Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a step back on Thursday from comments, challenged by U.S. President Donald Trump, that envisioned a one-year timeframe for the planned relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

An official in Netanyahu&#39;s office said the prime minister recognised that construction of a new embassy will take years but believes Washington is considering &quot;interim measures that could result in an embassy opening much faster&quot;.

The official, who declined to be named, did not define those steps or mention any dates for a Jerusalem embassy to begin operating. In the past, Israeli media have speculated that, before a building is ready, the U.S. ambassador would operate part of the time out of a temporary location in Jerusalem.

Reversing decades of U.S. policy, Trump in early December recognised Jerusalem as Israel&rsquo;s capital and set in motion the process of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies alike.

Netanyahu, according to Israeli reporters travelling with him on a trip to India, said on Wednesday: &quot;My solid assessment is that it will go much faster than you think - within a year from now.&quot;

Asked about Netanyahu&rsquo;s comment, Trump told Reuters in an interview that was not the case. &quot;By the end of the year? We&rsquo;re talking about different scenarios - I mean obviously that would be on a temporary basis. We&rsquo;re not really looking at that. That&#39;s no.&quot;

The Israeli official, responding to Trump&#39;s remarks, said: &quot;The president and the prime minister are not saying anything different&quot;.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month the embassy move was &quot;probably no earlier than three years out, and that&rsquo;s pretty ambitious&quot;, a timeframe that administration officials have attributed to the logistics of finding and securing a site as well as arranging housing for diplomats.

Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed in a move not recognised internationally, as the capital of their future state.

An official in Netanyahu's office said the prime minister recognised that construction of a new embassy will take years

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a step back on Thursday from comments, challenged by U.S. President Donald Trump, that envisioned a one-year timeframe for the planned relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. An official in Netanyahu's office said the prime minister recognised that construction of a new embassy will take years but believes Washington is considering "interim measures that could result in an embassy opening much faster". The official, who declined to be named, did not define those steps or mention any dates for a Jerusalem embassy to begin operating. In the past, Israeli media have speculated that, before a building is ready, the U.S. ambassador would operate part of the time out of a temporary location in Jerusalem. Reversing decades of U.S. policy, Trump in early December recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and set in motion the process of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies alike. Netanyahu, according to Israeli reporters travelling with him on a trip to India, said on Wednesday: "My solid assessment is that it will go much faster than you think - within a year from now." Asked about Netanyahu’s comment, Trump told Reuters in an interview that was not the case. "By the end of the year? We’re talking about different scenarios - I mean obviously that would be on a temporary basis. We’re not really looking at that. That's no." The Israeli official, responding to Trump's remarks, said: "The president and the prime minister are not saying anything different". U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month the embassy move was "probably no earlier than three years out, and that’s pretty ambitious", a timeframe that administration officials have attributed to the logistics of finding and securing a site as well as arranging housing for diplomats. Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed in a move not recognised internationally, as the capital of their future state.

After Trump denial, Netanyahu clarifies remarks on timeframe for US embassy in Jerusalem

The United States on Tuesday said it would withhold about half the initial aid it planned to give a UN agency that serves the Palestinians, two weeks after President Donald Trump questioned the value of such funding.

In announcing that it would provide $60 million to the UN Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA) while withholding a further $65 million, for now, the US State Department said the aid group needed to make unspecified reforms.

Palestine Liberation Organisation official Wasel Abu Youssef immediately criticised the move, casting it as the deliberate US&nbsp;effort to deny the Palestinians their rights and linking it to Trump&#39;s widely criticised December 6 decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was unaware of any cut in aid but he was &quot;very concerned&quot; about the possibility because it &quot;is an important factor of stability.&quot;

UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Kr&auml;henb&uuml;hl said in a statement that the reduced US contribution &quot;threatens one of the most successful and innovative human development endeavours in the Middle East.&quot;

The decision to keep back some money is likely to compound the difficulty of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and to further undermine Arabs&#39; faith that the United States can act as an impartial arbitrator.

The last talks collapsed in 2014, partly because of Israel&rsquo;s opposition to an attempted unity pact between the Fatah and Hamas Palestinian factions and to Israeli settlement building on occupied land that Palestinians seek for a state, among other factors.

&quot;UNRWA has proven time and again to be an agency that misuses the humanitarian aid of the international community and instead supports anti-Israel propaganda, perpetuates the plight of Palestinian refugees and encourages hate,&quot; said Danny Danon, Israel&#39;s ambassador to the United Nations.

Even if Washington provided the additional $65 million, the $125 million total would be well below the $355 million that a US official said it gave UNRWA in the 2017 fiscal year ended September 30.

While saying the decision would sustain schools and health services, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert echoed Trump in calling on other nations to provide more money because he believes the United States pays more than its share.

The State Department wrote a letter notifying UNRWA of the decision, spokeswoman Nauert said. She said that while UNRWA reforms were a condition of releasing more money, the aid decision was &quot;not aimed at punishing&quot; anyone.

In a Twitter post on January 2, Trump said that Washington gives the Palestinians &quot;HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect.&quot; Trump added that &quot;with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?&quot;

While US officials did not link the decision to Trump&#39;s tweet, they made a point often advanced by him, saying the United States had been UNRWA&rsquo;s single largest donor for decades.

Trump&#39;s aides initially debated whether to cut off all UNRWA aid, an unidentified US official said, but those opposed argued that could further destabilise the region.

In announcing that it would provide $60 million to the UN Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA) while withholding a further $65 million, for now, the US State Department said the aid group needed to make unspecified reforms.

The United States on Tuesday said it would withhold about half the initial aid it planned to give a UN agency that serves the Palestinians, two weeks after President Donald Trump questioned the value of such funding. In announcing that it would provide $60 million to the UN Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA) while withholding a further $65 million, for now, the US State Department said the aid group needed to make unspecified reforms. Palestine Liberation Organisation official Wasel Abu Youssef immediately criticised the move, casting it as the deliberate US effort to deny the Palestinians their rights and linking it to Trump's widely criticised December 6 decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was unaware of any cut in aid but he was "very concerned" about the possibility because it "is an important factor of stability." UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl said in a statement that the reduced US contribution "threatens one of the most successful and innovative human development endeavours in the Middle East." The decision to keep back some money is likely to compound the difficulty of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and to further undermine Arabs' faith that the United States can act as an impartial arbitrator. The last talks collapsed in 2014, partly because of Israel’s opposition to an attempted unity pact between the Fatah and Hamas Palestinian factions and to Israeli settlement building on occupied land that Palestinians seek for a state, among other factors. "UNRWA has proven time and again to be an agency that misuses the humanitarian aid of the international community and instead supports anti-Israel propaganda, perpetuates the plight of Palestinian refugees and encourages hate," said Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. Even if Washington provided the additional $65 million, the $125 million total would be well below the $355 million that a US official said it gave UNRWA in the 2017 fiscal year ended September 30. While saying the decision would sustain schools and health services, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert echoed Trump in calling on other nations to provide more money because he believes the United States pays more than its share. The State Department wrote a letter notifying UNRWA of the decision, spokeswoman Nauert said. She said that while UNRWA reforms were a condition of releasing more money, the aid decision was "not aimed at punishing" anyone. In a Twitter post on January 2, Trump said that Washington gives the Palestinians "HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect." Trump added that "with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?" While US officials did not link the decision to Trump's tweet, they made a point often advanced by him, saying the United States had been UNRWA’s single largest donor for decades. Trump's aides initially debated whether to cut off all UNRWA aid, an unidentified US official said, but those opposed argued that could further destabilise the region.

US withholds $65 million in Palestinian aid after Trump threat

A cut in US&nbsp;funding for a UN&nbsp;agency that helps Palestinian refugees will affect regional security and could put vital health, educational and food services at risk, its chief said on Wednesday, adding he would appeal for world donations.

Washington said on Tuesday it would provide $60 million to the UN&nbsp;Relief and Welfare Agency while keeping back a further $65 million for now. The US&nbsp;State Department said UNRWA needed to make unspecified reforms.

Palestinians, already angered by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, denounced the decision, which could deepen hardship in the Gaza Strip.

At one of UNRWA&#39;s food distribution centres in Gaza, Palestinians loaded sacks of flour, sugar and rice, canned food and oil into cars and onto donkey carts and spoke of harder times ahead.

&quot;I live on food aid,&quot; said Bassam Inshasi, a father of seven. &quot;The situation is already difficult and it will become more difficult.&quot;

More than half of the two million people in the Gaza Strip, where the unemployment rate is 46 percent, are dependent on support from UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Kr&auml;henb&uuml;hl said he would appeal to other donor nations for money and launch &quot;a global fundraising campaign&quot; aimed at keeping the agency&#39;s schools and clinics for refugees open through 2018 and beyond.

&quot;At stake is the dignity and human security of millions of Palestine refugees, in need of emergency food assistance and other support in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip,&quot; he said in a statement.&nbsp;

Kr&auml;henb&uuml;hl said 525,000 boys and girls in 700 UNRWA schools could be affected by the fund cut, as well as Palestinian access to primary health care, but he pledged to keep facilities open through 2018 and beyond.

&quot;The reduced contribution also impacts regional security at a time when the Middle East faces multiple risks and threats, notably that of further radicalisation,&quot; he said.

UNRWA was established by the UN&nbsp;General Assembly in 1949 after hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in the 1948 war that followed Israel&rsquo;s creation. It says it currently aids five million registered Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.

Trump threat&nbsp;

In a Twitter post on Jan. 2, Trump said that Washington gives the Palestinians &quot;HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect.&quot;

Trump added that &quot;with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?&quot;

While US&nbsp;officials did not link the decision to Trump&#39;s tweet, they made a point often advanced by him, saying the United States had been UNRWA&rsquo;s single largest donor for decades.

