &quot;our goal from Israel&#39;s first day&quot;.

He added that any peace accord with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and he urged other countries to follow Trump&#39;s example.

Trump upended decades of US&nbsp;policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risks aggravating conflict in the tinderbox Middle East.

The status of Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths. Its eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state they seek.

Israel deems Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital dating to antiquity, and its status is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a pre-recorded speech, said Jerusalem was the &quot;eternal capital of the State of Palestine&quot; and that Trump&#39;s move was &quot;tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator.&quot;

The last round of US-brokered talks foundered in 2014 over issues including Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and Israeli accusations of Palestinian incitement to violence and refusal to recognise it as a Jewish state.

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since soon after Israel ended a 38-year occupation in 2005, said Trump had committed a &quot;flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people&quot;. Hamas urged Arabs and Muslims to &quot;undermine US&nbsp;interests in the region&quot; and to &quot;shun Israel&quot;.

Protests broke out in parts of Jordan&#39;s capital Amman inhabited by Palestinian refugees, with youths chanting anti-American slogans. In the Baqaa refugee camp on Amman&#39;s outskirts, hundreds roamed the streets denouncing Trump and urging Jordan to scrap its 1994 peace treaty with Israel. &quot;Down with America...America is the mother of terror,&quot; they chanted.

Angry Palestinians switched off Christmas lights at Jesus&#39; traditional birthplace in the West Bank town of Bethlehem and in Ramallah. A tree adorned with lights outside Bethlehem&#39;s Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, and another in Ramallah, next to the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, were plunged into darkness.

All Palestinian factions called for a general strike and protest rallies at midday on Thursday.

Legally null decision

The Saudi Royal Court issued a statement saying that the kingdom followed &quot;with deep sorrow&quot; Trump&#39;s decision and warned of &quot;dangerous consequences of moving the US&nbsp;Embassy to Jerusalem&quot;.

The statement described the move as &quot;a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process&quot;, and urged the US&nbsp;administration to reverse its decision and adhere to international will.

Egypt, which forged the first Arab peace deal with Israel in 1979, brushed off Trump&#39;s decision and said it did not change Jerusalem&#39;s disputed legal status.

Jordan said Trump&#39;s action was &quot;legally null&quot; because it consolidated Israel&#39;s occupation of East Jerusalem.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Trump&#39;s Jerusalem decision was dangerous and threatened the credibility of the United States as a broker of Middle East peace. He said the move would put back the peace process by decades and threatened regional stability and perhaps global stability.

Qatar&#39;s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, said Trump&#39;s undertaking was a &quot;death sentence for all who seek peace&quot; and called it &quot;a dangerous escalation&quot;.

Turkey said Trump&#39;s move was &quot;irresponsible&quot;.

&quot;We call upon the US&nbsp;Administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem,&quot; the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

A few hundred protesters gathered outside the US&nbsp;consulate in Istanbul, a Reuters cameraman at the scene said. The protest was largely peaceful, though some of the demonstrators threw coins and other objects at the consulate.

Iran &quot;seriously condemns&quot; Trump&#39;s move as it violates UN&nbsp;resolutions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state media reported. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier in the day that the United States was trying to destabilize the region and start a war to protect Israel&#39;s security.

In Southeast Asia, the leaders of Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia denounced Trump&#39;s action.

&quot;This can rock global security and stability,&quot; Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leader of the world&#39;s largest Muslim-majority nation, told a news conference in which he called for the United States to reconsider its decision.

British Prime Minister Theresa May disagreed with Trump&#39;s embrace of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital before a final-status agreement as this was unlikely to help nurture peace in the region, her spokesman said.

However, May&#39;s spokesman welcomed Trump&#39;s stated wish to end the conflict and his acknowledgment that the final status of Jerusalem, including boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not support Trump&#39;s &quot;unilateral&quot; move.

&quot;The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations,&quot; Macron told reporters in Algiers.

&quot;France and Europe are attached to a two-state solution - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace and security within recognised international borders with Jerusalem the capital of both states,&quot; he said.

&quot;For now, I urge for calm and for everyone to be responsible. We must avoid at all costs avoid violence and foster dialogue,&quot; he said.

UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there was no alternative to a two-state solution and Jerusalem was a final-status matter only to be settled through direct talks.

&quot;I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians,&quot; Guterres said. &quot;I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations.&quot;

Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump's move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was 'an important step towards peace' and it was 'our goal from Israel's first day'.

Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East on Wednesday condemned the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region and Palestinians said Washington was abandoning its leading role as a peace mediator. The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. Major US allies came out against Trump's reversal of decades of US and broad international policy on Jerusalem. France rejected the "unilateral" decision while appealing for calm in the region. Britain said the move would not help peace efforts and Jerusalem should ultimately be shared by Israel and a future Palestinian state. Germany said Jerusalem's status could only be resolved on the basis of a two-state solution. Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump's move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was "an important step towards peace" and it was "our goal from Israel's first day". He added that any peace accord with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel's capital and he urged other countries to follow Trump's example. Trump upended decades of US policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risks aggravating conflict in the tinderbox Middle East. The status of Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths. Its eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state they seek. Israel deems Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital dating to antiquity, and its status is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a pre-recorded speech, said Jerusalem was the "eternal capital of the State of Palestine" and that Trump's move was "tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator." The last round of US-brokered talks foundered in 2014 over issues including Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and Israeli accusations of Palestinian incitement to violence and refusal to recognise it as a Jewish state. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since soon after Israel ended a 38-year occupation in 2005, said Trump had committed a "flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people". Hamas urged Arabs and Muslims to "undermine US interests in the region" and to "shun Israel". Protests broke out in parts of Jordan's capital Amman inhabited by Palestinian refugees, with youths chanting anti-American slogans. In the Baqaa refugee camp on Amman's outskirts, hundreds roamed the streets denouncing Trump and urging Jordan to scrap its 1994 peace treaty with Israel. "Down with America...America is the mother of terror," they chanted. Angry Palestinians switched off Christmas lights at Jesus' traditional birthplace in the West Bank town of Bethlehem and in Ramallah. A tree adorned with lights outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, and another in Ramallah, next to the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, were plunged into darkness. All Palestinian factions called for a general strike and protest rallies at midday on Thursday. Legally null decision The Saudi Royal Court issued a statement saying that the kingdom followed "with deep sorrow" Trump's decision and warned of "dangerous consequences of moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem". The statement described the move as "a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process", and urged the US administration to reverse its decision and adhere to international will. Egypt, which forged the first Arab peace deal with Israel in 1979, brushed off Trump's decision and said it did not change Jerusalem's disputed legal status. Jordan said Trump's action was "legally null" because it consolidated Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem. Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Trump's Jerusalem decision was dangerous and threatened the credibility of the United States as a broker of Middle East peace. He said the move would put back the peace process by decades and threatened regional stability and perhaps global stability. Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, said Trump's undertaking was a "death sentence for all who seek peace" and called it "a dangerous escalation". Turkey said Trump's move was "irresponsible". "We call upon the US Administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement. A few hundred protesters gathered outside the US consulate in Istanbul, a Reuters cameraman at the scene said. The protest was largely peaceful, though some of the demonstrators threw coins and other objects at the consulate. Iran "seriously condemns" Trump's move as it violates UN resolutions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state media reported. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier in the day that the United States was trying to destabilize the region and start a war to protect Israel's security. In Southeast Asia, the leaders of Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia denounced Trump's action. "This can rock global security and stability," Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leader of the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, told a news conference in which he called for the United States to reconsider its decision. British Prime Minister Theresa May disagreed with Trump's embrace of Jerusalem as Israel's capital before a final-status agreement as this was unlikely to help nurture peace in the region, her spokesman said. However, May's spokesman welcomed Trump's stated wish to end the conflict and his acknowledgment that the final status of Jerusalem, including boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not support Trump's "unilateral" move. "The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations," Macron told reporters in Algiers. "France and Europe are attached to a two-state solution - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace and security within recognised international borders with Jerusalem the capital of both states," he said. "For now, I urge for calm and for everyone to be responsible. We must avoid at all costs avoid violence and foster dialogue," he said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there was no alternative to a two-state solution and Jerusalem was a final-status matter only to be settled through direct talks. "I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians," Guterres said. "I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations."

Arabs, Europe, UN?reject Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

A second Palestinian protestor was killed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-embassy-wont-be-moving-to-jerusalem-in-next-two-years-tillerson-26270">in clashes with Israeli troops as violent </a>riots erupted in West Bank after US President Donald Trump&nbsp;announced yesterday to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.

Palestinians observed Friday<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-four-years-in-jerusalem-26154"> as the &quot;day of rage&quot; as an </a>unidentified man was killed in clashes in northern Gaza.

&nbsp;The Israeli army said hundreds of Palestinians were rolling burning tyres and throwing rocks at soldiers across the border, Reuters said.

More than 80 Palestinians were wounded in the occupied West Bank and Gaza by Israeli live fire and rubber bullets, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance service.

As Friday prayers ended at the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, worshippers made their way toward the walled Old City gates, chanting &quot;Jerusalem is ours, Jerusalem is our capital,&quot; and &quot;We don&#39;t need empty words, we need stones and Kalashnikovs&quot;.&nbsp;

In Hebron, Bethlehem and Nablus, dozens of Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers who fired back with tear gas.

Thousands of more demonstrators took to the streets across the Arab world against President Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Large demonstrations also took place in Jordan, Tunisia, Cairo, Somalia, Yemen, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Meanwhile, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said: &quot;With respect to the rest of Jerusalem, the president ... did not indicate any final status for Jerusalem. He was very clear that the final status, including the borders, would be left to the two parties to negotiate and decide.&quot; 
&nbsp;

The Israeli army said hundreds of Palestinians were rolling burning tyres and throwing rocks at soldiers across the border

A second Palestinian protestor was killed in clashes with Israeli troops as violent riots erupted in West Bank after US President Donald Trump announced yesterday to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. Palestinians observed Friday as the "day of rage" as an unidentified man was killed in clashes in northern Gaza. The Israeli army said hundreds of Palestinians were rolling burning tyres and throwing rocks at soldiers across the border, Reuters said. More than 80 Palestinians were wounded in the occupied West Bank and Gaza by Israeli live fire and rubber bullets, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance service. As Friday prayers ended at the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, 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, Bethlehem and Nablus, dozens of Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers who fired back with tear gas. Thousands of more demonstrators took to the streets across the Arab world against President Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Large demonstrations also took place in Jordan, Tunisia, Cairo, Somalia, Yemen, Malaysia and Indonesia. Meanwhile, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said: "With respect to the rest of Jerusalem, the president ... did not indicate any final status for Jerusalem. He was very clear that the final status, including the borders, would be left to the two parties to negotiate and decide."

Watch: Another protestor killed as Palestinians clash with Israeli troops in West Bank

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday warned regional powers against meddling in Lebanon at an international meeting aimed at fending off pressure on the fragile country from rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attended the talks in Paris with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, whose shock resignation last month - which he has since rescinded - sparked fears of a new crisis in the Middle East.

Opening the meeting, Macron said it was &quot;essential that all of the parties in Lebanon and regional actors respect the cardinal principle of non-interference&quot; in the affairs of other countries.

Representatives from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with Germany, Italy and Egypt, were present for the show of support for Lebanon, which took place against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East.

Hariri and Macron both emphasised their opposition to US President Donald Trump&#39;s announcement Wednesday that he would move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

&quot;It complicates the peace process even more (between Israel and the Palestinians) and creates a new challenge to regional security,&quot; Hariri said in opening remarks at the meeting.

Macron added: &quot;None of the region&#39;s problems will be resolved by unilateral decisions or the strongest imposing their will.&quot;&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Muslim country, is suspected of having pressured Hariri, a longtime ally, to resign as part of its attempts to counter the growing influence of Iran, a Shia Muslim power.

The Saudi kingdom and other Arab states accuse Iran of using armed proxies such as Lebanon&#39;s powerful Hezbollah movement to advance its interests, from Lebanon to Yemen to Syria and Iraq.

In a televised resignation statement from Riyadh on November 4, Hariri accused Tehran and Hezbollah - which has ministers in Hariri&#39;s government - of destabilising his country and the region.&nbsp;

A Lebanese source close to Hariri told AFP that the premier travelled to Riyadh believing he was going to discuss economic projects but instead &quot;found himself faced with a list of economic sanctions brandished by the Saudis against Lebanon.&quot;

Hariri remained in Riyadh for two weeks afterwards, fuelling speculation that he was being held hostage.

Macron then intervened, inviting Hariri to Paris for talks, after which he returned home to a hero&#39;s welcome. Two weeks later, he withdrew his resignation.

The meeting ended with plans for three follow-up conferences: one in Paris in early 2018 on boosting investment in Lebanon; another in Rome on building up Lebanon`s regular army; and a third in Brussels on helping the roughly 1.5 million Syrian refugees that have fled there.

&quot;Lebanon&#39;s stability is not only crucial for its inhabitants but for the entire region,&quot; Macron said Friday, demanding that the sovereignty of the small multifaith country, long a proxy battleground between its bigger neighbours, be respected.

Hariri said the fragile stability enjoyed by his country, which neighbours Syria, &quot;appeared like a small miracle&quot; in a region torn by the Syrian, Iraqi and Yemeni conflicts.

&quot;The desire of all in Lebanon is to save our democracy,&quot; he said.

