Grand Imam discusses with senior scholars Jerusalem issue

CAIRO – 12 December 2017: Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb presided over the meeting of the Council of Senior Scholars of Al-Azhar on Tuesday to discuss the repercussions of the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital to which the U.S. Embassy would be moved to.

Al-Azhar is finalizing the preparatory meetings comprising a number of experts to organize the international conference for the support of Jerusalem. The conference goals are: asserting the rejection of turning Jerusalem into Israel’s capital and discussing practical steps to strengthen the Arab and Palestinian identity of Jerusalem.

The conference will be held in January in collaboration with the Council of Muslim Sages. Invitations will be sent to senior scholars, politicians, as well as all regional and international organizations concerned with the Palestinian cause.

The conference was called for by Grand Imam Tayeb after the U.S. announcement on Wednesday. Sheikh Tayeb warned that such “unjust and inhumane” decisions would just promote hatred between people. The Grand Imam cancelled on Friday his meeting with U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence, which was due to take place on December 20 during Pence's Middle East tour.