Trump&#39;s aides initially debated whether to cut off all UNRWA aid, an unidentified US&nbsp;official said, but those opposed argued that could further destabilise the region.

&quot;Any reduction of US&nbsp;aid to UNRWA will not succeed in imposing the American positions, which are biased in favour of the occupation,&quot; the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, referring to Israel, said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has called for a gradual cut in UNRWA funding and transferring its responsibilities to the UN&nbsp;global refugee agency, voiced measured support for the US&nbsp;step.

But he appeared to acknowledge it could leave Israel - which maintains tight restrictions on the movement of people and goods across its border with Hamas Islamist-controlled Gaza - with a potential humanitarian crisis on its doorstep.

Netanyahu this month proposed gradually dismantling UNRWA, arguing it &quot;perpetuates the Palestinian problem&quot;, and moving funds to the UNHCR agency. UNRWA said the Palestinian refugee crisis stems from the failure of Israel and the Palestinians to agree a solution for Palestinian refugees.

Asked on Wednesday by Israeli reporters accompanying him on a diplomatic trip to India whether he supports the US&nbsp;funding cut, Netanyahu said: &quot;Of course, but I still suggest, because I think there are certain needs, to do what I have said ... every step taken also contains some risk.&quot;

Washington said on Tuesday it would provide $60 million to the UN Relief and Welfare Agency while keeping back a further $65 million for now

A cut in US funding for a UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees will affect regional security and could put vital health, educational and food services at risk, its chief said on Wednesday, adding he would appeal for world donations. Washington said on Tuesday it would provide $60 million to the UN Relief and Welfare Agency while keeping back a further $65 million for now. The US State Department said UNRWA needed to make unspecified reforms. Palestinians, already angered by US President Donald Trump's December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, denounced the decision, which could deepen hardship in the Gaza Strip. At one of UNRWA's food distribution centres in Gaza, Palestinians loaded sacks of flour, sugar and rice, canned food and oil into cars and onto donkey carts and spoke of harder times ahead. "I live on food aid," said Bassam Inshasi, a father of seven. "The situation is already difficult and it will become more difficult." More than half of the two million people in the Gaza Strip, where the unemployment rate is 46 percent, are dependent on support from UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies. UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl said he would appeal to other donor nations for money and launch "a global fundraising campaign" aimed at keeping the agency's schools and clinics for refugees open through 2018 and beyond. "At stake is the dignity and human security of millions of Palestine refugees, in need of emergency food assistance and other support in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip," he said in a statement. Krähenbühl said 525,000 boys and girls in 700 UNRWA schools could be affected by the fund cut, as well as Palestinian access to primary health care, but he pledged to keep facilities open through 2018 and beyond. "The reduced contribution also impacts regional security at a time when the Middle East faces multiple risks and threats, notably that of further radicalisation," he said. UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly in 1949 after hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in the 1948 war that followed Israel’s creation. It says it currently aids five million registered Palestinian refugees in the Middle East. Trump threat In a Twitter post on Jan. 2, Trump said that Washington gives the Palestinians "HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect." Trump added that "with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?" While US officials did not link the decision to Trump's tweet, they made a point often advanced by him, saying the United States had been UNRWA’s single largest donor for decades. Trump's aides initially debated whether to cut off all UNRWA aid, an unidentified US official said, but those opposed argued that could further destabilise the region. "Any reduction of US aid to UNRWA will not succeed in imposing the American positions, which are biased in favour of the occupation," the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, referring to Israel, said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has called for a gradual cut in UNRWA funding and transferring its responsibilities to the UN global refugee agency, voiced measured support for the US step. But he appeared to acknowledge it could leave Israel - which maintains tight restrictions on the movement of people and goods across its border with Hamas Islamist-controlled Gaza - with a potential humanitarian crisis on its doorstep. Netanyahu this month proposed gradually dismantling UNRWA, arguing it "perpetuates the Palestinian problem", and moving funds to the UNHCR agency. UNRWA said the Palestinian refugee crisis stems from the failure of Israel and the Palestinians to agree a solution for Palestinian refugees. Asked on Wednesday by Israeli reporters accompanying him on a diplomatic trip to India whether he supports the US funding cut, Netanyahu said: "Of course, but I still suggest, because I think there are certain needs, to do what I have said ... every step taken also contains some risk."

Schools, health could be hit by US cut for Palestinian refugee funds

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-fog-flights-trains-delayed-28207" target="_blank">Operations at Delhi airport suspended because of heavy fog</a>

Operations at Delhi airport were suspended on Sunday morning as visibility dropped below 50 metres because of heavy fog. The blanket of fog earlier lead to the cancellation of one flight and the delay and rescheduling of trains.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nuclear-button-is-always-on-my-table-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-28204" target="_blank">&#39;Nuclear button is always on my table&#39;: North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong-Un</a>

In a defiant New Year message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said today that he was always within the reach of the nuclear button. He also said that North Korea must mass-produce nuclear weapons and missiles. &quot;The nuclear button is always on my table. This is not blackmail but reality,&quot; said Kim, reiterating his claims that North Korea was a nuclear state.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/palestine-recalls-its-ambassador-to-us-over-jerusalem-crisis-28202">Palestine recalls its ambassador to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/palestine-recalls-its-ambassador-to-us-over-jerusalem-crisis-28202">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/palestine-recalls-its-ambassador-to-us-over-jerusalem-crisis-28202"> over Jerusalem crisis</a>

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) recalled its ambassador to the US on Sunday in Washington following US President Donald Trump&#39;s controversial decision of recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel a few weeks ago. The PNA&#39;s move was done in order to have &quot;consultations&quot; over the crisis with Washington after its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nrc-releases-first-draft-with-19-crore-names-as-legal-in-assam-28208">Assam releases </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nrc-releases-first-draft-with-19-crore-names-as-legal-in-assam-28208">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nrc-releases-first-draft-with-19-crore-names-as-legal-in-assam-28208"> draft with 1.9 crore names as &#39;legal&#39; residents</a>

The much-anticipated first draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on Sunday where almost 1.9 crore Assam residents have been tagged as &quot;legal&quot;.&nbsp;Out of the total population of around 3.29 crore in Assam, 1.9 crore have been declared legal while the rest await further stages of verification.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/4-jawans-3-terrorists-killed-in-pre-dawn-attack-in-pulwama-crpf-28180" target="_blank">5 jawans, 3 terrorists killed in Pulwama attack: CRPF</a>

Heavily armed terrorists on Sunday launched a pre-dawn attack on a CRPF camp in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, killing five personnel of the force and injuring three others, a security forces spokesperson said. CRPF spokesperson Rajesh Yadav said the bodies of two terrorists have also been recovered while one more is believed to have been killed.

Operations at Delhi airport suspended because of heavy fog Operations at Delhi airport were suspended on Sunday morning as visibility dropped below 50 metres because of heavy fog. The blanket of fog earlier lead to the cancellation of one flight and the delay and rescheduling of trains. 'Nuclear button is always on my table': North Korea's Kim Jong-Un In a defiant New Year message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said today that he was always within the reach of the nuclear button. He also said that North Korea must mass-produce nuclear weapons and missiles. "The nuclear button is always on my table. This is not blackmail but reality," said Kim, reiterating his claims that North Korea was a nuclear state. Palestine recalls its ambassador to US over Jerusalem crisis The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) recalled its ambassador to the US on Sunday in Washington following US President Donald Trump's controversial decision of recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel a few weeks ago. The PNA's move was done in order to have "consultations" over the crisis with Washington after its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Assam releases first draft with 1.9 crore names as 'legal' residents The much-anticipated first draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on Sunday where almost 1.9 crore Assam residents have been tagged as "legal". Out of the total population of around 3.29 crore in Assam, 1.9 crore have been declared legal while the rest await further stages of verification. 5 jawans, 3 terrorists killed in Pulwama attack: CRPF Heavily armed terrorists on Sunday launched a pre-dawn attack on a CRPF camp in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, killing five personnel of the force and injuring three others, a security forces spokesperson said. CRPF spokesperson Rajesh Yadav said the bodies of two terrorists have also been recovered while one more is believed to have been killed.

WION morning news brief, January 1, 2018

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will meet in Paris on January 5.&nbsp;

The two leaders are expected to discuss the Syrian crisis along with the Palestinian situation.&nbsp;

The Elysee source said &quot;the question of human rights will also be raised&quot; during the&nbsp;meeting.

Both Erdogan and Macron had previously expressed strong concerns over the ongoing Syrian conflict.

The Turkish President was seen criticising the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, earlier this week, calling him a terrorist.

He also noted that peace is difficult to reach Syria under Assad&#39;s rule.

Emmanuel Macron stressed on France&#39;s commitment toward initiating peace talks involving all parties in the six-year-old Syrian conflict, including al-Assad.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Erdogan and Macron are expected to discuss the Syrian crisis along with the Palestinian situation

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will meet in Paris on January 5. The two leaders are expected to discuss the Syrian crisis along with the Palestinian situation. The Elysee source said "the question of human rights will also be raised" during the meeting. Both Erdogan and Macron had previously expressed strong concerns over the ongoing Syrian conflict. The Turkish President was seen criticising the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, earlier this week, calling him a terrorist. He also noted that peace is difficult to reach Syria under Assad's rule. Emmanuel Macron stressed on France's commitment toward initiating peace talks involving all parties in the six-year-old Syrian conflict, including al-Assad. (With inputs from Reuters)

Turkey and France to discuss Syrian crisis in Paris?