Riyadh&#39;s power play in Lebanon backfired, with the various Lebanese factions coming together in order to avoid a political breakdown.

Hariri announced Tuesday that he would stay on as premier after cabinet members - including from Hezbollah - issued a joint statement to reaffirm their commitment to stay out of regional conflicts.

&quot;Lebanon will respect this principle of keeping its distance (from trouble beyond its borders). You will see,&quot; he vowed Friday, insisting there was &quot;no crisis between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia&quot;.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the principle &quot;applied to all, both inside and outside (Lebanon).&quot;

The International Support Group for Lebanon was launched in September 2013 partly in response to the huge influx of refugees from Syria.

Hariri and Macron both emphasised their opposition to US President Donald Trump's announcement on Wednesday that he would move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday warned regional powers against meddling in Lebanon at an international meeting aimed at fending off pressure on the fragile country from rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attended the talks in Paris with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, whose shock resignation last month - which he has since rescinded - sparked fears of a new crisis in the Middle East. Opening the meeting, Macron said it was "essential that all of the parties in Lebanon and regional actors respect the cardinal principle of non-interference" in the affairs of other countries. Representatives from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with Germany, Italy and Egypt, were present for the show of support for Lebanon, which took place against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East. Hariri and Macron both emphasised their opposition to US President Donald Trump's announcement Wednesday that he would move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. "It complicates the peace process even more (between Israel and the Palestinians) and creates a new challenge to regional security," Hariri said in opening remarks at the meeting. Macron added: "None of the region's problems will be resolved by unilateral decisions or the strongest imposing their will." Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Muslim country, is suspected of having pressured Hariri, a longtime ally, to resign as part of its attempts to counter the growing influence of Iran, a Shia Muslim power. The Saudi kingdom and other Arab states accuse Iran of using armed proxies such as Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement to advance its interests, from Lebanon to Yemen to Syria and Iraq. In a televised resignation statement from Riyadh on November 4, Hariri accused Tehran and Hezbollah - which has ministers in Hariri's government - of destabilising his country and the region. A Lebanese source close to Hariri told AFP that the premier travelled to Riyadh believing he was going to discuss economic projects but instead "found himself faced with a list of economic sanctions brandished by the Saudis against Lebanon." Hariri remained in Riyadh for two weeks afterwards, fuelling speculation that he was being held hostage. Macron then intervened, inviting Hariri to Paris for talks, after which he returned home to a hero's welcome. Two weeks later, he withdrew his resignation. The meeting ended with plans for three follow-up conferences: one in Paris in early 2018 on boosting investment in Lebanon; another in Rome on building up Lebanon`s regular army; and a third in Brussels on helping the roughly 1.5 million Syrian refugees that have fled there. "Lebanon's stability is not only crucial for its inhabitants but for the entire region," Macron said Friday, demanding that the sovereignty of the small multifaith country, long a proxy battleground between its bigger neighbours, be respected. Hariri said the fragile stability enjoyed by his country, which neighbours Syria, "appeared like a small miracle" in a region torn by the Syrian, Iraqi and Yemeni conflicts. "The desire of all in Lebanon is to save our democracy," he said. Riyadh's power play in Lebanon backfired, with the various Lebanese factions coming together in order to avoid a political breakdown. Hariri announced Tuesday that he would stay on as premier after cabinet members - including from Hezbollah - issued a joint statement to reaffirm their commitment to stay out of regional conflicts. "Lebanon will respect this principle of keeping its distance (from trouble beyond its borders). You will see," he vowed Friday, insisting there was "no crisis between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia". French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the principle "applied to all, both inside and outside (Lebanon)." The International Support Group for Lebanon was launched in September 2013 partly in response to the huge influx of refugees from Syria.

President Macron warns against Middle East meddling at Lebanon conference

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said today the &quot;relocation&quot; of the US embassy to Jerusalem would probably not take place for at least two years.

President Trump&#39;s declaration recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel created a firestorm in West Asia with several countries including Turkey, Iran and Saudia Arabia condemning the move.

Clashes erupted between Israeli troops and Palestinians in West Bank on Thursday, just hours after President Trump&#39;s announcement of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem. &nbsp;&nbsp;

On Friday, after talks with French foreign minister &nbsp;Jean-Yves Le Drian, Tillerson said: &quot;This is not something that is going to happen this year or probably not next year but the president does want us to move in a very concrete, very steadfast way.&quot;

Several Egyptians protested in Cairo against President Trump&#39;s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. There were protests outside the US embassy in Jordan as the Arab world erupted against the Trump administration&#39;s move.

Hundreds of Palestinians continued to protest in a &quot;day of rage&quot; on Friday in the occupied West Bank, Gaza and in East Jerusalem against US President Donald Trump&#39;s recognition of the ancient city as Israel&#39;s capital.

President Trump's declaration recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel created a firestorm in West Asia with several countries including Turkey, Iran and Saudia Arabia condemning the move.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said today the "relocation" of the US embassy to Jerusalem would probably not take place for at least two years. President Trump's declaration recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel created a firestorm in West Asia with several countries including Turkey, Iran and Saudia Arabia condemning the move. Clashes erupted between Israeli troops and Palestinians in West Bank on Thursday, just hours after President Trump's announcement of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem. On Friday, after talks with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Tillerson said: "This is not something that is going to happen this year or probably not next year but the president does want us to move in a very concrete, very steadfast way." Several Egyptians protested in Cairo against President Trump's decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. There were protests outside the US embassy in Jordan as the Arab world erupted against the Trump administration's move. Hundreds of Palestinians continued to protest in a "day of rage" on Friday in the occupied West Bank, Gaza and in East Jerusalem against US President Donald Trump's recognition of the ancient city as Israel's capital.

US embassy won't be moving to Jerusalem in next two years: Tillerson

It was once meant to provide comic<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jerusalem-status-us-decision-a-serious-violation-of-international-law-says-pak-pm-abbasi-26120"> relief to the Palestinians</a> a giant spray-painted image of Trump.

The mural which <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-erdogan-says-us-decision-on-jerusalem-disregards-united-nations-26106">was reportedly made by an </a>Australian with alias @LushSux showed Trump telling a wall: &ldquo;I&lsquo;m going to build you a brother.&rdquo;&nbsp;

In another mural, the US president was seen hugging an Israeli army watch-tower, with heart-shaped emojis.

The wall was linked to Mexico during President Trump&#39;s heated election campaign last year which was later carried into his presidency.

Trump had told Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, according to the transcript of the phone call in January that,&quot;You know, you look at Israel - Israel has a wall and everyone said do not build a wall, walls do not work - 99.9 percent of people trying to come across that wall cannot get across and more,&quot; Trump added: &quot;Bibi Netanyahu told me the wall works&quot;.

The mural was a sign of protest art around parts of Bethlehem, in Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Now, people who took care of the wall have decided to bring down the mural after President Trump decided to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel today.

The mural which was reportedly made by an Australian with alias @LushSux showed Trump telling a wall: ?I?m going to build you a brother.??

It was once meant to provide comic relief to the Palestinians a giant spray-painted image of Trump. The mural which was reportedly made by an Australian with alias @LushSux showed Trump telling a wall: “I‘m going to build you a brother.” In another mural, the US president was seen hugging an Israeli army watch-tower, with heart-shaped emojis. The wall was linked to Mexico during President Trump's heated election campaign last year which was later carried into his presidency. Trump had told Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, according to the transcript of the phone call in January that,"You know, you look at Israel - Israel has a wall and everyone said do not build a wall, walls do not work - 99.9 percent of people trying to come across that wall cannot get across and more," Trump added: "Bibi Netanyahu told me the wall works". The mural was a sign of protest art around parts of Bethlehem, in Israeli-occupied West Bank. Now, people who took care of the wall have decided to bring down the mural after President Trump decided to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel today.

Watch: Now, Palestinians bring down Trump's mural in Bethlehem

&nbsp;

By&nbsp;Spyros Sofos&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Vittorio Felci*

Donald Trump&rsquo;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and start preparations for the US to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city, has the potential to further inflame tensions across the Middle East.

Although this is not an unexpected move &ndash; Trump expressed his intention to do so during his electoral campaign &ndash; the decision breaks with years of precedent.

Trump&rsquo;s decision to move the embassy means he will not follow his predecessors by renewing a waiver on the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which required the embassy to eventually be moved from Tel Aviv.

Since then, there has been a cross-party consensus in the US that any act which recognises the annexation of East Jerusalem by Israel and its designation as the country&rsquo;s capital would affect the fragile balance of power in the Middle East &ndash; and the ability of the US to promote its interests in the region. US diplomats have sought to tread carefully on this issue in one of the world&rsquo;s most treacherous political landscapes.

The Palestinian leadership condemned the move before Trump spoke, as did leaders from the Arab world and beyond. The announcement of the embassy move is likely to cause a wave of resentment among Palestinians in the occupied territories and the city itself, especially after two decades of stalemate in the peace process and deteriorating conditions throughout the Palestinian territories. Ahead of the speech, US citizens and government employees were told to avoid Jerusalem&rsquo;s Old City and the West Bank until further notice.

Central to the peace process

Jerusalem is not just a city of historical importance to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, but also a site key to both Israeli and Palestinian identity. Add to this the centrality of the status of Jerusalem in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, often described as one of the world&rsquo;s most intractable disputes, and it&rsquo;s clear why the decision to move the US embassy there has been described as tantamount to political arson.

At the political level, most Israelis and Palestinians insist that Jerusalem must be the capital of their states, present and future, and that this is non-negotiable. This is why the final status of Jerusalem was deemed to be one of the thorniest issues in the Oslo peace process in the 1990s. It was envisaged to be circumnavigated, dealt with only at the stage of &ldquo;permanent status negotiations&rdquo;, once all other issues between the state of Israel and the Palestinians were resolved.

As there has not been any progress in less important, yet substantive issues since Oslo, the issue of Jerusalem has acquired a symbolic importance among Palestinians.

Jerusalem is a city dense in symbolism in the Palestinian national imagination. Particularly so as other, more material anchors of identity such as territory, governance and self-determination are continually being eroded by the harsh realities of Israeli occupation, the blockade of Gaza and deteriorating cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian authorities.

The response to Trump&rsquo;s announcement by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and most of his government was muted. But its symbolic value among nationalist circles in Israel, and also among many ordinary Israelis, should not be underestimated.

The Israeli government has been active in strengthening Israeli claims to the entire city since its annexation in 1980. Settlement building around Jerusalem has aimed to ring-fence the city and integrate it more into Israel. Meanwhile, there were building restrictions in East Jerusalem, and a series of restrictions to Palestinian access to the Al-Aqsa mosque, built on the remnants of the last Jewish Temple. Both sets of restrictions were lifted.

Equally important in terms of symbolic politics has been Israel&rsquo;s archaeological intervention around Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as an attempt to strengthen Israel&rsquo;s historical connection with the city.

Wider significance

Trump&rsquo;s decision seems oblivious to the fragility of coexistence in the city between its Israeli and Palestinian inhabitants. It also ignores the significance of Jerusalem in Palestinian national identity and national aspirations, and the devastating impact on the future of a moribund peace process.

It has the potential of not only affecting the political ecology of a place where history is a matter of life and death, but could also cause a ripple effect much further afield. It can destabilise a Palestinian authority already deprived of legitimacy and an array of fragile Arab regimes. And it is likely to accentuate the enmity between Israel and Iran. Iran perceives such a move as a &ldquo;violation of Islamic sanctities&rdquo; and, together with Trump&rsquo;s revitalised alliance with Saudi Arabia, a clear sign of the US president&rsquo;s anti-Iranian stance.

Last but not least, it could further stoke the flames of anti-Western Islamic movements in the Muslim world and the West alike, which have always put Jerusalem and the Palestinian issue in a central position.

&nbsp;

*Vittorio Felci is Researcher, Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-trumps-recognition-of-jerusalem-as-the-capital-of-israel-means-for-the-middle-east-88722" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

<section>&nbsp;</section>

<h1>&nbsp;</h1>

It has the potential of not only affecting the political ecology of a place where history is a matter of life and death, but could also cause a ripple effect much further afield.

