Trump’s declaration provokes Muslims: OIC

CAIRO - 7 December 2017: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed its deepest regrets over U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration on Wednesday night, recognizing Jerusalem officially as the capital of Israel.

The organization rejects the declaration and considers it as a provocation for Muslims across the world. The OIC regards the decision as a transgression for the political and historical sites of the religious city and clear violation of international laws.

It called for an emergency summit of the organization’s leaders in Istanbul on December 12 and 13, to discuss the repercussions of the declaration and to formulate a unified Islamic position regarding the ”dangerous escalation”.

The statement stressed its firm stance towards Jerusalem. “We considered it an integral part of the Palestinian land that was occupied in 1967,” it stated.

On Wednesday night, United States President Donald Trump has officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel during a televised speech from the White House.

"It is the headquarters of many government ministries. For many years, visiting American diplomats met their Israeli counterparts in Jerusalem… It is now the heart of one of the most successful democracies in the world," Trump stated.

Many of the world leaders refused to acknowledge Trump’s decision, including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Britain, France, Canada, Morocco and Germany. “We refuse Trump’s decision. It’s unilateral and an unfortunate decision which undermines the peace process.”