Shortly after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/palestine-expressed-deep-regrets-over-envoy-sharing-stage-with-hafiz-saeed-mea-28121">Palestine recalled its Ambassador to Pakistan</a>&nbsp;for sharing the stage with Hafiz Saeed, Palestine issued an official statement reasserting its &quot;commitment and keenness to maintain strong and friendly relations with the Republic of India.&quot;

The official statement was tweeted by Union External Affairs Minister&nbsp;Sushma Swaraj&nbsp;a short while ago.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://t.co/VB2E8HqmS0">pic.twitter.com/VB2E8HqmS0</a>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/947135866589274112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The statement further outlined Palestine&#39;s support to India in &quot;its war against terrorism&quot; and &#39;&#39;terrorist threats&#39;&#39; and called the two nations as &quot;real partners in the war against terrorism.&quot;

India had strongly condemned Palestinian Ambassador to&nbsp;Pakistan for sharing the stage with terrorist Hafiz Saeed.

&quot;Government of India has strongly conveyed to the Palestinian side that the Palestinian Ambassador in Pakistan&#39;s association with terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who is prescribed by the United Nations, at an event in Rawalpindi on December 29 is unacceptable,&quot; the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;The Palestinian side has conveyed deep regrets over the incident and assured the Government of India that they are taking serious cognizance of their Ambassador&#39;s presence at this event. They have said they will deal with this matter appropriately,&quot; read MEA&#39;s official press release.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India strongly condemned Palestinian Ambassador in Pakistan's association with terrorist Hafiz Saeed

Shortly after Palestine recalled its Ambassador to Pakistan for sharing the stage with Hafiz Saeed, Palestine issued an official statement reasserting its "commitment and keenness to maintain strong and friendly relations with the Republic of India." The official statement was tweeted by Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj a short while ago. pic.twitter.com/VB2E8HqmS0 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 30, 2017 × The statement further outlined Palestine's support to India in "its war against terrorism" and ''terrorist threats'' and called the two nations as "real partners in the war against terrorism." India had strongly condemned Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan for sharing the stage with terrorist Hafiz Saeed. "Government of India has strongly conveyed to the Palestinian side that the Palestinian Ambassador in Pakistan's association with terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who is prescribed by the United Nations, at an event in Rawalpindi on December 29 is unacceptable," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. "The Palestinian side has conveyed deep regrets over the incident and assured the Government of India that they are taking serious cognizance of their Ambassador's presence at this event. They have said they will deal with this matter appropriately," read MEA's official press release.

'Our nations are partners in war against terrorism,' Palestine to India

After the Indian cricketer took to Twitter, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/shikhar-dhawan-slams-airline-for-not-allowing-his-family-onboard-28076">slamming Emirates airline&nbsp;for causing inconvenience to his family</a>, the airlines issued an official statement.

Emirates stated that all passengers must adhere to the travelling regulations of the countries in which the airline operates.

The statement noted that passengers must carry relevant documents while travelling abroad.&nbsp;

&quot;Since 1 June 2015, according to South African regulations, anyone travelling to the country with a minor under 18 needs to prove parenthood or guardianship - while adults travelling alone with their children need to show that they have the consent of their non-travelling partner,&quot; Emirates noted in an official response.

&quot;Like all airlines, we must comply with the laws of every country in which we operate and this is a shared responsibility with passengers, who are required to hold valid travel documents for all countries on their itinerary,&quot; the statement further read.

The 32-year-old opening batsman tweeted and complained that his wife and child were not allowed aboard at the Dubai airport.&nbsp;

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We&#39;re sorry to hear this, Shikhar. We&#39;d like to find out more on a private message. Please include your booking reference or e-ticket numbers starting in 176. <a href="https://t.co/67ooSY3Pnf">https://t.co/67ooSY3Pnf</a>
&mdash; Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmiratesSupport/status/946665505276026880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Absolutely unprofessional from @emirates. Was on my way 2 SA with my fam &amp; was told that my wife and kids can&#39;t board the flight from Dubai to SA. Was asked to produce birth certificates &amp; other documents for my kids at the airport which we obviously didn&#39;t have at that moment,&quot; he tweeted.&nbsp;

Dhawan was travelling to South Africa along with his family for Team India&#39;s 56-day tour of South Africa.

India will play a series of three Tests, six ODIs and three T20s against South Africa.&nbsp;

The first Test match will be played on January 5 in Cape Town.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

After the Indian cricketer took to Twitter, slamming Emirates airline for causing inconvenience to his family, the airlines issued an official statement. Emirates stated that all passengers must adhere to the travelling regulations of the countries in which the airline operates. The statement noted that passengers must carry relevant documents while travelling abroad. "Since 1 June 2015, according to South African regulations, anyone travelling to the country with a minor under 18 needs to prove parenthood or guardianship - while adults travelling alone with their children need to show that they have the consent of their non-travelling partner," Emirates noted in an official response. "Like all airlines, we must comply with the laws of every country in which we operate and this is a shared responsibility with passengers, who are required to hold valid travel documents for all countries on their itinerary," the statement further read. The 32-year-old opening batsman tweeted and complained that his wife and child were not allowed aboard at the Dubai airport. We're sorry to hear this, Shikhar. We'd like to find out more on a private message. Please include your booking reference or e-ticket numbers starting in 176. https://t.co/67ooSY3Pnf — Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) December 29, 2017 × "Absolutely unprofessional from @emirates. Was on my way 2 SA with my fam & was told that my wife and kids can't board the flight from Dubai to SA. Was asked to produce birth certificates & other documents for my kids at the airport which we obviously didn't have at that moment," he tweeted. Dhawan was travelling to South Africa along with his family for Team India's 56-day tour of South Africa. India will play a series of three Tests, six ODIs and three T20s against South Africa. The first Test match will be played on January 5 in Cape Town. (With inputs from ANI)

WION Morning News brief, 30 December 2017

Palestine on Saturday decided to recall its Ambassador to Pakistan, Walid Abu Ali, for sharing the stage with Hafiz Saeed.

The news was confirmed by Palestinian Ambassador to India Adnan Abu Al Haija.&nbsp;

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Palestine has decided to recall its Ambassador to Pakistan, Walid Abu Ali, for sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed, confirms Palestinian Ambassador to India Adnan Abu Al Haija
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/947076006786904064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Earlier Government of India had strongly conveyed to the Palestinian side that the Palestinian Ambassador in Pakistan&#39;s association with terrorist Hafiz Saeed.

&quot;Government of India has strongly conveyed to the Palestinian side that the Palestinian Ambassador in Pakistan&#39;s association with terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who is prescribed by the United Nations, at an event in Rawalpindi on December 29&nbsp;is unacceptable,&quot; the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;The concerns were conveyed both in New Delhi to the Palestinian Ambassador and in Ramallah to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, State of Palestine,&#39;&#39; the release added.

&quot;The Palestinian side has conveyed deep regrets over the incident and assured the Government of India that they are taking serious cognizance of their Ambassador`s presence at this event. They have said they will deal with this matter appropriately.&quot;&nbsp;

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Press release on India&rsquo;s reaction over the Palestinian Ambassador in Pakistan&rsquo;s association with terrorist Hafiz Saeed. <a href="https://t.co/tkrMPmcpNm">https://t.co/tkrMPmcpNm</a>
&mdash; Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/947071588033355776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&#39;&#39;It was also conveyed that Palestine highly values its relationship with India and stands with us in the war against terrorism, and will not engage with those who commit acts of terror against India.&#39;&#39;

&quot;We take note of the assurances given by the Palestine side,&quot; the statement added.

Palestine Ambassador to Pakistan Waleed Abu Ali on Friday shared the stage with Jamaat-ud-Dawa terror outfit chief Saeed at a rally organised by Difa-e-Pakistan Council, an umbrella organisation of hardline right-wing groups.

This comes after India joined 127 other countries to vote in the United Nations General Assembly in favour of a resolution opposing the recent decision of US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.&nbsp;

According to the External Affairs Ministry statement, Palestine has also conveyed that it &quot;highly values its relationship with India and stands with us in the war against terrorism, and will not engage with those who commit acts of terror against India&quot;.

&nbsp;

"The concerns were conveyed both in New Delhi to the Palestinian Ambassador and in Ramallah to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, State of Palestine," the statement added.

Palestine on Saturday decided to recall its Ambassador to Pakistan, Walid Abu Ali, for sharing the stage with Hafiz Saeed. The news was confirmed by Palestinian Ambassador to India Adnan Abu Al Haija. Palestine has decided to recall its Ambassador to Pakistan, Walid Abu Ali, for sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed, confirms Palestinian Ambassador to India Adnan Abu Al Haija — ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2017 × Earlier Government of India had strongly conveyed to the Palestinian side that the Palestinian Ambassador in Pakistan's association with terrorist Hafiz Saeed. "Government of India has strongly conveyed to the Palestinian side that the Palestinian Ambassador in Pakistan's association with terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who is prescribed by the United Nations, at an event in Rawalpindi on December 29 is unacceptable," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. ''The concerns were conveyed both in New Delhi to the Palestinian Ambassador and in Ramallah to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, State of Palestine,'' the release added. "The Palestinian side has conveyed deep regrets over the incident and assured the Government of India that they are taking serious cognizance of their Ambassador`s presence at this event. They have said they will deal with this matter appropriately." Press release on India’s reaction over the Palestinian Ambassador in Pakistan’s association with terrorist Hafiz Saeed. https://t.co/tkrMPmcpNm — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) December 30, 2017 × ''It was also conveyed that Palestine highly values its relationship with India and stands with us in the war against terrorism, and will not engage with those who commit acts of terror against India.'' "We take note of the assurances given by the Palestine side," the statement added. Palestine Ambassador to Pakistan Waleed Abu Ali on Friday shared the stage with Jamaat-ud-Dawa terror outfit chief Saeed at a rally organised by Difa-e-Pakistan Council, an umbrella organisation of hardline right-wing groups. This comes after India joined 127 other countries to vote in the United Nations General Assembly in favour of a resolution opposing the recent decision of US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. According to the External Affairs Ministry statement, Palestine has also conveyed that it "highly values its relationship with India and stands with us in the war against terrorism, and will not engage with those who commit acts of terror against India".