By Spyros Sofos & Vittorio Felci* Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and start preparations for the US to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city, has the potential to further inflame tensions across the Middle East. Although this is not an unexpected move – Trump expressed his intention to do so during his electoral campaign – the decision breaks with years of precedent. Trump’s decision to move the embassy means he will not follow his predecessors by renewing a waiver on the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which required the embassy to eventually be moved from Tel Aviv. Since then, there has been a cross-party consensus in the US that any act which recognises the annexation of East Jerusalem by Israel and its designation as the country’s capital would affect the fragile balance of power in the Middle East – and the ability of the US to promote its interests in the region. US diplomats have sought to tread carefully on this issue in one of the world’s most treacherous political landscapes. The Palestinian leadership condemned the move before Trump spoke, as did leaders from the Arab world and beyond. The announcement of the embassy move is likely to cause a wave of resentment among Palestinians in the occupied territories and the city itself, especially after two decades of stalemate in the peace process and deteriorating conditions throughout the Palestinian territories. Ahead of the speech, US citizens and government employees were told to avoid Jerusalem’s Old City and the West Bank until further notice. Central to the peace process Jerusalem is not just a city of historical importance to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, but also a site key to both Israeli and Palestinian identity. Add to this the centrality of the status of Jerusalem in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, often described as one of the world’s most intractable disputes, and it’s clear why the decision to move the US embassy there has been described as tantamount to political arson. At the political level, most Israelis and Palestinians insist that Jerusalem must be the capital of their states, present and future, and that this is non-negotiable. This is why the final status of Jerusalem was deemed to be one of the thorniest issues in the Oslo peace process in the 1990s. It was envisaged to be circumnavigated, dealt with only at the stage of “permanent status negotiations”, once all other issues between the state of Israel and the Palestinians were resolved. As there has not been any progress in less important, yet substantive issues since Oslo, the issue of Jerusalem has acquired a symbolic importance among Palestinians. Jerusalem is a city dense in symbolism in the Palestinian national imagination. Particularly so as other, more material anchors of identity such as territory, governance and self-determination are continually being eroded by the harsh realities of Israeli occupation, the blockade of Gaza and deteriorating cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian authorities. The response to Trump’s announcement by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and most of his government was muted. But its symbolic value among nationalist circles in Israel, and also among many ordinary Israelis, should not be underestimated. The Israeli government has been active in strengthening Israeli claims to the entire city since its annexation in 1980. Settlement building around Jerusalem has aimed to ring-fence the city and integrate it more into Israel. Meanwhile, there were building restrictions in East Jerusalem, and a series of restrictions to Palestinian access to the Al-Aqsa mosque, built on the remnants of the last Jewish Temple. Both sets of restrictions were lifted. Equally important in terms of symbolic politics has been Israel’s archaeological intervention around Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as an attempt to strengthen Israel’s historical connection with the city. Wider significance Trump’s decision seems oblivious to the fragility of coexistence in the city between its Israeli and Palestinian inhabitants. It also ignores the significance of Jerusalem in Palestinian national identity and national aspirations, and the devastating impact on the future of a moribund peace process. It has the potential of not only affecting the political ecology of a place where history is a matter of life and death, but could also cause a ripple effect much further afield. It can destabilise a Palestinian authority already deprived of legitimacy and an array of fragile Arab regimes. And it is likely to accentuate the enmity between Israel and Iran. Iran perceives such a move as a “violation of Islamic sanctities” and, together with Trump’s revitalised alliance with Saudi Arabia, a clear sign of the US president’s anti-Iranian stance. Last but not least, it could further stoke the flames of anti-Western Islamic movements in the Muslim world and the West alike, which have always put Jerusalem and the Palestinian issue in a central position. *Vittorio Felci is Researcher, Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Trump recognised Jerusalem. How will it impact Middle East

Pakistan today joined the international chorus against US decision to name Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

Trump in a speech in the White House said today that it is &quot;time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel&quot;, adding that &quot;new approach&quot; was needed to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said he deeply regretted that pleas from states across the globe not to alter the &quot;legal and historical status&quot; of Al Quds Al Sharif have been ignored.

&quot;This decision represents a serious violation of international law and applicable UN Security Council resolutions, particularly the UNSCR 478,&quot; Pakistan PM said in a statement.

&quot;It is a serious setback to the rule of law and international norms. It signals a severe blow to the Middle East peace process as well,&quot;&nbsp;the statement added.

Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital created a firestorm in the Middle East, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Trump&#39;s decision was &quot;deplorable and unacceptable&quot;.

On the other hand, &nbsp;Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a &quot;courageous and just decision.&quot;

On Tuesday, Trump in a meeting with cabinet ministers at the White House had said the decision was &quot;long overdue&quot;.&nbsp;

America&#39;s NATO allies Britain and France called Trump&#39;s decision &quot;unhelpful&quot; and &quot;regrettable&quot;.

Germany said it &quot;does not support&quot; Trump&#39;s decision.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Trump&#39;s decision puts the region in a &quot;ring of fire&quot;.

Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said Trump's decision signals a severe blow to the Middle East peace process

Pakistan today joined the international chorus against US decision to name Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Trump in a speech in the White House said today that it is "time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel", adding that "new approach" was needed to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said he deeply regretted that pleas from states across the globe not to alter the "legal and historical status" of Al Quds Al Sharif have been ignored. "This decision represents a serious violation of international law and applicable UN Security Council resolutions, particularly the UNSCR 478," Pakistan PM said in a statement. "It is a serious setback to the rule of law and international norms. It signals a severe blow to the Middle East peace process as well," the statement added. Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital created a firestorm in the Middle East, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Trump's decision was "deplorable and unacceptable". On the other hand, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "courageous and just decision." On Tuesday, Trump in a meeting with cabinet ministers at the White House had said the decision was "long overdue". America's NATO allies Britain and France called Trump's decision "unhelpful" and "regrettable". Germany said it "does not support" Trump's decision. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Trump's decision puts the region in a "ring of fire".

Jerusalem status: US decision a serious violation of international law, says Pak PM Abbasi

Germany&#39;s Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday stated that the German government does not support President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

&quot;The German Government does not support this position because the status of Jerusalem is to be resolved in the framework of a two-state solution,&quot; Merkel`s spokesperson Steffen Seibert said in a statement on Twitter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
More fallout from European allies: German Chancellor Angela Merkel says via government spokesman Steffen Seibert that Germany &#39;does not support&#39; position of the Trump administration on Jerusalem, whose &#39;status is to be settled as part of negotiations on a 2-state solution.&#39;
&mdash; Ayman Mohyeldin (@AymanM) <a href="https://twitter.com/AymanM/status/938519021212794887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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US President Donald Trump fulfilled one of its campaign promises and reversed decades-long US policy after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-recognises-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-sparks-firestorm-26072" target="_blank">recognising Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital</a> earlier on Wednesday. The United States of America became the first country in the world to identify Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Official announcements were made with respect to shifting the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Here again, America becomes the first country to establish its embassy in Jerusalem.&nbsp;

Jerusalem is considered a sacred place, home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites. However, it is also a disputed territory, contested by both Israel and Palestine, which sees it as a capital of its future state.

(With inputs from Reuters)

US President Donald Trump fulfilled one of its campaign promises and reversed decades-long US policy after recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital earlier on Wednesday

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday stated that the German government does not support President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. "The German Government does not support this position because the status of Jerusalem is to be resolved in the framework of a two-state solution," Merkel`s spokesperson Steffen Seibert said in a statement on Twitter. More fallout from European allies: German Chancellor Angela Merkel says via government spokesman Steffen Seibert that Germany 'does not support' position of the Trump administration on Jerusalem, whose 'status is to be settled as part of negotiations on a 2-state solution.' — Ayman Mohyeldin (@AymanM) December 6, 2017 × US President Donald Trump fulfilled one of its campaign promises and reversed decades-long US policy after recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital earlier on Wednesday. The United States of America became the first country in the world to identify Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Official announcements were made with respect to shifting the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Here again, America becomes the first country to establish its embassy in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is considered a sacred place, home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites. However, it is also a disputed territory, contested by both Israel and Palestine, which sees it as a capital of its future state. (With inputs from Reuters)

Germany doesn't support Trump on Jerusalem, says Angela Merkel

PM Justin Trudeau said<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-after-trumps-jerusalem-announcement-palestinians-clash-with-israeli-forces-in-west-bank-26156"> today Canada won&#39;t be moving its embassy</a> from Tel Aviv even as US President Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

&quot;We will not be moving Canada&#39;s embassy from Tel Aviv,&quot; Trudeau said.

Israeli PM Benjamin<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-now-palestinians-bring-down-trumps-mural-in-bethlehem-26148"> Netanyahu said many would </a>follow the United States, adding that contacts were underway, Reuters reported. However, he did not name the countries.

&quot;President Trump has immortalized himself in the chronicles of our capital. His name will now be held aloft, alongside other names connected to the glorious history of Jerusalem and of our people,&quot; Netanyahu said.

The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet on Friday to discuss the US decision as most countries including US allies Britain, France and Germany spoke out against US move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital&nbsp;of Israel.

The EU&#39;s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said: &quot;The European Union has a clear and united position. We believe the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states and with Jerusalem as the capital of both.&quot;

Protests broke out in Amman in areas inhabited by Palestinian refugees, Istanbul too witnessed protests by Palestinians as several gathered the US consulate.

Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to US President.

&quot;We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy,&quot; Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech in Gaza.

He said Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs should hold rallies against the US decision on Friday, calling it a &quot;day of rage&quot;.&nbsp;

The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet on Friday to discuss the US decision as most countries including Britain, France and Germany spoke out against US move

PM Justin Trudeau said today Canada won't be moving its embassy from Tel Aviv even as US President Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "We will not be moving Canada's embassy from Tel Aviv," Trudeau said. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said many would follow the United States, adding that contacts were underway, Reuters reported. However, he did not name the countries. "President Trump has immortalized himself in the chronicles of our capital. His name will now be held aloft, alongside other names connected to the glorious history of Jerusalem and of our people," Netanyahu said. The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet on Friday to discuss the US decision as most countries including US allies Britain, France and Germany spoke out against US move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said: "The European Union has a clear and united position. We believe the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states and with Jerusalem as the capital of both." Protests broke out in Amman in areas inhabited by Palestinian refugees, Istanbul too witnessed protests by Palestinians as several gathered the US consulate. Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to US President. "We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy," Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech in Gaza. He said Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs should hold rallies against the US decision on Friday, calling it a "day of rage".

Jerusalem as Israel's capital: Several nations would follow US decision, says PM Netanyahu

Israel hailed U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as its capital on Wednesday, but the Palestinians condemned the move and said it diminished Washington&#39;s role as a peace mediator.

In a landmark speech in Washington, Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risked creating further unrest in the Middle East.

Past US&nbsp;presidents have insisted that the status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions - must be decided in negotiations between the two sides.

Palestinian factions called a general strike on Thursday throughout the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Palestinian areas of Jerusalem and for rallies to be held at midday (1000 GMT) in protest at Trump&#39;s move, raising the chances of violent clashes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that Trump&#39;s decision had made for a &quot;historic day&quot; and was &quot;an important step towards peace&quot;.

He added that any peace deal with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and he urged other countries to follow the U.S. lead by also moving their embassies to the city.

He said there would be no change to access to Jerusalem&#39;s holy sites. &quot;Israel will always ensure freedom of worship for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.&quot;

But Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Trump&#39;s move was &quot;tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator&quot; and declared Jerusalem as the &quot;eternal capital of the State of Palestine&quot;.

Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. It later annexed it, declaring the whole of the city as its capital, a move not recognised internationally.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state which they want to establish in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

&quot;With this announcement, the American administration has chosen to violate all international and bilateral agreements and resolutions and it has chosen to violate international consensus,&quot; Abbas said.

The move, he said, would serve &quot;the extremist groups which try to turn the conflict in our region into a religious war that will drag the region ... into international conflicts and endless wars.&quot;

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been frozen since 2014. Trump&#39;s adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is leading Trump&#39;s efforts to restart them but those efforts have shown little progress. Israel&#39;s West Bank settlement building has been one of the main obstacles.

Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which dominates the Gaza Strip, said Trump&#39;s move was &quot;flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people&quot; and urged Arabs and Muslims to &quot;undermine the U.S.&#39;s interests in the region&quot; and to &quot;shun Israel.&quot;

In a landmark speech in Washington, Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risked creating further unrest in the Middle East.

Israel hailed U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as its capital on Wednesday, but the Palestinians condemned the move and said it diminished Washington's role as a peace mediator. In a landmark speech in Washington, Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risked creating further unrest in the Middle East. Past US presidents have insisted that the status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions - must be decided in negotiations between the two sides. Palestinian factions called a general strike on Thursday throughout the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Palestinian areas of Jerusalem and for rallies to be held at midday (1000 GMT) in protest at Trump's move, raising the chances of violent clashes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that Trump's decision had made for a "historic day" and was "an important step towards peace". He added that any peace deal with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel's capital and he urged other countries to follow the U.S. lead by also moving their embassies to the city. He said there would be no change to access to Jerusalem's holy sites. "Israel will always ensure freedom of worship for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike." But Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Trump's move was "tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator" and declared Jerusalem as the "eternal capital of the State of Palestine". Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. It later annexed it, declaring the whole of the city as its capital, a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state which they want to establish in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. "With this announcement, the American administration has chosen to violate all international and bilateral agreements and resolutions and it has chosen to violate international consensus," Abbas said. The move, he said, would serve "the extremist groups which try to turn the conflict in our region into a religious war that will drag the region ... into international conflicts and endless wars." Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been frozen since 2014. Trump's adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is leading Trump's efforts to restart them but those efforts have shown little progress. Israel's West Bank settlement building has been one of the main obstacles. Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which dominates the Gaza Strip, said Trump's move was "flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people" and urged Arabs and Muslims to "undermine the U.S.'s interests in the region" and to "shun Israel."

Israel hails Trump's 'historic' declaration, Palestinians condemn

Even as President Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli forces in West Bank.

&quot;Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital,&quot; Trump said in a speech from the White House today.

&quot;It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,&quot; the US president said.&nbsp;

Just hours later, protesters in Al-Bireh and Bethlehem threw stones at Israeli troops as clashes erupted.

Israeli troops retaliated by throwing teargas shells and used to water cannons to disrupt the protesters.

17 people were injured, a doctor told Reuters.

An Israeli spokeswoman said soldiers used &nbsp;&quot;riot-dispersal gear against hundreds of rock-throwers&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Protesters in Al-Bireh and Bethlehem threw stones at Israeli troops as clashes erupted.