Palestine recalls its Ambassador to Pakistan for sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed

According to Nadav Argaman, head of Shin Bet, Israel&#39;s security agency, while the number of anti-Israeli attacks in 2017 (54) fell by nearly 50 per cent -- as compared to the year 2016 (108) -- greater instability and distress now strikes Israel.&nbsp;

Argaman stated that US President&#39;s decision, to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, has provoked instability in the region.

So far, nearly 12 Palestinians have been killed.

Palestinian territories are thwarted by protests and clashes with Israeli forces.&nbsp;

He pointed at Gaza and West Bank, areas that witnessed &quot;greater instability&quot; after Trump&#39;s declaration.

Islamist movement Hamas, which rules Gaza, &quot;is trying with all its might to organise attacks in the West Bank to destabilise the Palestinian Authority,&quot; Argaman noted.

The security official also expressed his concern over the imminent Palestinian &quot;protests and demonstrations&quot; against the US declaration.

The Shin Bet chief said 400 bomb attacks were foiled in 2017, including 13 suicide bombings and nine kidnapping attempts, while 148 Hamas cells were dismantled in the West Bank.

(With inputs from AFP)

So far, nearly 12 Palestinians have been killed. Palestinian territories are thwarted by protests and clashes with Israeli forces

According to Nadav Argaman, head of Shin Bet, Israel's security agency, while the number of anti-Israeli attacks in 2017 (54) fell by nearly 50 per cent -- as compared to the year 2016 (108) -- greater instability and distress now strikes Israel. Argaman stated that US President's decision, to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, has provoked instability in the region. So far, nearly 12 Palestinians have been killed. Palestinian territories are thwarted by protests and clashes with Israeli forces. He pointed at Gaza and West Bank, areas that witnessed "greater instability" after Trump's declaration. Islamist movement Hamas, which rules Gaza, "is trying with all its might to organise attacks in the West Bank to destabilise the Palestinian Authority," Argaman noted. The security official also expressed his concern over the imminent Palestinian "protests and demonstrations" against the US declaration. The Shin Bet chief said 400 bomb attacks were foiled in 2017, including 13 suicide bombings and nine kidnapping attempts, while 148 Hamas cells were dismantled in the West Bank. (With inputs from AFP)

Fewer attacks but 'greater instability' post Trump's Jerusalem move, says Israel security chief?

Mahmud Abbas, the president of Palestine has said that his country will not accept any peace proposal by the United States.&nbsp;

He said, &quot;&nbsp;The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States.&quot;

Abbas also hit out at US efforts to intimidate countries ahead of a vote at the United Nations.

&quot;I hope that the others will learn the lesson and understand that you cannot impose solutions by using money and trying to buy off countries,&quot; he said.

President Abbas&#39;s&nbsp;remarks came in a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.&nbsp;

The French President had said in the meeting that the United States had &quot;marginalised itself&quot; in the Israel-Palestine conflict. 
 
Macron&#39;s claims came in response to US&nbsp;recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.&nbsp;

He said, &quot;The Americans have marginalised themselves and I am trying to not do the same thing.&quot;

Macron and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas&#39;s conducted&nbsp;a joint press conference after their meeting.

French President Macron had also ruled out recognising a Palestinian state in the short term.

Earlier this month Donald Trump had recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital. Following which, the United Nations had condemned President Donald Trump&#39;s move.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Abbas said 'The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States.'

Mahmud Abbas, the president of Palestine has said that his country will not accept any peace proposal by the United States. He said, " The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States." Abbas also hit out at US efforts to intimidate countries ahead of a vote at the United Nations. "I hope that the others will learn the lesson and understand that you cannot impose solutions by using money and trying to buy off countries," he said. President Abbas's remarks came in a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. The French President had said in the meeting that the United States had "marginalised itself" in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Macron's claims came in response to US recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He said, "The Americans have marginalised themselves and I am trying to not do the same thing." Macron and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's conducted a joint press conference after their meeting. French President Macron had also ruled out recognising a Palestinian state in the short term. Earlier this month Donald Trump had recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Following which, the United Nations had condemned President Donald Trump's move.

Palestinian President calls US dishonest mediator, says will not accept US peace plan

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vijay-rupani-to-continue-as-gujarat-chief-minister-nitin-bhai-patel-his-deputy-bjp-27467" target="_blank">Vijay Rupani to continue as Gujarat chief minister, Nitin Bhai Patel his deputy: BJP</a>

Vijay Rupani will continue as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Nitin Patel his deputy, the BJP announced on Friday. The announcement was made at a meeting conducted by elected BJP candidates under the steer of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who made the announcement.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sachin-tendulkar-releases-video-takes-his-disrupted-rajya-sabha-speech-online-27462" target="_blank">Sachin Tendulkar releases video; takes his disrupted Rajya Sabha speech online</a>

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was supposed to initiate a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sachin-tendulkars-unable-to-lead-debate-as-rajya-sabha-gets-adjourned-27360">debate&nbsp;</a>in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sachin-tendulkars-unable-to-lead-debate-as-rajya-sabha-gets-adjourned-27360">Rajya Sabha yesterday</a>. His speech was disrupted as the Upper House of Parliament was adjourned due to Congress leaders&#39; sloganeering over PM Modi&#39;s remark on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/adarsh-scam-bombay-high-court-rejects-governors-sanction-to-prosecute-ashok-chavan-27435" target="_blank">Adarsh scam: Bombay High Court rejects Governor&#39;s sanction to prosecute Ashok Chavan</a>

The Bombay High Court on Friday set aside Governor&#39;s sanction to prosecute senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh scam.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lashkar-e-taiba-creates-special-security-team-to-protect-hafiz-saeed-27474" target="_blank">Lashkar-e-Taiba forms &#39;special security team&#39; to protect Hafiz Saeed</a>

Lashkar-e-Taiba is reported to have created a &quot;special security team&quot;&nbsp;to provide security cover to global terrorist and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Chief Hafiz Saeed. Saeed&#39;s LeT&nbsp;security agents would also be armed with&nbsp;ammunition.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/palestinian-president-calls-us-dishonest-mediator-says-will-not-accept-us-peace-plan-27464" target="_blank">Palestinian President calls US dishonest mediator, says will not accept US peace plan</a>

Mahmud Abbas, the president of Palestine has said that his country will not accept any peace proposal by the United States.&nbsp; He said, &quot;&nbsp;The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States.&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Here are the top developments this evening

Vijay Rupani to continue as Gujarat chief minister, Nitin Bhai Patel his deputy: BJP Vijay Rupani will continue as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Nitin Patel his deputy, the BJP announced on Friday. The announcement was made at a meeting conducted by elected BJP candidates under the steer of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who made the announcement. Sachin Tendulkar releases video; takes his disrupted Rajya Sabha speech online Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was supposed to initiate a debate in Rajya Sabha yesterday. His speech was disrupted as the Upper House of Parliament was adjourned due to Congress leaders' sloganeering over PM Modi's remark on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Adarsh scam: Bombay High Court rejects Governor's sanction to prosecute Ashok Chavan The Bombay High Court on Friday set aside Governor's sanction to prosecute senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh scam. Lashkar-e-Taiba forms 'special security team' to protect Hafiz Saeed Lashkar-e-Taiba is reported to have created a "special security team" to provide security cover to global terrorist and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Chief Hafiz Saeed. Saeed's LeT security agents would also be armed with ammunition. Palestinian President calls US dishonest mediator, says will not accept US peace plan Mahmud Abbas, the president of Palestine has said that his country will not accept any peace proposal by the United States. He said, " The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States."

WION evening news brief, December 22, 2017

Defying President Donald Trump&#39;s threat to cut off funding, the United Nations overwhelmingly approved on Thursday a motion rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

The 193-member General Assembly adopted the motion by 128 to nine with 35 abstentions, in what Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour called a &quot;massive setback&quot; for the United States.

Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo joined the United States in opposing the measure.

India was among the 128 countries which voted for the motion.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-on-jerusalem-after-trump-warns-were-watching-27403" target="_blank">UN votes on Jerusalem after Trump warns &#39;we&#39;re watching&#39;</a>

Also read:&nbsp;<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>

Among the countries that abstained were Argentina, Australia, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Romania and Rwanda.

Speaking ahead of the emergency session, US Ambassador Nikki Haley warned the General Assembly that the United States &quot;will remember this day.&quot;

&quot;America will put our embassy in Jerusalem,&quot; Haley said in defense of the US move, which broke with international consensus and unleashed protests across the Muslim world.

&quot;No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that,&quot; Haley said. &quot;But this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN.&quot;

&quot;When we make generous contributions to the UN we also have a legitimate expectation that our goodwill is recognized and respected,&quot; she said.

The resolution reaffirms that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations, and that any decision reached outside of that framework must be rescinded.

Without explicitly referencing the US move, it &quot;affirms that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council.&quot;

&#39;Unprecedented test&#39; 
The motion was sent to the General Assembly after it was vetoed by the United States at the Security Council on Monday, although all other 14 council members voted in favor.