Even as President Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli forces in West Bank. "Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital," Trump said in a speech from the White House today. "It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," the US president said. Just hours later, protesters in Al-Bireh and Bethlehem threw stones at Israeli troops as clashes erupted. Israeli troops retaliated by throwing teargas shells and used to water cannons to disrupt the protesters. 17 people were injured, a doctor told Reuters. An Israeli spokeswoman said soldiers used "riot-dispersal gear against hundreds of rock-throwers".

Watch: After Trump's Jerusalem announcement, Palestinians clash with Israeli forces in West Bank

China said today US President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would lead to &quot;possible escalation of tensions&quot;.

Britain which is the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-tells-mideast-leaders-he-will-move-embassy-to-jerusalem-breaking-with-us-policy-25980">principal ally of the United States </a>expressed &quot;concern&quot; and said Jerusalem should be part of the &quot;final settlement between the Israelis&nbsp; 
and the Palestinians&quot;&nbsp;

Trump is set to announce his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital later tonight, however, a White House official made a prior announcement saying 
&quot;He(Trump) will say that the United States government recognizes that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.&quot;

&quot;President Trump views this as a recognition of reality, both historical reality, and modern reality,&quot; the official said.

Trump will sign a national security waiver that authorizes him to delay the embassy relocation for now, since the US diplomats do not yet have a building in&nbsp; 
Jerusalem to move into, security arrangements or housing for diplomats, the officials said.

&quot;We are concerned about the possible escalation of tensions,&quot; China&#39;s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, adding,&quot;All relevant parties should bear regional&nbsp;peace and tranquility in mind, be cautious in words and deeds, avoid impacting the foundation for the settlement of the issue of Palestine, and avoid causing new&nbsp;confrontation in the region.&quot;&nbsp;

Turkey&#39;s deputy prime minister Bekir Bozdag&nbsp;said, &quot;The recognition will throw the region and the world into a fire and it&#39;s not known when it will end,&quot; adding,&quot;Jerusalem is the red line for Muslims.&quot;

Leaders across the world from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the European Union, France, Germany, and Turkey warned Trump against the move in a series of phone calls in the past&nbsp;48 hours.

The White House said Trump had also spoken with Israeli PM Netanyahu, a longtime proponent of a US embassy move to Jerusalem.

Israel had captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and later annexed it, an action not recognized internationally.

Britain which is the principal ally of the United States said Jerusalem should be part of the "final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians"

China said today US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would lead to "possible escalation of tensions". Britain which is the principal ally of the United States expressed "concern" and said Jerusalem should be part of the "final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians" Trump is set to announce his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital later tonight, however, a White House official made a prior announcement saying "He(Trump) will say that the United States government recognizes that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel." "President Trump views this as a recognition of reality, both historical reality, and modern reality," the official said. Trump will sign a national security waiver that authorizes him to delay the embassy relocation for now, since the US diplomats do not yet have a building in Jerusalem to move into, security arrangements or housing for diplomats, the officials said. "We are concerned about the possible escalation of tensions," China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, adding,"All relevant parties should bear regional peace and tranquility in mind, be cautious in words and deeds, avoid impacting the foundation for the settlement of the issue of Palestine, and avoid causing new confrontation in the region." Turkey's deputy prime minister Bekir Bozdag said, "The recognition will throw the region and the world into a fire and it's not known when it will end," adding,"Jerusalem is the red line for Muslims." Leaders across the world from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the European Union, France, Germany, and Turkey warned Trump against the move in a series of phone calls in the past 48 hours. The White House said Trump had also spoken with Israeli PM Netanyahu, a longtime proponent of a US embassy move to Jerusalem. Israel had captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and later annexed it, an action not recognized internationally.

Jerusalem status: 'Concerned about possible escalation of tension,' says China

US President Donald <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-committed-to-middle-east-peace-process-tillerson-26062">Trump said the move to name Jerusalem</a> as Israel&#39;s capital was &quot;long overdue&quot;.

&quot;I think it&rsquo;s long overdue. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-move-to-recognise-jerusalem-as-capital-of-israel-will-lead-to-escalation-of-tension-china-26028">Many presidents have said they want </a>to do something and they didn&rsquo;t do it,&quot; Trump said during a cabinet meeting at the White House.

&nbsp;&quot;Whether it&#39;s courage or they changed their mind, I can&#39;t tell you,&quot; the president added.

Trump had earlier called allies in the Middle East to tell them his decision on recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the US administration&#39;s intent to move its embassy there.

A Palestinian envoy told Reuters that the decision was a &quot;declaration of war&quot; in the Middle East. Pope Francis called for Jerusalem&#39;s &quot;status quo&quot; to be respected, saying new tension would further inflame world conflicts.

British Prime Minister Theresa May had told Parliament earlier that she would be speaking to the US president on his decision on Jerusalem.

Trump said many presidents have said they want to do something and they didn?t do it

US President Donald Trump said the move to name Jerusalem as Israel's capital was "long overdue". "I think it’s long overdue. Many presidents have said they want to do something and they didn’t do it," Trump said during a cabinet meeting at the White House. "Whether it's courage or they changed their mind, I can't tell you," the president added. Trump had earlier called allies in the Middle East to tell them his decision on recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the US administration's intent to move its embassy there. A Palestinian envoy told Reuters that the decision was a "declaration of war" in the Middle East. Pope Francis called for Jerusalem's "status quo" to be respected, saying new tension would further inflame world conflicts. British Prime Minister Theresa May had told Parliament earlier that she would be speaking to the US president on his decision on Jerusalem.

Decision on Jerusalem long overdue: Trump

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-recognise-jerusalem-as-israel-capital-25983" target="_blank">Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital</a>

A senior administration official said Trump would make the landmark announcement -- which flies in the face of warnings from America&#39;s allies across the region and the world -- at 1 pm (1800 GMT) from the White House.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/plot-to-kill-british-pm-may-foiled-report-25987" target="_blank">Plot to kill British PM May foiled: Report</a>

Reuters reported the men were identified as Naa&rsquo;imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, of north London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, of south-east Birmingham.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/the-international-olympic-committee-bans-russia-from-pyeongchang-winter-olympics-25984" target="_blank">Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics</a>

The IOC Russia ban was announced after the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and two subsequent IOC investigations confirmed Russian athletes to have participated in a drug-cheating programme which peaked during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/three-men-charged-with-maltese-journalists-murder-25986" target="_blank">Three charged with murder of Malta journalist killed in car bombing</a>

Caruana Galizia, 53, was one of Malta&#39;s most prominent public figures, thanks to a widely read blog she used to expose crime and corruption.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/special-counsel-robert-mueller-asks-for-trumps-deutsche-bank-records-25989" target="_blank">Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenas Trump&#39;s Deutsche Bank records</a>

German business paper Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday that Mueller had subpoenaed Deutsche Bank to hand over financial information about Trump and members of his family.

Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital A senior administration official said Trump would make the landmark announcement -- which flies in the face of warnings from America's allies across the region and the world -- at 1 pm (1800 GMT) from the White House. Plot to kill British PM May foiled: Report Reuters reported the men were identified as Naa’imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, of north London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, of south-east Birmingham. Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics The IOC Russia ban was announced after the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and two subsequent IOC investigations confirmed Russian athletes to have participated in a drug-cheating programme which peaked during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Three charged with murder of Malta journalist killed in car bombing Caruana Galizia, 53, was one of Malta's most prominent public figures, thanks to a widely read blog she used to expose crime and corruption. Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenas Trump's Deutsche Bank records German business paper Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday that Mueller had subpoenaed Deutsche Bank to hand over financial information about Trump and members of his family.

WION morning news brief, December 6, 2017

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson speaking <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-recognise-jerusalem-as-israel-capital-25983">at the NATO foreign ministers meeting</a> in Brussels said there is a &quot;very good opportunity for peace to be achieved&quot;&nbsp;in the Middle East with President Trump set&nbsp;to announce his decision to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

&quot;The president is very committed to the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-move-to-recognise-jerusalem-as-capital-of-israel-will-lead-to-escalation-of-tension-china-26028"> Middle East peace process,&quot; adding</a>,&quot;We continue to believe there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved and the president has a team that is devoted to that entirely.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
Tillerson said Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner was&nbsp;&quot;engaged in a quiet way&quot; in the Middle East to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, PM Theresa May told British Parliament today said she will be calling Trump as he gets ready to announce his decision to announce Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

&quot;Our position has not changed. The status of Jerusalem should be determined as a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians and Jerusalem should be a shared capital,&quot; May said.

Trump&#39;s imminent announcement triggered a wave of protest in the Middle East with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani calling it &quot;wrong, illegitimate, provocative and very dangerous&quot;.

Iran has been supporting the Palestinian cause since the 70s when the Islamic revolution took place in that country.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It is out of despair &amp; debility that they want to declare <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlQuds?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AlQuds</a> as capital of the Zionist regime. On issue of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Palestine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Palestine</a> their hands are tied &amp; they can&#39;t achieve their goals. Victory belongs to Islamic Ummah. Palestine will be free, Palestinian nation will achieve victory.
&mdash; Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) <a href="https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/938327375875624960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Iran&#39;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said:&quot; The Islamic world will undoubtedly stand against this plot and the Zionists will receive a big blow from this action and dear Palestine will be liberated.&quot;

&nbsp;Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said it would be a &quot;grave mistake&quot; if the United States moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Trump is due to announce his&nbsp;decision to back Israel&#39;s claim on Jerusalem at 1800 (GMT).

Tillerson said Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner was?"engaged in a quiet way" in the Middle East to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson speaking at the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels said there is a "very good opportunity for peace to be achieved" in the Middle East with President Trump set to announce his decision to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. "The president is very committed to the Middle East peace process," adding,"We continue to believe there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved and the president has a team that is devoted to that entirely." Tillerson said Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner was "engaged in a quiet way" in the Middle East to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Meanwhile, PM Theresa May told British Parliament today said she will be calling Trump as he gets ready to announce his decision to announce Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "Our position has not changed. The status of Jerusalem should be determined as a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians and Jerusalem should be a shared capital," May said. Trump's imminent announcement triggered a wave of protest in the Middle East with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani calling it "wrong, illegitimate, provocative and very dangerous". Iran has been supporting the Palestinian cause since the 70s when the Islamic revolution took place in that country. It is out of despair & debility that they want to declare #AlQuds as capital of the Zionist regime. On issue of #Palestine their hands are tied & they can't achieve their goals. Victory belongs to Islamic Ummah. Palestine will be free, Palestinian nation will achieve victory. — Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) December 6, 2017 × Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said:" The Islamic world will undoubtedly stand against this plot and the Zionists will receive a big blow from this action and dear Palestine will be liberated." Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said it would be a "grave mistake" if the United States moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Trump is due to announce his decision to back Israel's claim on Jerusalem at 1800 (GMT).

President Trump committed to Middle East peace process: Tillerson

President Donald Trump told Israeli and Arab leaders on Tuesday that he intends to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that breaks with decades of U.S. policy and risks fuelling violence in the Middle East.

Senior U.S. officials said Trump on Wednesday is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he plans to order his aides to immediately begin planning such a move.

U.S. endorsement of Israel&#39;s claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would reverse long-standing U.S. policy that the city&#39;s status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan&#39;s King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia&#39;s King Salman, who all received telephone calls from Trump, joined a mounting chorus of voices warning that unilateral U.S. steps on Jerusalem would derail a fledgling U.S.-led peace effort and unleash turmoil in the region.

The White House said that Trump had also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime proponent of a U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem.&nbsp;

Netanyahu&#39;s office did not respond to a request for comment, but a senior Israeli minister welcomed Trump&#39;s decision while vowing that Israel would be prepared for any outbreak of violence.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Trump, who promised during the presidential campaign to move the embassy in Israel, would give a speech on Wednesday about his Jerusalem decision. &quot;The president I would say is pretty solid in his thinking at this point,&quot; she said, declining to provide details.

Trump notified Abbas &quot;of his intention to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,&quot; Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said.

Abbas, in response, &quot;warned of the dangerous consequences such a decision would have to the peace process and to the peace, security and stability of the region and of the world&quot; and also appealed to the Pope and the leaders of Russia, France and Jordan to intervene.

The Jordanian monarch, whose dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, told Trump that moving the embassy would have &quot;dangerous repercussions&quot; for the region and would obstruct U.S. efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, according to a palace statement.

King Salman stressed to Trump that any U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem would &quot;inflame Muslim feelings all over the world,&rdquo; the Saudi Press Agency said.

None of the leaders` statements said whether Trump specified the timing of an embassy move, a notion supported by successive governments in Israel, a close U.S. ally.

But U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump was expected to sign a national security waiver - as have his predecessors - keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv for another six months but would commit to setting the move in motion. However, he was not planning to set a specific timetable, the officials said.

The Trump administration would need time to overcome logistical issues such as lack of a secure embassy building and staff housing in Jerusalem, according to one U.S. official.

Trump appears intent on satisfying the pro-Israel, right-wing base, including evangelical Christians, that helped him win the presidency but was disappointed when he delayed the embassy move in June. No other country has its embassy in Jerusalem.

Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, an action not recognised internationally.

A big mistake 

Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, who met last week with U.S. officials in Washington, told Israel`s Army Radio: &quot;My impression is that the president will recognise Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years, as the capital of the state of Israel.&rdquo;

Asked whether Israel was preparing for a wave of violence if Trump recognises Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, he said: &quot;We are preparing for every option. Anything like that can always erupt. If Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) will lead it in that direction then he will be making a big mistake.&rdquo;

Islamist militant groups such as al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah have in the past tried to exploit Muslim sensitivities over Jerusalem to stoke anti-Israel and anti-U.S. sentiment.

Asked whether Trump recognised that his Jerusalem decision could spark violence, Sanders said: &quot;A number of things have been looked at that have been weighed into the president`s decision.&quot;

Senior U.S. officials told Reuters some officers in the State Department were also deeply concerned and the European Union, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League all warned that any such declaration would have repercussions across the region.&nbsp;

Turkey threatened on Tuesday to cut diplomatic ties with Israel if Trump recognises Jerusalem.&nbsp;

Katz took to Twitter to reject Turkey&#39;s threat and reiterate Israel`s position on the city, which is one of a long list of stumbling blocks in years of failed peace talks with the Palestinians.

A U.S. official said the consensus U.S. intelligence estimate on U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital was that it would risk triggering a backlash against Israel, and also potentially against U.S. interests in the Middle East.

It is also likely to upset an Israeli-Palestinian peace push led by Trump`s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, in pursuit of what the U.S. president has called the &quot;ultimate deal.&quot; The initiative has made little progress.

The White House said in a statement that in calls with Israeli and Arab leaders, Trump &quot;reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks&quot; and &quot;underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation with each partner.&quot;&nbsp;

Arab criticism of Trump&#39;s plan contrasted sharply with the praise Washington`s traditional Arab allies heaped on him at the beginning of his administration. They saw Trump as re-engaging in the region after what they perceived as former President Barack Obama&rsquo;s distancing of himself from them, as well as taking a tougher stand against Iran.

The European Union&#39;s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, said on Tuesday that &quot;any action that would undermine&quot; peace efforts to create two separate states for the Israelis and the Palestinians &quot;must absolutely be avoided.&quot;

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has &ldquo;consistently warned against any unilateral action that would have the potential to undermine the two-state solution,&rdquo;

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

The decision breaks with decades of US policy and risks fuelling violence in the Middle East

President Donald Trump told Israeli and Arab leaders on Tuesday that he intends to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that breaks with decades of U.S. policy and risks fuelling violence in the Middle East. Senior U.S. officials said Trump on Wednesday is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he plans to order his aides to immediately begin planning such a move. U.S. endorsement of Israel's claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would reverse long-standing U.S. policy that the city's status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan's King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia's King Salman, who all received telephone calls from Trump, joined a mounting chorus of voices warning that unilateral U.S. steps on Jerusalem would derail a fledgling U.S.-led peace effort and unleash turmoil in the region. The White House said that Trump had also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime proponent of a U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem. Netanyahu's office did not respond to a request for comment, but a senior Israeli minister welcomed Trump's decision while vowing that Israel would be prepared for any outbreak of violence. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Trump, who promised during the presidential campaign to move the embassy in Israel, would give a speech on Wednesday about his Jerusalem decision. "The president I would say is pretty solid in his thinking at this point," she said, declining to provide details. Trump notified Abbas "of his intention to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said. Abbas, in response, "warned of the dangerous consequences such a decision would have to the peace process and to the peace, security and stability of the region and of the world" and also appealed to the Pope and the leaders of Russia, France and Jordan to intervene. The Jordanian monarch, whose dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, told Trump that moving the embassy would have "dangerous repercussions" for the region and would obstruct U.S. efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, according to a palace statement. King Salman stressed to Trump that any U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem would "inflame Muslim feelings all over the world,” the Saudi Press Agency said. None of the leaders` statements said whether Trump specified the timing of an embassy move, a notion supported by successive governments in Israel, a close U.S. ally. But U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump was expected to sign a national security waiver - as have his predecessors - keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv for another six months but would commit to setting the move in motion. However, he was not planning to set a specific timetable, the officials said. The Trump administration would need time to overcome logistical issues such as lack of a secure embassy building and staff housing in Jerusalem, according to one U.S. official. Trump appears intent on satisfying the pro-Israel, right-wing base, including evangelical Christians, that helped him win the presidency but was disappointed when he delayed the embassy move in June. No other country has its embassy in Jerusalem. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, an action not recognised internationally. A big mistake Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, who met last week with U.S. officials in Washington, told Israel`s Army Radio: "My impression is that the president will recognise Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years, as the capital of the state of Israel.” Asked whether Israel was preparing for a wave of violence if Trump recognises Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, he said: "We are preparing for every option. Anything like that can always erupt. If Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) will lead it in that direction then he will be making a big mistake.” Islamist militant groups such as al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah have in the past tried to exploit Muslim sensitivities over Jerusalem to stoke anti-Israel and anti-U.S. sentiment. Asked whether Trump recognised that his Jerusalem decision could spark violence, Sanders said: "A number of things have been looked at that have been weighed into the president`s decision." Senior U.S. officials told Reuters some officers in the State Department were also deeply concerned and the European Union, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League all warned that any such declaration would have repercussions across the region. Turkey threatened on Tuesday to cut diplomatic ties with Israel if Trump recognises Jerusalem. Katz took to Twitter to reject Turkey's threat and reiterate Israel`s position on the city, which is one of a long list of stumbling blocks in years of failed peace talks with the Palestinians. A U.S. official said the consensus U.S. intelligence estimate on U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital was that it would risk triggering a backlash against Israel, and also potentially against U.S. interests in the Middle East. It is also likely to upset an Israeli-Palestinian peace push led by Trump`s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, in pursuit of what the U.S. president has called the "ultimate deal." The initiative has made little progress. The White House said in a statement that in calls with Israeli and Arab leaders, Trump "reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks" and "underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation with each partner." Arab criticism of Trump's plan contrasted sharply with the praise Washington`s traditional Arab allies heaped on him at the beginning of his administration. They saw Trump as re-engaging in the region after what they perceived as former President Barack Obama’s distancing of himself from them, as well as taking a tougher stand against Iran. The European Union's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, said on Tuesday that "any action that would undermine" peace efforts to create two separate states for the Israelis and the Palestinians "must absolutely be avoided." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has “consistently warned against any unilateral action that would have the potential to undermine the two-state solution,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

Trump tells Arab, Israeli leaders he plans to move embassy to Jerusalem

President Donald Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital Wednesday, upending decades of careful US policy and ignoring dire warnings of a historic misstep that could trigger a surge of violence in the Middle East.

A senior administration official said Trump would make the landmark announcement -- which flies in the face of warnings from America&#39;s allies across the region and the world -- at 1 pm (1800 GMT) from the White House.

&quot;He will say that that the United States government recognizes that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel,&quot; a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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<h5>He views this as a recognition of reality, both historic reality and modern reality&#39;</h5>
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&quot;He views this as a recognition of reality, both historic reality,&quot; the source added, &quot;and modern reality.&quot;

Plunging further into a bitter centuries-old argument between Jews, Muslims and Christians, Trump will also order planning to begin on moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

&quot;It will take some time to find a site, to address security concerns, design a new facility, fund a new facility and build it,&quot; the official said, indicating that the move will not be immediate.

&quot;It will be a matter of some years, it won&#39;t be months, it&#39;s going to take time.&quot;

The status of Jerusalem is a central issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming the city as their capital, and expectations of Trump&#39;s announcement have roiled the combustible region.

In a frantic series of calls on its eve, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the EU, France, Germany and Turkey all warned Trump against the move.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-tells-mideast-leaders-he-will-move-embassy-to-jerusalem-breaking-with-us-policy-25980" target="_blank">Also read: Trump tells Arab, Israeli leaders he plans to move embassy to Jerusalem</a>

Anticipating widespread demonstrations, US government officials have been ordered to avoid Jerusalem&#39;s Old City and the West Bank.

But Trump&#39;s move comes close to fulfilling a campaign promise and will delight his political donors and the conservative and evangelical base that is so vital for the embattled president.

&#39;Red line&#39; 
Most of the international community does not formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved in final status negotiations.

US officials talk of &quot;threading the needle&quot; -- fulfilling Trump&#39;s campaign pledge, while keeping the peace process on the rails.

The White House argues that such a move would not prejudge final talks and would represent the reality that west Jerusalem is and will continue to be part of Israel under any settlement.

&quot;President Trump remains committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians and is optimistic that peace can be achieved,&quot; a second official said.

&quot;President Trump is prepared to support a two State solution... If agreed to by the two parties.&quot;

But critics say Trump&#39;s approach is more like &quot;splitting the baby&quot; and could also extinguish his own much-vaunted efforts to broker Middle East peace while igniting the flames of conflict in a region already reeling from crises in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Qatar.

The armed Islamist Hamas movement has threatened to launch a new &quot;intifada&quot; or uprising.

Saudi Arabia&#39;s King Salman warned his close ally that moving the US embassy was a &quot;dangerous step&quot; that could rile Muslims around the world.

&quot;Mr Trump! Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims,&quot; Turkey&#39;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a raucous televised speech, echoing alarm expressed by Palestinian and Arab leaders.

&#39;Embassy Act&#39; 
Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its &quot;eternal and undivided capital.&quot;

But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there.

Trump was pushed to act on the embassy as a result of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, which stated that the city &quot;should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel&quot; and that the US embassy should be moved there.

An inbuilt waiver has been repeatedly invoked by successive US presidents, postponing the move on grounds of &quot;national security&quot; once every six months, meaning the law has never taken effect.

Several peace plans have unravelled over the issue of how to divide sovereignty or oversee sites in the city that are holy for Christians, Jews and Muslims.

The decision upends decades of US policy and risks fuelling violence in the Middle East

President Donald Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital Wednesday, upending decades of careful US policy and ignoring dire warnings of a historic misstep that could trigger a surge of violence in the Middle East. A senior administration official said Trump would make the landmark announcement -- which flies in the face of warnings from America's allies across the region and the world -- at 1 pm (1800 GMT) from the White House. "He will say that that the United States government recognizes that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel," a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. He views this as a recognition of reality, both historic reality and modern reality' × "He views this as a recognition of reality, both historic reality," the source added, "and modern reality." Plunging further into a bitter centuries-old argument between Jews, Muslims and Christians, Trump will also order planning to begin on moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "It will take some time to find a site, to address security concerns, design a new facility, fund a new facility and build it," the official said, indicating that the move will not be immediate. "It will be a matter of some years, it won't be months, it's going to take time." The status of Jerusalem is a central issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming the city as their capital, and expectations of Trump's announcement have roiled the combustible region. In a frantic series of calls on its eve, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the EU, France, Germany and Turkey all warned Trump against the move. Also read: Trump tells Arab, Israeli leaders he plans to move embassy to Jerusalem Anticipating widespread demonstrations, US government officials have been ordered to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank. But Trump's move comes close to fulfilling a campaign promise and will delight his political donors and the conservative and evangelical base that is so vital for the embattled president. 'Red line' Most of the international community does not formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved in final status negotiations. US officials talk of "threading the needle" -- fulfilling Trump's campaign pledge, while keeping the peace process on the rails. The White House argues that such a move would not prejudge final talks and would represent the reality that west Jerusalem is and will continue to be part of Israel under any settlement. "President Trump remains committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians and is optimistic that peace can be achieved," a second official said. "President Trump is prepared to support a two State solution... If agreed to by the two parties." But critics say Trump's approach is more like "splitting the baby" and could also extinguish his own much-vaunted efforts to broker Middle East peace while igniting the flames of conflict in a region already reeling from crises in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Qatar. The armed Islamist Hamas movement has threatened to launch a new "intifada" or uprising. Saudi Arabia's King Salman warned his close ally that moving the US embassy was a "dangerous step" that could rile Muslims around the world. "Mr Trump! Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims," Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a raucous televised speech, echoing alarm expressed by Palestinian and Arab leaders. 'Embassy Act' Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its "eternal and undivided capital." But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there. Trump was pushed to act on the embassy as a result of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, which stated that the city "should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel" and that the US embassy should be moved there. An inbuilt waiver has been repeatedly invoked by successive US presidents, postponing the move on grounds of "national security" once every six months, meaning the law has never taken effect. Several peace plans have unravelled over the issue of how to divide sovereignty or oversee sites in the city that are holy for Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital

Every year, at the very end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and at the end of the Passover Seder, Jews all over the world recite, &ldquo;Next year in Jerusalem.&rdquo; The City, older than Bible, is at the heart and mind of all practising Jews. Jerusalem, more than any other city, stands as the symbol of the &#39;Promised Land&#39; as the Jews survived expulsion by the Romans, slavery in the land of the Pharaohs and the Holocaust in Europe. At the end of the Second World War, many Jewish survivors of Hitler&#39;s concentration camps came back to settle in and around Jerusalem.&nbsp;

For long, the Jewish stakeholders around the world had been trying very hard to gain a recognition for the Holy City as Israel&#39;s capital. But they have faced tough luck so far. Even Israel&#39;s closest ally, the US had been refusing to grant capital status to Jerusalem primarily because of the sensitivity of the matter.&nbsp;

Battle for Jerusalem

Palestinians and Israelis have been fighting over Jerusalem ever since the state of Israel has been established. Israel&rsquo;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has himself asserted that Israel is in the midst of a &ldquo;battle for Jerusalem&rdquo;. While political and religious acrimony over the city has caused much bloodshed among members of both the communities, the lives of the Jerusalem&#39;s citizens have been almost inextricably intertwined.&nbsp;

The primary flashpoint in Jerusalem is the sacred compound in the Old City, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The religious topography there is meaningful for the current conflict. Islamic structures stand on the Haram today and are used on a daily basis. The Jewish holy places exist primarily in archaeology and memory. Worship focuses on a remaining fragment of the Second, or Herod&rsquo;s, Temple, known as the Western Wall. A fragile modus vivendi has existed since 1967 that enables Jews to pray below at the Wall and Muslims above on the esplanade.&nbsp;