While resolutions by the General Assembly are non-binding, a strong vote in support carries political weight.

Ahead of the vote, Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the UN as a &quot;house of lies,&quot; saying Israel &quot;rejects outright this vote, even before it passes.&quot;

&quot;No General Assembly resolution will ever drive us from Jerusalem,&quot; vowed Danny Danon, Israel&#39;s envoy to the United Nations.

Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki called the vote an &quot;unprecedented test&quot; for the UN, and referenced the US warning that it was &quot;taking names.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;History records names, it remembers names -- the names of those who stand by what is right and the names of those who speak falsehood,&quot; al-Malki said. &quot;Today we are seekers of rights and peace.&quot;

Trump&#39;s decision on December 6 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital prompted a flurry of appeals to the United Nations.&nbsp;

The status of the Holy City is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming it as their capital.

Trump warned that Washington would closely watch how nations voted, suggesting, like Haley, there could be financial reprisals for those that back the motion put forward by Yemen and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries.

&quot;They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us,&quot; Trump said at the White House.

&quot;Well, we&#39;re watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We&#39;ll save a lot. We don&#39;t care.&quot;

&#39;House of lies&#39; 
The resolution mirrored the text that was vetoed at the Security Council on Monday, and although it does not mention Trump&#39;s decision, it expresses &quot;deep regret at recent decisions&quot; concerning the city&#39;s status.&nbsp;

No country has veto powers in the General Assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council where the United States, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution.

Among the 14 countries voting in favor on Monday were Britain, France, Italy and Japan and they did so again on Thursday.

Ukraine, which supported the draft resolution in the Security Council, was among 21 countries that did not turn up for Thursday&#39;s vote.

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.

Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized in 1967 and the draft resolution contains the same language as past motions adopted by the assembly.

Trump had recently decided to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel

Defying President Donald Trump's threat to cut off funding, the United Nations overwhelmingly approved on Thursday a motion rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The 193-member General Assembly adopted the motion by 128 to nine with 35 abstentions, in what Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour called a "massive setback" for the United States. Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo joined the United States in opposing the measure. India was among the 128 countries which voted for the motion. Also read: UN votes on Jerusalem after Trump warns 'we're watching' Also read: Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital Among the countries that abstained were Argentina, Australia, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Romania and Rwanda. Speaking ahead of the emergency session, US Ambassador Nikki Haley warned the General Assembly that the United States "will remember this day." "America will put our embassy in Jerusalem," Haley said in defense of the US move, which broke with international consensus and unleashed protests across the Muslim world. "No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that," Haley said. "But this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN." "When we make generous contributions to the UN we also have a legitimate expectation that our goodwill is recognized and respected," she said. The resolution reaffirms that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations, and that any decision reached outside of that framework must be rescinded. Without explicitly referencing the US move, it "affirms that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council." 'Unprecedented test' The motion was sent to the General Assembly after it was vetoed by the United States at the Security Council on Monday, although all other 14 council members voted in favor. While resolutions by the General Assembly are non-binding, a strong vote in support carries political weight. Ahead of the vote, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the UN as a "house of lies," saying Israel "rejects outright this vote, even before it passes." "No General Assembly resolution will ever drive us from Jerusalem," vowed Danny Danon, Israel's envoy to the United Nations. Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki called the vote an "unprecedented test" for the UN, and referenced the US warning that it was "taking names." "History records names, it remembers names -- the names of those who stand by what is right and the names of those who speak falsehood," al-Malki said. "Today we are seekers of rights and peace." Trump's decision on December 6 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital prompted a flurry of appeals to the United Nations. The status of the Holy City is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming it as their capital. Trump warned that Washington would closely watch how nations voted, suggesting, like Haley, there could be financial reprisals for those that back the motion put forward by Yemen and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries. "They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us," Trump said at the White House. "Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care." 'House of lies' The resolution mirrored the text that was vetoed at the Security Council on Monday, and although it does not mention Trump's decision, it expresses "deep regret at recent decisions" concerning the city's status. No country has veto powers in the General Assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council where the United States, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution. Among the 14 countries voting in favor on Monday were Britain, France, Italy and Japan and they did so again on Thursday. Ukraine, which supported the draft resolution in the Security Council, was among 21 countries that did not turn up for Thursday's vote. 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. Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized in 1967 and the draft resolution contains the same language as past motions adopted by the assembly.

India, over 100 countries vote at UN against Trump decision on Jerusalem

Popular celebrity <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/check-out-these-top-10-models-on-instagram-283" target="_blank">model </a>and Victoria&#39;s Secret angel Bella Hadid was spotted in London participating in a pro-Palestine march Sunday.

After US President Donald Trump made a controversial <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-recognises-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-sparks-firestorm-26072" target="_blank">statement</a> pledging to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a protest was organised at the US embassy in London as part of an international &#39;Day of Rage&#39; against the decision. It is being seen worldwide as a highly<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/germany-doesnt-support-donald-trump-on-jerusalem-says-angela-merkel-26162" target="_blank"> irresponsible</a> statement by a person in power.&nbsp;

On the evening of protests, model Hadid was attending to a party in the nearby high fashion street, Oxford.&nbsp;

This is what she looked like at the party:

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcfVf8GnNIG/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Last night at the beautiful new TAG Heuer Boutique Opening on Oxford street, Launching my new &quot;Bella Hadid&quot; limited edition link watch!#DontCrackUnderPressure @TagHeuer</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by ?? (@bellahadid) on <time datetime="2017-12-09T17:19:36+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Dec 9, 2017 at 9:19am PST</time>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcfjSQxnAiD/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">??</a>

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While on her way back to the hotel, her car got stuck&nbsp;behind protestors who had gathered around Hyde Park.&nbsp;

The Palestinian-descent model then leaned out of her car to take photographs and eventually came out to march with the protestors.

In pictures clicked by protestors, Hadid can be seen raising her hands for sloganeering while wearing her party dress -- deep red gown and a fur white coat. She walked with them for a few minutes before she returned to her car.

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Bella Hadid putting words into action, marching with protestors in London in solidarity with Palestine, earlier this evening. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HandsOffJerusalem?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HandsOffJerusalem</a> <a href="https://t.co/gBFMINaKkT">pic.twitter.com/gBFMINaKkT</a>
&mdash; Lina - ????? (@Lina_Serene) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lina_Serene/status/939268893452984320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Catching my breath <a href="https://twitter.com/bellahadid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bellahadid</a> at a Palestine protest ???? <a href="https://t.co/7NqbuPn26O">pic.twitter.com/7NqbuPn26O</a>
&mdash; Nadia Aboulhosn (@nadiaaboulhosn) <a href="https://twitter.com/nadiaaboulhosn/status/939400852196020224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Bella Hadid at the Free Palestine protest outside the American Embassy in London today. <a href="https://t.co/lGZTjQF4Qs">pic.twitter.com/lGZTjQF4Qs</a>
&mdash; Bella Hadid Updates (@BellaHadidDaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/BellaHadidDaily/status/939249518796820481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Protestors marching on the street can be seen carrying placards which read&nbsp;&#39;Free Palestine&#39;,&nbsp;&lsquo;Dump Trump&rsquo; and &lsquo;End Israeli Occupation&rsquo;.

Hadid also wrote a lengthy post on Instagram, elaborating her support to pro-Palestine claims:&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;ve been waiting to put this into perfect words but I realised there is no perfect way to speak of something so unjust. A very very sad day. Watching the news and seeing the pain of the Palestinian people makes me cry for the many many generations of Palestine.&nbsp;Seeing the sadness of my father, cousins, and Palestinian family that are feeling for our Palestinian ancestors makes this even harder to write. Jerusalem is home of all religions. For this to happen, I feel, makes us take five steps back making it harder to live in a world of peace.&nbsp;

The treatment of the Palestinian people is unfair, one-sided and should not be tolerated. I stand with Palestine.&nbsp;There is no hate against anyone... There are no sides... All religions living side by side.. Now it is just one man..it has always been a factor of trying to bring peace... Where is the hope..?&quot;

The post:&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

Of Palestinian-descent, Bella Hadid has been vocal about injustice on Palestine and culture of war and crime