Such entwined existence is ubiquitous because the two communities, over the ages, have lived there in harmony as well as in discord. So much so that when violence breaks out it has become impossible to spare anyone community from sufferings such attacks entail. In 2014, for instance, when an attack took place in West Jerusalem at a synagogue, killing four Jewish worshippers, it also resulted in the death of Israeli Druze Zidan Saif.&nbsp;

Saif, incidentally, was not an Israeli Jew.&nbsp; He belonged to a distinct branch of Islam whose members often serve in Israel&rsquo;s police or armed forces. Saif&#39;s funeral was attended by the President of Israel and a large number of ultra-orthodox Jews.&nbsp;

My city, your city, our city

President Trump&#39;s announcement in support of making Jerusalem the capital city of Israel will further weaken the fragile balance on which Jerusalem sustains itself. The decision has the potential to embroil the different religious communities in bloody violence. Particularly because just like the Israeli state, in May 2017, the Palestinian group Hamas presented a document that proposed the formation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.&nbsp;

Giving to the demand of one community over the other, particularly when one-third of the population of Jerusalem is actually Muslim, and with a large number of Christians living in the area too, tantamounts to playing with fire. But Trump to fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters is ready to let an already volatile region go further the extremist way.&nbsp;

But as Trump does not seem to care, it seems similar dogged determination has taken over supporters of the Zionist cause living in Israel too.&nbsp;Shumel Rosner, an expert in the Israeli politics and Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for instance, writes in the New York Times that the Israelis will not be deterred by threats of violence or by actual violence itself. Indeed as per the words of Rosner, the US declaration in support of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel is a truly Trumansque moment. The author is here referring back to President Truman&#39;s decision to support the partition of Palestine, though the C.I.A. warned the President that &ldquo;armed hostilities between Jews and Arabs will break out if the U.N. General Assembly accepts the plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Whose city is it anyway?

Jews, Muslims and Christians all the three communities have very long and intimate association with Jerusalem. For historical reasons, one community might have come before the other, but their histories overlap for a significant stretch of time.

Jews had been praying facing Jerusalem for time immemorial.&nbsp;

It is Jerusalem that matter most to the Christians, more than Bethlehem and Nazareth. This was where Christ preached, ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, where he was arrested, put on trial, condemned to death, crucified, and died, a man mocked and tortured by the occupying Romans. It is where, Christians believe, his tomb was found empty and he rose from the dead. Jerusalem, they say, is the &#39;sacred heart&#39; of the Christian story.

Jerusalem&#39;s pivotal place in the religious and political history of Islam is equally undeniable. According to Islamic tradition, the prophet travelled miraculously from Mecca to Jerusalem and then upwards through the seven heavens, culminating in a direct conversation with, and/or vision of, God. Before his ascension, he led all the previous prophets of God, including all the Biblical and Israelite prophets, in prayer. Islamic rule over Jerusalem lasted for 12 centuries, longer than any other rule, whether Israelite, Roman, Persian or Christian.

President Trump should have shown better judgement on the matter. He needed to have shown more nuanced appreciation towards the shared history of the region. But characteristically to his rash and provocative nature, Trump went ahead without heeding the advice of the world community.&nbsp;

We can just hope that Jerusalem in spite of its newfound recognition will continue to be a place of harmony for all peoples. And, instead of being the political capital of nation-state, it will be the emotional center of a multicultural universe. After all, the root meaning of Jerusalem is shalom- a city of peace. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

To fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters, Trump is ready to let an already volatile region go further down the extremist way.?

Every year, at the very end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and at the end of the Passover Seder, Jews all over the world recite, “Next year in Jerusalem.” The City, older than Bible, is at the heart and mind of all practising Jews. Jerusalem, more than any other city, stands as the symbol of the 'Promised Land' as the Jews survived expulsion by the Romans, slavery in the land of the Pharaohs and the Holocaust in Europe. At the end of the Second World War, many Jewish survivors of Hitler's concentration camps came back to settle in and around Jerusalem. For long, the Jewish stakeholders around the world had been trying very hard to gain a recognition for the Holy City as Israel's capital. But they have faced tough luck so far. Even Israel's closest ally, the US had been refusing to grant capital status to Jerusalem primarily because of the sensitivity of the matter. Battle for Jerusalem Palestinians and Israelis have been fighting over Jerusalem ever since the state of Israel has been established. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has himself asserted that Israel is in the midst of a “battle for Jerusalem”. While political and religious acrimony over the city has caused much bloodshed among members of both the communities, the lives of the Jerusalem's citizens have been almost inextricably intertwined. The primary flashpoint in Jerusalem is the sacred compound in the Old City, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The religious topography there is meaningful for the current conflict. Islamic structures stand on the Haram today and are used on a daily basis. The Jewish holy places exist primarily in archaeology and memory. Worship focuses on a remaining fragment of the Second, or Herod’s, Temple, known as the Western Wall. A fragile modus vivendi has existed since 1967 that enables Jews to pray below at the Wall and Muslims above on the esplanade. Such entwined existence is ubiquitous because the two communities, over the ages, have lived there in harmony as well as in discord. So much so that when violence breaks out it has become impossible to spare anyone community from sufferings such attacks entail. In 2014, for instance, when an attack took place in West Jerusalem at a synagogue, killing four Jewish worshippers, it also resulted in the death of Israeli Druze Zidan Saif. Saif, incidentally, was not an Israeli Jew. He belonged to a distinct branch of Islam whose members often serve in Israel’s police or armed forces. Saif's funeral was attended by the President of Israel and a large number of ultra-orthodox Jews. My city, your city, our city President Trump's announcement in support of making Jerusalem the capital city of Israel will further weaken the fragile balance on which Jerusalem sustains itself. The decision has the potential to embroil the different religious communities in bloody violence. Particularly because just like the Israeli state, in May 2017, the Palestinian group Hamas presented a document that proposed the formation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Giving to the demand of one community over the other, particularly when one-third of the population of Jerusalem is actually Muslim, and with a large number of Christians living in the area too, tantamounts to playing with fire. But Trump to fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters is ready to let an already volatile region go further the extremist way. But as Trump does not seem to care, it seems similar dogged determination has taken over supporters of the Zionist cause living in Israel too. Shumel Rosner, an expert in the Israeli politics and Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for instance, writes in the New York Times that the Israelis will not be deterred by threats of violence or by actual violence itself. Indeed as per the words of Rosner, the US declaration in support of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel is a truly Trumansque moment. The author is here referring back to President Truman's decision to support the partition of Palestine, though the C.I.A. warned the President that “armed hostilities between Jews and Arabs will break out if the U.N. General Assembly accepts the plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.” Whose city is it anyway? Jews, Muslims and Christians all the three communities have very long and intimate association with Jerusalem. For historical reasons, one community might have come before the other, but their histories overlap for a significant stretch of time. Jews had been praying facing Jerusalem for time immemorial. It is Jerusalem that matter most to the Christians, more than Bethlehem and Nazareth. This was where Christ preached, ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, where he was arrested, put on trial, condemned to death, crucified, and died, a man mocked and tortured by the occupying Romans. It is where, Christians believe, his tomb was found empty and he rose from the dead. Jerusalem, they say, is the 'sacred heart' of the Christian story. Jerusalem's pivotal place in the religious and political history of Islam is equally undeniable. According to Islamic tradition, the prophet travelled miraculously from Mecca to Jerusalem and then upwards through the seven heavens, culminating in a direct conversation with, and/or vision of, God. Before his ascension, he led all the previous prophets of God, including all the Biblical and Israelite prophets, in prayer. Islamic rule over Jerusalem lasted for 12 centuries, longer than any other rule, whether Israelite, Roman, Persian or Christian. President Trump should have shown better judgement on the matter. He needed to have shown more nuanced appreciation towards the shared history of the region. But characteristically to his rash and provocative nature, Trump went ahead without heeding the advice of the world community. We can just hope that Jerusalem in spite of its newfound recognition will continue to be a place of harmony for all peoples. And, instead of being the political capital of nation-state, it will be the emotional center of a multicultural universe. After all, the root meaning of Jerusalem is shalom- a city of peace. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Trump is wrong; Israel alone can't claim Jerusalem

India&rsquo;s foreign policy, in its earliest avatar, was built in conformity with Prime Minister Pandit Nehru&rsquo;s vision. It remained so for the next 4 decades. The impression in post-colonial India has been that only Nehru was passionate about foreign affairs and rest in the Congress had different indulgences. If one goes through the correspondence between Patel and Nehru, the latter admits his own enthusiasm about foreign policy, and acknowledge the difference of opinion between him and his peers on many world issues.

Sardar Patel&rsquo;s image, on the other hand, is that of a prisoner of his own success like BR Ambedkar. As Ambedkar&rsquo;s career boils down to the making of the Constitution, Patel&rsquo;s repertoire comes down to the unification of India. &nbsp;

Patel passed away soon after the independence, leaving little or no public imprint of the world-view he espoused in numerous meetings of the Congress before and after independence.

Nonetheless, some of his observations on the United Nations Security Council remain pertinent even today. His views were built on India&rsquo;s early engagement with the UN-- the organisation that epitomised the new world order of the victors of World War II.

&nbsp;As observed by Sardar Patel so many decades ago, India and several other countries continue to face the same dilemma after 70 years. The member countries of the UN have to deal with an archaic and unfair Security Council which on multiple occasions has taken partisan positions on the issue of terrorism and civil conflict.

The matter was best illustrated during Justice Dalbir Singh&rsquo;s election when Britain came down to using the most archaic tool available to them. Britain bowed down under world pressure but the archaic tool persists. Despite world pressure, the United Nation Security Council continues to resist reform.

Sardar Patel&rsquo;s observation three years after its inception shows UN from a different light. We get to see the UN from the perspective of a newly independent nation which is trying to build a republic over a motley body of feudal states.

Sardar Patel in his Nagpur speech on 4th November 1948 said, &quot;You have seen what is happening in Hyderabad. The Nizam says, &#39;I do not want my case in Security Council.&#39; But Security Council says, &#39;We are seized of it.&#39; It is so because they have no other thing to do. Therefore, anything which comes before them, they go on discussing it which disturbs the security here or likely to disturb the security here and thereby it disturbs the security of the world and thus it is proper and fitting thing to call this organization an &ldquo;Insecurity Council&rdquo;. How far it is advisable to be the member of this august Organisation is a question which has to be seriously considered.&rdquo;

Sardar Patel in his speech elaborates further. &ldquo;Take Palestine, take Indonesia, take any question that has been referred to Security Council. It has not been able to dispose them and bring peace; they are all problems which they are not able to settle. So, in one way, the League of Nations was more or less a harmless organization. This organization if it does not improve itself is going to land the world into a terrific slaughter and destruction,&rdquo; he said.

Lastly, in a letter written on 28th March 1950, in response to Nehru&rsquo;s letter dated 26th March, a difference between them on a key issue was recorded. It is an issue which remains alive even today.

Nehru was upset that Sardar had discussed foreign policy with Members of Parliament, making uncharitable comments on his initiatives. Patel&rsquo;s reply was in response to it and the letter said, &ldquo;Some Muslim countries have recognized Israel but we have not done out of deference of the views our Muslim brethren.&rdquo;

Narsimaha Rao in his tenure established full diplomatic relations with Israel and it&rsquo;s no co-incidence which school of thought he belonged to in the Congress.

Coming back to the moot point, Sardar Patel&rsquo;s observation continues to be true for the UN, which behaves as a political body motivated only by national interest of big powers where interests come first and merit later. The romanticism related to the UN exists no more. It needs reforms and tough negotiation from various emerging economies.

I would end by quoting an excerpt from Sardar Patel&#39;s observation on Kashmir. &ldquo;We have seen what price we have paid by going to that Organisation. We went to UN to bring the dispute to an early end and we were maligned all over the world by the representatives of Pakistan. And people who had never seen this country and who did not understand what the problem of India and Pakistan or Kashmir was, - they began to hear the case from people who had no bone in in their tongue. They, therefore, went on talking anything that came into their mouth and for six months, it went on like that. They visited Kashmir, they visited Pakistan, they visited India, and had long and prolonged conversations and discussions. The other party did not. Eventually, they make proposals for cease-fire. The other party did not. Yet we are where we were.&nbsp; If we were to fight this out by armed forces and if United Nations Organisation is not able to do anything then instead of calling it a Security Council, it must be termed the &ldquo;Insecurity Council&rdquo; which disturbs the security of law.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

"...if United Nations Organisation is not able to do anything then instead of calling it a Security Council, it must be termed the ?Insecurity Council? which disturbs the security of law,? said Sardar Patel.