Popular celebrity model and Victoria's Secret angel Bella Hadid was spotted in London participating in a pro-Palestine march Sunday. After US President Donald Trump made a controversial statement pledging to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a protest was organised at the US embassy in London as part of an international 'Day of Rage' against the decision. It is being seen worldwide as a highly irresponsible statement by a person in power. On the evening of protests, model Hadid was attending to a party in the nearby high fashion street, Oxford. This is what she looked like at the party: Last night at the beautiful new TAG Heuer Boutique Opening on Oxford street, Launching my new "Bella Hadid" limited edition link watch!#DontCrackUnderPressure @TagHeuer A post shared by ?? (@bellahadid) on Dec 9, 2017 at 9:19am PST × ?? A post shared by ?? (@bellahadid) on Dec 9, 2017 at 11:20am PST × While on her way back to the hotel, her car got stuck behind protestors who had gathered around Hyde Park. The Palestinian-descent model then leaned out of her car to take photographs and eventually came out to march with the protestors. In pictures clicked by protestors, Hadid can be seen raising her hands for sloganeering while wearing her party dress -- deep red gown and a fur white coat. She walked with them for a few minutes before she returned to her car. Bella Hadid putting words into action, marching with protestors in London in solidarity with Palestine, earlier this evening. #HandsOffJerusalem pic.twitter.com/gBFMINaKkT — Lina - ????? (@Lina_Serene) December 8, 2017 × Catching my breath @bellahadid at a Palestine protest ???? pic.twitter.com/7NqbuPn26O — Nadia Aboulhosn (@nadiaaboulhosn) December 9, 2017 × Bella Hadid at the Free Palestine protest outside the American Embassy in London today. pic.twitter.com/lGZTjQF4Qs — Bella Hadid Updates (@BellaHadidDaily) December 8, 2017 × Protestors marching on the street can be seen carrying placards which read 'Free Palestine', ‘Dump Trump’ and ‘End Israeli Occupation’. Hadid also wrote a lengthy post on Instagram, elaborating her support to pro-Palestine claims: "I've been waiting to put this into perfect words but I realised there is no perfect way to speak of something so unjust. A very very sad day. Watching the news and seeing the pain of the Palestinian people makes me cry for the many many generations of Palestine. Seeing the sadness of my father, cousins, and Palestinian family that are feeling for our Palestinian ancestors makes this even harder to write. Jerusalem is home of all religions. For this to happen, I feel, makes us take five steps back making it harder to live in a world of peace. The treatment of the Palestinian people is unfair, one-sided and should not be tolerated. I stand with Palestine. There is no hate against anyone... There are no sides... All religions living side by side.. Now it is just one man..it has always been a factor of trying to bring peace... Where is the hope..?" The post: ??I've been waiting to put this into perfect words but I realized there is no perfect way to speak of something so unjust. A very very sad day.Watching the news and seeing the pain of the Palestinian people makes me cry for the many many generations of Palestine. Seeing the sadness of my father, cousins, and Palestinian family that are feeling for our Palestinian ancestors makes this even harder to write. Jerusalem is home of all religions. For this to happen, I feel, makes us take 5 steps back making it harder to live in a world of peace. The TREATMENT of the Palestinian people is unfair, one-sided and should not be tolerated. I stand with Palestine. There is no hate against anyone... There are no sides... All religions living side by side.. Now it is Just one man..it has always been a factor of trying to bring peace... Where is the hope..? A post shared by ?? (@bellahadid) on Dec 7, 2017 at 7:55am PST ×

Celebrity model Bella Hadid in party gown marches with pro-Palestine supporters

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

Turkey&#39;s leader is seeking to spearhead Islamic reaction to the US declaration on Jerusalem, but it is uncertain if he can coordinate a meaningful response among often disunited Muslim nations.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, had fulminated against President Donald Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital even before it was officially announced this week.

Erdogan described the status of the city, whose eastern sector Palestinians see as the capital of their future state, as a &quot;red line&quot; for Muslims.

With Trump disregarding such warnings, the Turkish president used his position as the current chairman of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to call a summit of the pan-Islamic group.

&quot;He is seeking to garner an international response,&quot; said Ziya Meral, resident fellow at the British Army&#39;s Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, noting Erdogan had spoken to Muslim allies and non-Islamic leaders.

&quot;What Turkey can do tangibly next is far from clear and responses have risks for Erdogan and Turkey,&quot; he told AFP.&nbsp;

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, had fulminated against President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital even before it was officially announced this week

Turkey's leader is seeking to spearhead Islamic reaction to the US declaration on Jerusalem, but it is uncertain if he can coordinate a meaningful response among often disunited Muslim nations. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, had fulminated against President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital even before it was officially announced this week. Erdogan described the status of the city, whose eastern sector Palestinians see as the capital of their future state, as a "red line" for Muslims. With Trump disregarding such warnings, the Turkish president used his position as the current chairman of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to call a summit of the pan-Islamic group. "He is seeking to garner an international response," said Ziya Meral, resident fellow at the British Army's Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, noting Erdogan had spoken to Muslim allies and non-Islamic leaders. "What Turkey can do tangibly next is far from clear and responses have risks for Erdogan and Turkey," he told AFP.

Turkey's Erdogan seeks to lead Muslim response on 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

After a Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, a senior Palestine official said that United States Vice President Mike Pence was not welcome in Palestine.

&quot;The American vice president is not welcome in Palestine,&quot; Jibril Rajoub, a senior member of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas&#39;s Fatah party, AFP reported.

During Pence&#39;s visit, Rajoub has also hinted that he would not meet with the vice president

Pence is expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories&nbsp;before Christmas.

On Thursday, The White House warned that canceling a planned meeting between Abbas Pence in the wake of US policy shift on Jerusalem would be &quot;counterproductive.&quot;

United States President Donald trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital on Wednesday in a move that outraged Palestinian leaders, but which was hailed as historic by Israel.

Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East have condemned the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas also said that Trump has disqualified the United States from its traditional role as peace broker in the Middle East conflict.

The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at US President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

(With inputs from news agency)

During Pence's visit, Rajoub has also hinted that he would not meet with the vice president

After a Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a senior Palestine official said that United States Vice President Mike Pence was not welcome in Palestine. "The American vice president is not welcome in Palestine," Jibril Rajoub, a senior member of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party, AFP reported. During Pence's visit, Rajoub has also hinted that he would not meet with the vice president Pence is expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories before Christmas. On Thursday, The White House warned that canceling a planned meeting between Abbas Pence in the wake of US policy shift on Jerusalem would be "counterproductive." United States President Donald trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday in a move that outraged Palestinian leaders, but which was hailed as historic by Israel. Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East have condemned the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas also said that Trump has disqualified the United States from its traditional role as peace broker in the Middle East conflict. 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. (With inputs from news agency)

Palestinian official says US vice president 'not welcome'

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.

&nbsp;

&quot;Legally Null&quot; 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 acknowledgement 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;

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

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 acknowledgement 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

&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

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

US President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-warns-of-catastrophe-if-us-recognises-jerusalem-as-israel-capital-25859">Donald Trump called Palestinian leader Mahmud</a> Abbas on Tuesday as speculation grew the president was planning to move the US 
embassy to Jerusalem, a move which would alter decades-old policy on Jerusalem.

White House said President Trump is set to call Israel PM&nbsp;Netanyahu&nbsp;and Jordan&nbsp;King&nbsp;Abdullah shortly as he mulls a radical change in US policy over the status of Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, &nbsp;Tayseer Jaradat, Palestinian deputy foreign minister said any move to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital would be a breach of international law 
and&nbsp; &quot;infringement to feelings&quot; of the Palestinian people.

Turkey said it would cut ties with Israel if Trump changed US policy on Jerusalem.

French President Emmanuel Macron had expressed concern over US move to &quot;unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel&quot; during a phone call with Trump on Monday.

European Union diplomat Federica Mogherini, said: &quot;Any action that would undermine peace efforts to create two separate states for the Israelis and the Palestinians must absolutely be avoided.&quot;

Report said the US president may not move the embassy but could recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital which would radically shift US policy and enrage several Arab nations, including several US allies in Europe 
and West Asia.

The Arab League it was a &quot;clear aggression&quot; against Arabs.&nbsp;

Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said &quot;given the danger of this matter if it were to happen,&nbsp;it would have possible negative consequences not only for the situation in Palestine&nbsp;but also for the Arab and Islamic region.&quot;

White House said President Trump is set to call Israel PM, Jordanian king shortly as he mulls a radical change in US policy over the status of ?Jerusalem.

US President Donald Trump called Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday as speculation grew the president was planning to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, a move which would alter decades-old policy on Jerusalem. White House said President Trump is set to call Israel PM Netanyahu and Jordan King Abdullah shortly as he mulls a radical change in US policy over the status of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Tayseer Jaradat, Palestinian deputy foreign minister said any move to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital would be a breach of international law and "infringement to feelings" of the Palestinian people. Turkey said it would cut ties with Israel if Trump changed US policy on Jerusalem. French President Emmanuel Macron had expressed concern over US move to "unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel" during a phone call with Trump on Monday. European Union diplomat Federica Mogherini, said: "Any action that would undermine peace efforts to create two separate states for the Israelis and the Palestinians must absolutely be avoided." Report said the US president may not move the embassy but could recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital which would radically shift US policy and enrage several Arab nations, including several US allies in Europe and West Asia. The Arab League it was a "clear aggression" against Arabs. Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said "given the danger of this matter if it were to happen, it would have possible negative consequences not only for the situation in Palestine but also for the Arab and Islamic region."

EU, Arab league warn Trump not to change US policy on Jerusalem's status

Following the talks in Cairo, the Palestinian factions, including rival groups Hamas and Fatah, have agreed to hold a general election by the end of 2018.

The call for elections was made in a joint statement at the end of two days of closed-door talks in Cairo attended by representatives of 13 leading political parties, several media reports said.

According to the statement, the factions deferred the choice of a final date for the elections to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Egyptian-sponsored agreement is aimed at ending the 10-year rift between them and calls on Hamas to cede power in the Gaza Strip to the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA) by December 1, ending 10 years of Hamas rule over the enclave.

Hamas and Fatah had signed a reconciliation deal in October after the former agreed to hand over administrative control of Gaza.

However, Hamas still remains in control of security in the Gaza Strip. In addition, it appointed a number of its own government officials.

The Palestinian Authority has been accused of avoiding its commitments to reconciliation by Hamas simultaneously.

Abbas said previously he would lift the sanctions upon assuming control of Gaza.

According to the reports, the last Palestinian parliamentary elections were in 2006 and there have been no presidential elections since 2005.