India’s foreign policy, in its earliest avatar, was built in conformity with Prime Minister Pandit Nehru’s vision. It remained so for the next 4 decades. The impression in post-colonial India has been that only Nehru was passionate about foreign affairs and rest in the Congress had different indulgences. If one goes through the correspondence between Patel and Nehru, the latter admits his own enthusiasm about foreign policy, and acknowledge the difference of opinion between him and his peers on many world issues. Sardar Patel’s image, on the other hand, is that of a prisoner of his own success like BR Ambedkar. As Ambedkar’s career boils down to the making of the Constitution, Patel’s repertoire comes down to the unification of India. Patel passed away soon after the independence, leaving little or no public imprint of the world-view he espoused in numerous meetings of the Congress before and after independence. Nonetheless, some of his observations on the United Nations Security Council remain pertinent even today. His views were built on India’s early engagement with the UN-- the organisation that epitomised the new world order of the victors of World War II. As observed by Sardar Patel so many decades ago, India and several other countries continue to face the same dilemma after 70 years. The member countries of the UN have to deal with an archaic and unfair Security Council which on multiple occasions has taken partisan positions on the issue of terrorism and civil conflict. The matter was best illustrated during Justice Dalbir Singh’s election when Britain came down to using the most archaic tool available to them. Britain bowed down under world pressure but the archaic tool persists. Despite world pressure, the United Nation Security Council continues to resist reform. Sardar Patel’s observation three years after its inception shows UN from a different light. We get to see the UN from the perspective of a newly independent nation which is trying to build a republic over a motley body of feudal states. Sardar Patel in his Nagpur speech on 4th November 1948 said, "You have seen what is happening in Hyderabad. The Nizam says, 'I do not want my case in Security Council.' But Security Council says, 'We are seized of it.' It is so because they have no other thing to do. Therefore, anything which comes before them, they go on discussing it which disturbs the security here or likely to disturb the security here and thereby it disturbs the security of the world and thus it is proper and fitting thing to call this organization an “Insecurity Council”. How far it is advisable to be the member of this august Organisation is a question which has to be seriously considered.” Sardar Patel in his speech elaborates further. “Take Palestine, take Indonesia, take any question that has been referred to Security Council. It has not been able to dispose them and bring peace; they are all problems which they are not able to settle. So, in one way, the League of Nations was more or less a harmless organization. This organization if it does not improve itself is going to land the world into a terrific slaughter and destruction,” he said. Lastly, in a letter written on 28th March 1950, in response to Nehru’s letter dated 26th March, a difference between them on a key issue was recorded. It is an issue which remains alive even today. Nehru was upset that Sardar had discussed foreign policy with Members of Parliament, making uncharitable comments on his initiatives. Patel’s reply was in response to it and the letter said, “Some Muslim countries have recognized Israel but we have not done out of deference of the views our Muslim brethren.” Narsimaha Rao in his tenure established full diplomatic relations with Israel and it’s no co-incidence which school of thought he belonged to in the Congress. Coming back to the moot point, Sardar Patel’s observation continues to be true for the UN, which behaves as a political body motivated only by national interest of big powers where interests come first and merit later. The romanticism related to the UN exists no more. It needs reforms and tough negotiation from various emerging economies. I would end by quoting an excerpt from Sardar Patel's observation on Kashmir. “We have seen what price we have paid by going to that Organisation. We went to UN to bring the dispute to an early end and we were maligned all over the world by the representatives of Pakistan. And people who had never seen this country and who did not understand what the problem of India and Pakistan or Kashmir was, - they began to hear the case from people who had no bone in in their tongue. They, therefore, went on talking anything that came into their mouth and for six months, it went on like that. They visited Kashmir, they visited Pakistan, they visited India, and had long and prolonged conversations and discussions. The other party did not. Eventually, they make proposals for cease-fire. The other party did not. Yet we are where we were. If we were to fight this out by armed forces and if United Nations Organisation is not able to do anything then instead of calling it a Security Council, it must be termed the “Insecurity Council” which disturbs the security of law.” (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Why Sardar Patel mistrusted the UN Security Council

A senior Turkish government official on Monday warned of a &quot;major catastrophe&quot; if the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital despite a flood of warnings from the Arab world.

&quot;If the (current) status of Jerusalem is changed and another step is taken ... that would be a major catastrophe,&quot; Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said during a televised press conference.

&quot;It would completely destroy the fragile peace process in the region, and lead to new conflicts, new disputes and new unrest.&quot;

The status of Jerusalem is one of the most contentious issues of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

President Donald Trump faces a key decision this week on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, potentially reversing years of United States policy and drawing a furious response from the Palestinian leadership and the Arab world.

Most of the international community, including the US as well as Turkey, does not formally recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved through final status negotiations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a champion of the Palestinian cause, often criticises Israel over its actions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, despite a 2016 reconciliation deal after years of severed ties following Israel&#39;s deadly raid on a Gaza-bound ship.&nbsp;

Bozdag, also government spokesman, on Monday said a US step to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital would benefit &quot;neither Israel ... nor the region.&quot;

&quot;It would not benefit anything. Rather than open new doors, it would drag the region into a new disaster.&quot;

President Donald Trump faces a key decision this week on whether to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, potentially reversing years of United States policy and drawing a furious response from the Palestinian leadership and the Arab world

A senior Turkish government official on Monday warned of a "major catastrophe" if the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite a flood of warnings from the Arab world. "If the (current) status of Jerusalem is changed and another step is taken ... that would be a major catastrophe," Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said during a televised press conference. "It would completely destroy the fragile peace process in the region, and lead to new conflicts, new disputes and new unrest." The status of Jerusalem is one of the most contentious issues of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Donald Trump faces a key decision this week on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, potentially reversing years of United States policy and drawing a furious response from the Palestinian leadership and the Arab world. Most of the international community, including the US as well as Turkey, does not formally recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved through final status negotiations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a champion of the Palestinian cause, often criticises Israel over its actions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, despite a 2016 reconciliation deal after years of severed ties following Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound ship. Bozdag, also government spokesman, on Monday said a US step to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital would benefit "neither Israel ... nor the region." "It would not benefit anything. Rather than open new doors, it would drag the region into a new disaster."

Turkey warns of 'catastrophe' if US recognises Jerusalem as Israel capital

Israeli police announced on Monday an investigation after a photoshopped picture of President Reuven Rivlin wearing a Palestinian scarf emerged amid anger over his decision to reject a soldier&#39;s pardon request.

Rivlin had on Sunday refused to pardon Elor Azaria, the soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian assailant as he lay on the ground in March 2016.

Right-wing politicians criticised Rivlin&#39;s decision, and Culture Minister Miri Regev went as far as saying that he had &quot;abandoned Elor Azaria and harmed the pardoning institution&quot;.

Rivlin&#39;s Facebook page quickly filled with messages of support but also scathing criticism, with responders telling him he was &quot;no longer my president,&quot; as one wrote, or accusing him of &quot;fawning to appease your Arab and Leftwing friends,&quot; as another said.&nbsp;

Populist lawmaker Oren Hazan of the ruling Likud party -- the same Rivlin was a member of in parliament and later as a minister -- called on Rivlin to resign and said pardoning authority should move from the presidency to the parliament.

Police said they had launched the probe after an image of Rivlin wearing a keffiyah scarf was distributed on social media.

The badly photoshopped picture features a smiling Rivlin on the backdrop of books, with a Palestinian symbol and the words &quot;Reuven Rivlin a traitorous Jew-boy may his name and memory be accursed&quot; in Hebrew.

The statement did not elaborate on those being investigated nor the possible crime committed.

Posters of Israeli slain premier Yitzhak Rabin in a keffiyah had appeared before his assassination by a Jewish extremist in 1995.

The image was meant to equate Rabin to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who wore a keffiyah regularly, and imply he was betraying Israel&#39;s interests.

Opposition head Isaac Herzog of the Labour party published Rivlin&#39;s doctored image next to Rabin&#39;s.

&quot;We all know how it starts, we all know how it ends,&quot; he wrote on Twitter.

Rivlin&#39;s office meanwhile postponed an olive harvesting event at the presidential residence in Jerusalem set for Monday morning, citing &quot;inclement weather,&quot; despite clear skies.

Azaria is due to remain in prison until October 2018.

Police said they had launched the probe after an image of Rivlin wearing a keffiyah scarf was distributed on social media

Israeli police announced on Monday an investigation after a photoshopped picture of President Reuven Rivlin wearing a Palestinian scarf emerged amid anger over his decision to reject a soldier's pardon request. Rivlin had on Sunday refused to pardon Elor Azaria, the soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian assailant as he lay on the ground in March 2016. Right-wing politicians criticised Rivlin's decision, and Culture Minister Miri Regev went as far as saying that he had "abandoned Elor Azaria and harmed the pardoning institution". Rivlin's Facebook page quickly filled with messages of support but also scathing criticism, with responders telling him he was "no longer my president," as one wrote, or accusing him of "fawning to appease your Arab and Leftwing friends," as another said. Populist lawmaker Oren Hazan of the ruling Likud party -- the same Rivlin was a member of in parliament and later as a minister -- called on Rivlin to resign and said pardoning authority should move from the presidency to the parliament. Police said they had launched the probe after an image of Rivlin wearing a keffiyah scarf was distributed on social media. The badly photoshopped picture features a smiling Rivlin on the backdrop of books, with a Palestinian symbol and the words "Reuven Rivlin a traitorous Jew-boy may his name and memory be accursed" in Hebrew. The statement did not elaborate on those being investigated nor the possible crime committed. Posters of Israeli slain premier Yitzhak Rabin in a keffiyah had appeared before his assassination by a Jewish extremist in 1995. The image was meant to equate Rabin to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who wore a keffiyah regularly, and imply he was betraying Israel's interests. Opposition head Isaac Herzog of the Labour party published Rivlin's doctored image next to Rabin's. "We all know how it starts, we all know how it ends," he wrote on Twitter. Rivlin's office meanwhile postponed an olive harvesting event at the presidential residence in Jerusalem set for Monday morning, citing "inclement weather," despite clear skies. Azaria is due to remain in prison until October 2018.

Photoshopped image of Israel President in Palestinian scarf sparks probe

Britain&#39;s Balfour Declaration turns 100 this week, hailed by Israel for helping lead to its founding, but viewed by Palestinians as contributing to a catastrophe that stole their land.

The November 2, 1917 declaration by then British foreign minister Arthur Balfour said his government viewed &quot;with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people&quot;.

It was only one sentence of 67 words, but it was the strongest support yet from a world power for the goals of the Zionist movement&nbsp;Jews, including those facing persecution, resettling in the land of their ancient ancestors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will commemorate the anniversary in London, where he will attend a dinner in honour of the declaration with his British counterpart Theresa May.

May has said she will mark the date with &quot;pride&quot;, but there is also criticism in Britain over the anniversary because of Israel`s continuing half-century occupation of the West Bank.

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour party has said he cannot attend the dinner without explaining further although shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry will.

Palestinians are planning a demonstration on Thursday in Ramallah as part of their campaign calling on Britain to apologise for the declaration. They have also explored suing Britain over it. Netanyahu said this week that the declaration &quot;advanced the international moves that established the state of Israel&quot;.

&quot;While the state would not have arisen without settlement, sacrifice and a willingness to fight for it, the international impetus was, undoubtedly, the Balfour Declaration,&quot; he said.

For Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah, Britain should apologise for a &quot;historic injustice it committed against our people and to correct it instead of celebrating it&quot;.

&quot;The international community is obliged, while we approach the first centennial of the ominous Balfour Declaration, to end the historic injustice that has been inflicted on our people.&quot;

The declaration came in a letter from Balfour to Lord Walter Rothschild, a leader of the Jewish community in Britain, and had British cabinet approval.

Some argue today that later events conflicting policies from Britain and the Zionists&#39;&nbsp;own efforts to realise their dream diminished the Balfour Declaration&#39;s importance.

But others see it as monumental, having helped lay the groundwork not only for the creation of the modern state of Israel, but also the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.&quot;It&#39;s dramatic,&quot; Jonathan Schneer, an American historian and author of the book &quot;The Balfour Declaration&quot;, told AFP.

&quot;And they&#39;re both right,&quot; he said, referring to the starkly different viewpoints of Israelis and Palestinians.

&quot;The Israelis see it as a foundation stone for the birth of a Jewish state, and the Arabs see it as a foundation stone leading towards their dispossession and misery.&quot;

According to Schneer, the declaration ironically grew to a large degree out of anti-Semitic myths.

British leaders saw the Jewish community as capable of helping them win World War I due to its perceived influence in finance and within Russia, he said.

Others say that Britain was also seeking a firm foothold in the Middle East after the war. But regardless of the motivations that created it, &quot;if someone has to choose five documents that shaped Israel&#39;s history and existence, then the Balfour Declaration has to be one of them&quot;, said Paula Kabalo, director of Israel&#39;s Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism.

For Palestinians, the declaration is colonialist and even racist.

It mentions that &quot;nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine&quot;.

Not only were they left nameless in the document, Palestinians say, but Britain has also failed to ensure the pledge was maintained.It was written &quot;as if the Palestinians did not exist&quot;, said Nabil Shaath, a senior adviser to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

&quot;We were referred to as &#39;others&#39;, others in Palestine who had civilian and religious rights but no political rights whatsoever.&quot;

It would be another 31 years before the state of Israel would be founded in 1948.

The war surrounding its creation saw 750,000 Palestinians either expelled or fleeing from their homes.

In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It later annexed east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

Hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are greatly diminishing as Israeli settlement building continues in the West Bank.

Britain&#39;s May sought to acknowledge those concerns in her recent comments.

&quot;We are proud of the role that we played in the creation of the state of Israel and we will certainly mark the centenary with pride,&quot; she said.

&quot;We also must be conscious of the sensitivities that some people do have about the Balfour Declaration, and we recognise that there is more work to be done. We remain committed to the two-state solution in relation to Israel and the Palestinians.&quot;

Britain`s Balfour Declaration turns 100 this week, hailed by Israel for helping lead to its founding, but viewed by Palestinians as contributing to a catastrophe that stole their land.