The call for elections was made in a joint statement at the end of two days of closed-door talks in Cairo attended by representatives of 13 leading political parties

Following the talks in Cairo, the Palestinian factions, including rival groups Hamas and Fatah, have agreed to hold a general election by the end of 2018. The call for elections was made in a joint statement at the end of two days of closed-door talks in Cairo attended by representatives of 13 leading political parties, several media reports said. According to the statement, the factions deferred the choice of a final date for the elections to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Egyptian-sponsored agreement is aimed at ending the 10-year rift between them and calls on Hamas to cede power in the Gaza Strip to the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA) by December 1, ending 10 years of Hamas rule over the enclave. Hamas and Fatah had signed a reconciliation deal in October after the former agreed to hand over administrative control of Gaza. However, Hamas still remains in control of security in the Gaza Strip. In addition, it appointed a number of its own government officials. The Palestinian Authority has been accused of avoiding its commitments to reconciliation by Hamas simultaneously. Abbas said previously he would lift the sanctions upon assuming control of Gaza. According to the reports, the last Palestinian parliamentary elections were in 2006 and there have been no presidential elections since 2005.

Palestinian factions agree to hold general elections

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

Hamas must disarm and recognise Israel under a Palestinian unity deal announced on Thursday with its rival Fatah aimed at ending their decade-long split, an Israeli government official said.

&quot;Any reconciliation between the (Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority) and Hamas must include a commitment to international agreements and to the conditions of the Quartet, first of which is recognising Israel and demilitarising Hamas,&quot; the official said in the Israeli government&#39;s first reaction to the deal signed in Cairo.

The official was referring to the diplomatic Quartet on Middle East peace, which includes the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia.

The reaction was Israel&#39;s first after the two major Palestinian factions agreed on a unity deal in the Egyptian capital on Thursday afternoon, which is supposed to see the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority retake control of Gaza from Islamists Hamas by December 1.

The publicly-released parts of the agreement did not specify what would happen to Hamas&#39; armed wing.

Hamas does not recognise Israel and has fought three wars with the Jewish state since 2008.

&quot;As long as Hamas remains armed and as long as it calls for the destruction of Israel, Israel will consider Hamas responsible for any terror attack originating from Gaza,&quot; the official said.

He also demanded an immediate return of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed by Hamas in 2014, as well as the release of two citizens believed imprisoned by the Islamists.&nbsp;

Hamas does not recognise Israel and has fought three wars with the Jewish state since 2008

Hamas must disarm and recognise Israel under a Palestinian unity deal announced on Thursday with its rival Fatah aimed at ending their decade-long split, an Israeli government official said. "Any reconciliation between the (Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority) and Hamas must include a commitment to international agreements and to the conditions of the Quartet, first of which is recognising Israel and demilitarising Hamas," the official said in the Israeli government's first reaction to the deal signed in Cairo. The official was referring to the diplomatic Quartet on Middle East peace, which includes the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia. The reaction was Israel's first after the two major Palestinian factions agreed on a unity deal in the Egyptian capital on Thursday afternoon, which is supposed to see the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority retake control of Gaza from Islamists Hamas by December 1. The publicly-released parts of the agreement did not specify what would happen to Hamas' armed wing. Hamas does not recognise Israel and has fought three wars with the Jewish state since 2008. "As long as Hamas remains armed and as long as it calls for the destruction of Israel, Israel will consider Hamas responsible for any terror attack originating from Gaza," the official said. He also demanded an immediate return of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed by Hamas in 2014, as well as the release of two citizens believed imprisoned by the Islamists.

Hamas must disarm, recognise Israel under Palestinian unity deal: Israel

Palestine&#39;s Hamas group has agreed to talks with rival Fatah movement, to dissolve the Gaza administrative committee and hold general elections as a way to implement a deal to end their long-running feud, the group said in a statement on Sunday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas&#39; Western-backed Palestine Authority, controlled by Fatah, fought a war with Hamas over Gaza in 2007, which led to Hamas taking over.

Attempts to reconcile the two and form a power-sharing unity government in Gaza and the West Bank have failed.

Hamas said in its statement that it agreed to dissolve administration running Gaza, allow the reconcillation government to carry out its duties in the territory, to hold elections and enter talks with Fatah.

Egypt has been brokering talks with Abbas&#39;s Fatah group to implement a deal signed in 2011 in Cairo with Islamist Hamas to end their dispute and form an interim government before elections.

With the prospect of a Middle East peace initiative by a new US Trump administration more sympathetic to Israel, Abbas has put pressure on Hamas, including not paying Israel for electricity for Gaza territory and cutting salaries for civil servants there.

Palestine Hamas has agreed to talks to dissolve the Gaza administrative committee and hold general elections as a way to implement a deal to end their long-running feud

Palestine's Hamas group has agreed to talks with rival Fatah movement, to dissolve the Gaza administrative committee and hold general elections as a way to implement a deal to end their long-running feud, the group said in a statement on Sunday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Western-backed Palestine Authority, controlled by Fatah, fought a war with Hamas over Gaza in 2007, which led to Hamas taking over. Attempts to reconcile the two and form a power-sharing unity government in Gaza and the West Bank have failed. Hamas said in its statement that it agreed to dissolve administration running Gaza, allow the reconcillation government to carry out its duties in the territory, to hold elections and enter talks with Fatah. Egypt has been brokering talks with Abbas's Fatah group to implement a deal signed in 2011 in Cairo with Islamist Hamas to end their dispute and form an interim government before elections. With the prospect of a Middle East peace initiative by a new US Trump administration more sympathetic to Israel, Abbas has put pressure on Hamas, including not paying Israel for electricity for Gaza territory and cutting salaries for civil servants there.

Palestine's Hamas ready for talks with Fatah, elections - statement

Palestinians were set to return to pray at a sensitive Jerusalem holy site on Thursday after Israeli authorities removed controversial new security measures, potentially ending a nearly two-week crisis that sparked deadly unrest.

Muslim authorities announced a boycott of the Haram al-Sharif compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, was to end on Thursday afternoon after&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;removed remaining new security measures.

The compound includes the revered Al-Aqsa mosque and the golden-topped Dome of the Rock. Palestinians had boycotted it since the security measures were installed following a July 14 attack nearby that killed two policemen.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas joined calls for worshippers to return to the site.

&quot;The prayers will happen, God willing, inside the Al-Aqsa mosque,&quot; Abbas told a press conference.

Abbas announced a freeze on contacts with&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;last week over the dispute, including security coordination, and said on Thursday a meeting would be held on whether to lift it.

Midday prayers were again held outside the compound, with officials saying preparations had to be made for worshippers to return to it for afternoon prayers at around 4:30 pm (1330 GMT).

Before the midday prayer, there were celebrations with hundreds of people clapping and singing.&nbsp;

It became quiet later as the prayer time approached, with worshippers spreading out prayer mats on the ground.

Standoff nears end?

A tense standoff had been underway between&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;and Muslim worshippers at the holy site for nearly two weeks despite the removal of metal detectors on Tuesday.

Newly installed railings and scaffolding where cameras were previously mounted were also removed early on Thursday.

Police said on Thursday morning that all new security measures had now been removed.

Muslims had refused to enter the compound and prayed in the streets outside after&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;installed the new security measures.

Palestinians viewed the move as&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;asserting further control.

Israeli authorities said the metal detectors were needed because the July 14 attackers smuggled guns into the compound and emerged from it to attack the officers.

Deadly unrest erupted in the days after the new measures were introduced, with clashes breaking out around the compound and in the occupied West Bank, leaving five Palestinians dead.

A Palestinian also broke into a home in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank last week and stabbed four Israelis, killing three of them.

There had been concerns that Friday&#39;s main weekly Muslim prayers -- which typically draw thousands to Al-Aqsa -- would lead to serious clashes between protesters and Israeli security forces if a resolution was not found.

Celebrations at site

In the pre-dawn hours of Thursday, crowds of Palestinians gathered at the entrance of the site to celebrate the removal of the remaining security installations, with whistling and constant horns from cars.

Young men set off firecrackers as Israeli forces watched closely.

Firas Abasi said he felt like crying over the &quot;victory&quot;.

&quot;For 12 days no one has slept, no one has done anything except the Al-Aqsa mosque,&quot; he said.

Following intensive international diplomacy and warnings of the potential for wider unrest,&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;removed the metal detectors early on Tuesday.

Cameras installed after the attack on the police were also removed.

But Israeli officials said previously they were to be replaced with &quot;advanced technologies&quot; -- widely believed to be smart cameras with facial recognition technology.

The remaining installations and suspicions over what new measures&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;was planning had led Palestinian and Muslim leaders to continue to urge a boycott of the site, and worshippers had heeded their call.

It was not immediately clear if&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;would stick to reported plans to install a smart camera system in Jerusalem&#39;s Old City. Cameras are already widespread inside its walls.

Jordan is the custodian of Muslim holy sites at the compound, and King Abdullah II had called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove the security measures.

Information Minister Mohammad al-Momani on Thursday welcomed their removal, calling it an &quot;essential step towards calm.&quot;

The holy compound lies in east Jerusalem, seized by&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

The third-holiest site for Muslims and the most sacred for Jews, it is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has served as a rallying cry for Palestinians.

In 2000, a visit to the compound by then Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon helped ignite the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising.