Britain's Balfour Declaration turns 100 this week, hailed by Israel for helping lead to its founding, but viewed by Palestinians as contributing to a catastrophe that stole their land. The November 2, 1917 declaration by then British foreign minister Arthur Balfour said his government viewed "with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people". It was only one sentence of 67 words, but it was the strongest support yet from a world power for the goals of the Zionist movement Jews, including those facing persecution, resettling in the land of their ancient ancestors. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will commemorate the anniversary in London, where he will attend a dinner in honour of the declaration with his British counterpart Theresa May. May has said she will mark the date with "pride", but there is also criticism in Britain over the anniversary because of Israel`s continuing half-century occupation of the West Bank. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour party has said he cannot attend the dinner without explaining further although shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry will. Palestinians are planning a demonstration on Thursday in Ramallah as part of their campaign calling on Britain to apologise for the declaration. They have also explored suing Britain over it. Netanyahu said this week that the declaration "advanced the international moves that established the state of Israel". "While the state would not have arisen without settlement, sacrifice and a willingness to fight for it, the international impetus was, undoubtedly, the Balfour Declaration," he said. For Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah, Britain should apologise for a "historic injustice it committed against our people and to correct it instead of celebrating it". "The international community is obliged, while we approach the first centennial of the ominous Balfour Declaration, to end the historic injustice that has been inflicted on our people." The declaration came in a letter from Balfour to Lord Walter Rothschild, a leader of the Jewish community in Britain, and had British cabinet approval. Some argue today that later events conflicting policies from Britain and the Zionists' own efforts to realise their dream diminished the Balfour Declaration's importance. But others see it as monumental, having helped lay the groundwork not only for the creation of the modern state of Israel, but also the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."It's dramatic," Jonathan Schneer, an American historian and author of the book "The Balfour Declaration", told AFP. "And they're both right," he said, referring to the starkly different viewpoints of Israelis and Palestinians. "The Israelis see it as a foundation stone for the birth of a Jewish state, and the Arabs see it as a foundation stone leading towards their dispossession and misery." According to Schneer, the declaration ironically grew to a large degree out of anti-Semitic myths. British leaders saw the Jewish community as capable of helping them win World War I due to its perceived influence in finance and within Russia, he said. Others say that Britain was also seeking a firm foothold in the Middle East after the war. But regardless of the motivations that created it, "if someone has to choose five documents that shaped Israel's history and existence, then the Balfour Declaration has to be one of them", said Paula Kabalo, director of Israel's Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism. For Palestinians, the declaration is colonialist and even racist. It mentions that "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine". Not only were they left nameless in the document, Palestinians say, but Britain has also failed to ensure the pledge was maintained.It was written "as if the Palestinians did not exist", said Nabil Shaath, a senior adviser to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. "We were referred to as 'others', others in Palestine who had civilian and religious rights but no political rights whatsoever." It would be another 31 years before the state of Israel would be founded in 1948. The war surrounding its creation saw 750,000 Palestinians either expelled or fleeing from their homes. In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It later annexed east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state. Hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are greatly diminishing as Israeli settlement building continues in the West Bank. Britain's May sought to acknowledge those concerns in her recent comments. "We are proud of the role that we played in the creation of the state of Israel and we will certainly mark the centenary with pride," she said. "We also must be conscious of the sensitivities that some people do have about the Balfour Declaration, and we recognise that there is more work to be done. We remain committed to the two-state solution in relation to Israel and the Palestinians."

100 years later, Balfour Declaration divides Israelis, Palestinians

A budget plan crucial to President Donald Trump&#39;s hopes for large-scale tax cuts looked set for a close vote in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives on Thursday after some Republicans vowed opposition in an effort to protect a popular tax break.

The rebellious faction is resisting a proposal to eliminate a federal deduction for state and local income taxes, which would hit middle-class voters in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California.

The idea is one of several that have been floated as Republicans craft a tax-cut plan. The budget blueprint, which has already been approved by the Senate, is central to their efforts to push tax legislation through Congress in the face of staunch opposition from Democrats.

The proposal &quot;is obviously an issue of concern to a group of members, and the shared goal is to work together to address the issue and move forward,&quot; an aide to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said on Wednesday.

With the clock ticking toward a vote, the impasse had yet to be settled. Republican lawmakers had planned to meet in House Speaker Paul Ryan&#39;s office at 9 pm&nbsp;to try to hammer out a resolution, but the meeting was postponed until after the budget vote, which was set for 10:30 am.&nbsp;

Republican Representative Tom MacArthur of New Jersey told reporters it was possible there were enough votes to block the budget plan. &quot;It&#39;s got to be close,&quot; he said.

Scalise predicted victory. &quot;We&#39;re going to get it done,&quot; he told Fox News Channel.

Republicans have sketched out a tax package that independent analysts say would cut taxes for businesses and individuals by up to $6 trillion over the next decade, but detailed legislation is not expected to be unveiled until next week.

If Congress approves a tax-cut plan, it would hand Trump his first major legislative win since he took office in January.

&quot;I am urging Republicans who have questions about SALT (the state and local tax deduction) to vote no tomorrow, and keep voting no until we get some compromise we can live with,&quot; Republican Representative Peter King of New York told Reuters.

An aide to Republican Representative Tom Reed of New York said there was discussion of a compromise that would call for a tax credit up to a certain income amount to replace the deduction, and that he would support it.

Republican Representative Leonard Lance of New Jersey told Reuters he was not interested in a compromise at this time, and instead wanted the repeal provision taken off the table.

&quot;I will be voting no on the budget tomorrow,&quot; he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also travel to London to mark the anniversary.

A budget plan crucial to President Donald Trump's hopes for large-scale tax cuts looked set for a close vote in the US House of Representatives on Thursday after some Republicans vowed opposition in an effort to protect a popular tax break. The rebellious faction is resisting a proposal to eliminate a federal deduction for state and local income taxes, which would hit middle-class voters in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California. The idea is one of several that have been floated as Republicans craft a tax-cut plan. The budget blueprint, which has already been approved by the Senate, is central to their efforts to push tax legislation through Congress in the face of staunch opposition from Democrats. The proposal "is obviously an issue of concern to a group of members, and the shared goal is to work together to address the issue and move forward," an aide to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said on Wednesday. With the clock ticking toward a vote, the impasse had yet to be settled. Republican lawmakers had planned to meet in House Speaker Paul Ryan's office at 9 pm to try to hammer out a resolution, but the meeting was postponed until after the budget vote, which was set for 10:30 am. Republican Representative Tom MacArthur of New Jersey told reporters it was possible there were enough votes to block the budget plan. "It's got to be close," he said. Scalise predicted victory. "We're going to get it done," he told Fox News Channel. Republicans have sketched out a tax package that independent analysts say would cut taxes for businesses and individuals by up to $6 trillion over the next decade, but detailed legislation is not expected to be unveiled until next week. If Congress approves a tax-cut plan, it would hand Trump his first major legislative win since he took office in January. "I am urging Republicans who have questions about SALT (the state and local tax deduction) to vote no tomorrow, and keep voting no until we get some compromise we can live with," Republican Representative Peter King of New York told Reuters. An aide to Republican Representative Tom Reed of New York said there was discussion of a compromise that would call for a tax credit up to a certain income amount to replace the deduction, and that he would support it. Republican Representative Leonard Lance of New Jersey told Reuters he was not interested in a compromise at this time, and instead wanted the repeal provision taken off the table. "I will be voting no on the budget tomorrow," he said.

Britain defends Balfour Declaration, 100 years on

The&nbsp;Israeli air force on Monday attacked a&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;anti-aircraft battery that&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;said had&nbsp;fired&nbsp;a missile at&nbsp;its&nbsp;planes&nbsp;as they were on a reconnaissance mission&nbsp;over neighbouring&nbsp;Lebanon.

No&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;planes&nbsp;were hit in the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;launch,&nbsp;Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, adding that the counter-strike took place two hours later and &quot;incapacitated&quot; the anti-aircraft&nbsp;unit&nbsp;located 50 km (30 miles) east of Damascus.

&quot;We know according to our intelligence it was a battery controlled by the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;regime and we hold the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;regime responsible for the fire,&quot; Conricus said.

There was no immediate comment from Syria which, while an old enemy of&nbsp;Israel, has rarely traded blows with it directly since a 1974 ceasefire ended their last conventional war.

Monday&#39;s incident was additionally unusual given&nbsp;its&nbsp;publication by&nbsp;Israel, which rarely gives details on&nbsp;its&nbsp;air force activities&nbsp;over&nbsp;Lebanon&nbsp;and Syria to foil suspected arms transfers to Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas.

Such missions in Syria have increased dramatically during the country&#39;s civil war,&nbsp;Israeli official says, adding that all efforts are made to avoid accidental clashes with Russian forces helping Damascus beat back rebels.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was due to begin a visit to&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;later on Monday. Conricus said the&nbsp;Israeli military informed Russia of&nbsp;its&nbsp;Syria strike &quot;in real time or immediately before&quot; it took place and would brief Shoigu.

Conricus said a&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;attack on&nbsp;Israeli air force&nbsp;planes&nbsp;over&nbsp;Lebanon&nbsp;was unprecedented.&nbsp;Syrian anti-aircraft missiles were launched at&nbsp;Israeli warplanes&nbsp;over&nbsp;Syria in March. They were unscathed but one of the missiles, on&nbsp;its&nbsp;descent, was intercepted by&nbsp;Israel&#39;s Arrow air defence system.

According to Conricus, the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;battery struck on Monday had carried out the launch against the&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;planes&nbsp;in March.

No?Israeli?planes?were hit in the?Syrian?launch,?Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, adding that the counter-strike took place two hours later and "incapacitated" the anti-aircraft?unit?located 50 km (30 miles) east of Damascus

The Israeli air force on Monday attacked a Syrian anti-aircraft battery that Israel said had fired a missile at its planes as they were on a reconnaissance mission over neighbouring Lebanon. No Israeli planes were hit in the Syrian launch, Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, adding that the counter-strike took place two hours later and "incapacitated" the anti-aircraft unit located 50 km (30 miles) east of Damascus. "We know according to our intelligence it was a battery controlled by the Syrian regime and we hold the Syrian regime responsible for the fire," Conricus said. There was no immediate comment from Syria which, while an old enemy of Israel, has rarely traded blows with it directly since a 1974 ceasefire ended their last conventional war. Monday's incident was additionally unusual given its publication by Israel, which rarely gives details on its air force activities over Lebanon and Syria to foil suspected arms transfers to Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas. Such missions in Syria have increased dramatically during the country's civil war, Israeli official says, adding that all efforts are made to avoid accidental clashes with Russian forces helping Damascus beat back rebels. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was due to begin a visit to Israel later on Monday. Conricus said the Israeli military informed Russia of its Syria strike "in real time or immediately before" it took place and would brief Shoigu. Conricus said a Syrian attack on Israeli air force planes over Lebanon was unprecedented. Syrian anti-aircraft missiles were launched at Israeli warplanes over Syria in March. They were unscathed but one of the missiles, on its descent, was intercepted by Israel's Arrow air defence system. According to Conricus, the Syrian battery struck on Monday had carried out the launch against the Israeli planes in March.

Israel attacks Syrian?anti-aircraft unit

&nbsp;India&nbsp;on Tuesday (September 19) announced&nbsp;emergency&nbsp;fund&nbsp;of $200,000 for hurricane-battered&nbsp;Caribbean&nbsp;countries, wherein over 30 people have died amid widespread damage.

The relief aid was announced after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with&nbsp;Caribbean delegation in the third<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/external-affairs-minister-sushma-swaraj-arrives-in-new-york-for-7-day-visit-5119">&nbsp;India-Caribbean&nbsp;Community (CARICOM) meeting in New York</a>, on the sidelines of 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/hurricane-irma-lashes-florida-4829">&#39;Irma&#39;</a>, which ranked as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record before striking the U.S. mainland as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 10, killed at least 84 people. Several hard-hit Caribbean&nbsp;islands, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, suffered more than half the fatalities.

Now just <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-irma-hurricane-maria-follows-in-same-path-20331">days after Irma left a trail of destruction, &#39;Maria&#39;</a>, is churning right through the region and, reportedly has already claimed one life.

Swaraj also delivered her address at Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial meeting with Palestine and reassured the support of&nbsp;India&nbsp;towards Palestinian people.

The statement comes just months after Narendra Modi became the first prime minister of&nbsp;India&nbsp;to visit Israel.

The relief aid was announced after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with the Caribbean delegation in the third?India-Caribbean?Community (CARICOM) meeting in New York, on the sidelines of 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly.

India on Tuesday (September 19) announced emergency fund of $200,000 for hurricane-battered Caribbean countries, wherein over 30 people have died amid widespread damage. The relief aid was announced after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with Caribbean delegation in the third India-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meeting in New York, on the sidelines of 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly. 'Irma', which ranked as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record before striking the U.S. mainland as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 10, killed at least 84 people. Several hard-hit Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, suffered more than half the fatalities. Now just days after Irma left a trail of destruction, 'Maria', is churning right through the region and, reportedly has already claimed one life. Swaraj also delivered her address at Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial meeting with Palestine and reassured the support of India towards Palestinian people. The statement comes just months after Narendra Modi became the first prime minister of India to visit Israel.

India announces emergency fund for hurricane-battered Caribbean countries

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