A tense standoff had been underway between?Israel?and Muslim worshippers at the holy site for nearly two weeks despite the removal of metal detectors on Tuesday

Palestinians were set to return to pray at a sensitive Jerusalem holy site on Thursday after Israeli authorities removed controversial new security measures, potentially ending a nearly two-week crisis that sparked deadly unrest. Muslim authorities announced a boycott of the Haram al-Sharif compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, was to end on Thursday afternoon after Israel removed remaining new security measures. The compound includes the revered Al-Aqsa mosque and the golden-topped Dome of the Rock. Palestinians had boycotted it since the security measures were installed following a July 14 attack nearby that killed two policemen. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas joined calls for worshippers to return to the site. "The prayers will happen, God willing, inside the Al-Aqsa mosque," Abbas told a press conference. Abbas announced a freeze on contacts with Israel last week over the dispute, including security coordination, and said on Thursday a meeting would be held on whether to lift it. Midday prayers were again held outside the compound, with officials saying preparations had to be made for worshippers to return to it for afternoon prayers at around 4:30 pm (1330 GMT). Before the midday prayer, there were celebrations with hundreds of people clapping and singing. It became quiet later as the prayer time approached, with worshippers spreading out prayer mats on the ground. Standoff nears end? A tense standoff had been underway between Israel and Muslim worshippers at the holy site for nearly two weeks despite the removal of metal detectors on Tuesday. Newly installed railings and scaffolding where cameras were previously mounted were also removed early on Thursday. Police said on Thursday morning that all new security measures had now been removed. Muslims had refused to enter the compound and prayed in the streets outside after Israel installed the new security measures. Palestinians viewed the move as Israel asserting further control. Israeli authorities said the metal detectors were needed because the July 14 attackers smuggled guns into the compound and emerged from it to attack the officers. Deadly unrest erupted in the days after the new measures were introduced, with clashes breaking out around the compound and in the occupied West Bank, leaving five Palestinians dead. A Palestinian also broke into a home in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank last week and stabbed four Israelis, killing three of them. There had been concerns that Friday's main weekly Muslim prayers -- which typically draw thousands to Al-Aqsa -- would lead to serious clashes between protesters and Israeli security forces if a resolution was not found. Celebrations at site In the pre-dawn hours of Thursday, crowds of Palestinians gathered at the entrance of the site to celebrate the removal of the remaining security installations, with whistling and constant horns from cars. Young men set off firecrackers as Israeli forces watched closely. Firas Abasi said he felt like crying over the "victory". "For 12 days no one has slept, no one has done anything except the Al-Aqsa mosque," he said. Following intensive international diplomacy and warnings of the potential for wider unrest, Israel removed the metal detectors early on Tuesday. Cameras installed after the attack on the police were also removed. But Israeli officials said previously they were to be replaced with "advanced technologies" -- widely believed to be smart cameras with facial recognition technology. The remaining installations and suspicions over what new measures Israel was planning had led Palestinian and Muslim leaders to continue to urge a boycott of the site, and worshippers had heeded their call. It was not immediately clear if Israel would stick to reported plans to install a smart camera system in Jerusalem's Old City. Cameras are already widespread inside its walls. Jordan is the custodian of Muslim holy sites at the compound, and King Abdullah II had called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove the security measures. Information Minister Mohammad al-Momani on Thursday welcomed their removal, calling it an "essential step towards calm." The holy compound lies in east Jerusalem, seized by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community. The third-holiest site for Muslims and the most sacred for Jews, it is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has served as a rallying cry for Palestinians. In 2000, a visit to the compound by then Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon helped ignite the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising.

Palestinians to end boycott of Jerusalem holy site

Palestinian militant factions denied on Saturday a claim by Islamic State that three Palestinian men who carried out a fatal shooting and stabbing attack in Jerusalem were members of the militant group.

Islamic State took responsibility for the attack on Friday, in which one Israeli police officer was killed and another wounded, according to the group&#39;s Amaq news agency.

Israeli security officials did not respond immediately to requests for comment on what the SITE intelligence monitoring group described as the first time Islamic State had claimed responsibility for an attack in Israeli-controlled territory, nor on the attackers&#39; affiliation.

However, a senior official from Hamas, the Islamic group that rules the Gaza Strip, and the People&#39;s Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said the three attackers, who were all shot dead at the scene, were their own members.

&quot;The three hero martyrs who executed the Jerusalem operation have no connection to Daesh (Islamic State), they are affiliated with the PFLP and Hamas,&quot; Hamas&#39; Izzat El-Reshiq wrote on Twitter.

The PFLP published a separate statement in which it identified two of the three attackers as members. &quot;The media office of the PFLP armed wing mourns two of its hero comrades, two freed prisoners,&quot; it said.

Israeli police said on Friday all the assailants were from Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank. Two of the attackers, both from Ramallah, were between the ages of 18 and 19 and the third was a 30-year-old from Hebron, police spokeswoman Luba Simri said.

The assaults took place simultaneously in two areas near the Damascus gate of Jerusalem&#39;s walled old city.

Two Palestinians were shot dead after opening fire at and trying to stab a group of Israeli police officers at one scene, police said. At the other, a Palestinian fatally stabbed a border policewoman before being shot dead by police.

A wave of Palestinian street attacks began in October 2015 but has since slowed. Israel blames the violence on incitement by the Palestinian leadership.

The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, denies that and says assailants have acted out of desperation over Israeli occupation of land sought by Palestinians for a state.

U.S.-brokered peace talks between the sides broke down in 2014. Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War.

Islamic State claimed responsibility first after which Hamas said the three attackers had been their men

Palestinian militant factions denied on Saturday a claim by Islamic State that three Palestinian men who carried out a fatal shooting and stabbing attack in Jerusalem were members of the militant group. Islamic State took responsibility for the attack on Friday, in which one Israeli police officer was killed and another wounded, according to the group's Amaq news agency. Israeli security officials did not respond immediately to requests for comment on what the SITE intelligence monitoring group described as the first time Islamic State had claimed responsibility for an attack in Israeli-controlled territory, nor on the attackers' affiliation. However, a senior official from Hamas, the Islamic group that rules the Gaza Strip, and the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said the three attackers, who were all shot dead at the scene, were their own members. "The three hero martyrs who executed the Jerusalem operation have no connection to Daesh (Islamic State), they are affiliated with the PFLP and Hamas," Hamas' Izzat El-Reshiq wrote on Twitter. The PFLP published a separate statement in which it identified two of the three attackers as members. "The media office of the PFLP armed wing mourns two of its hero comrades, two freed prisoners," it said. Israeli police said on Friday all the assailants were from Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank. Two of the attackers, both from Ramallah, were between the ages of 18 and 19 and the third was a 30-year-old from Hebron, police spokeswoman Luba Simri said. The assaults took place simultaneously in two areas near the Damascus gate of Jerusalem's walled old city. Two Palestinians were shot dead after opening fire at and trying to stab a group of Israeli police officers at one scene, police said. At the other, a Palestinian fatally stabbed a border policewoman before being shot dead by police. A wave of Palestinian street attacks began in October 2015 but has since slowed. Israel blames the violence on incitement by the Palestinian leadership. The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, denies that and says assailants have acted out of desperation over Israeli occupation of land sought by Palestinians for a state. U.S.-brokered peace talks between the sides broke down in 2014. Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War.

Israeli policewoman stabbing: Islamic State, Hamas fight to claim responsibility

US President Donald Trump visits Jerusalem Monday to seek ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, a goal that has eluded his predecessors but which he says could be easier than &quot;people have thought&quot;.

Trump&#39;s visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence committed in the name of religion.

It also comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia.

Trump is due in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon and, ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will tour two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

His first stop will be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Afterwards, he is expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray and located in east Jerusalem.

The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel.

&quot;Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel,&quot; Netanyahu said late Sunday. &quot;The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty.&quot;

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community.&nbsp;

It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Trump will meet Netanyahu at 6&nbsp;pm (1500 GMT).

&nbsp;

Enormous challenge&nbsp;

&quot;I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US,&quot; Netanyahu said Sunday. &quot;We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace.&quot;

The United States is Israel&#39;s most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually.

On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum.

Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump&#39;s inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it.

He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the &quot;ultimate deal&quot; is possible, vowing &quot;we will get it done&quot;.

&quot;It is something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years,&quot; Trump said when meeting Abbas in Washington earlier this month.

Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.

Criticism of Iran 
At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed.

At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world.

Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians.

He has since said the move was still being looked at.

Trump&#39;s seeming openness to at least some of Abbas&#39;s concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say.

On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country&#39;s history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump&#39;s election. Some even called for an end to the idea of a Palestinian state.

Trump&#39;s actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv -- at least for now -- and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts.

In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders the time had come for &quot;honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism&quot;.

He also lashed out at Iran, accusing Tehran of fuelling &quot;the fires of sectarian conflict and terror&quot; and calling for its international isolation.

After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.

(AFP)

Achieving peace between Israel and Palestine has eluded his predecessors, but Trump said it could be easier than 'people have thought'

US President Donald Trump visits Jerusalem Monday to seek ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, a goal that has eluded his predecessors but which he says could be easier than "people have thought". Trump's visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence committed in the name of religion. It also comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia. Trump is due in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon and, ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will tour two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews. His first stop will be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Afterwards, he is expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray and located in east Jerusalem. The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel. "Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel," Netanyahu said late Sunday. "The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty." Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community. It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Trump will meet Netanyahu at 6 pm (1500 GMT). Enormous challenge "I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US," Netanyahu said Sunday. "We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace." The United States is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually. On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum. Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump's inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it. He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the "ultimate deal" is possible, vowing "we will get it done". "It is something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said when meeting Abbas in Washington earlier this month. Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February. Criticism of Iran At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed. At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians. He has since said the move was still being looked at. Trump's seeming openness to at least some of Abbas's concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say. On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country's history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump's election. Some even called for an end to the idea of a Palestinian state. Trump's actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv -- at least for now -- and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts. In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders the time had come for "honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism". He also lashed out at Iran, accusing Tehran of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and calling for its international isolation. After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings. (AFP)

Trump heads to Jerusalem looking for Israeli-Palestinian peace

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