14 December 2017•Update: 15 December 2017
By Wassim Saif al-Din
BEIRUT
The Lebanese government drew up a committee on Thursday to study proposals for opening an embassy in Jerusalem and recognizing the city as the Palestinian capital.
The move comes one day after the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at a summit convened in Istanbul, recognized East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.
“The government has decided to form a committee, headed up by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, to study proposals by Foreign Minister Jubran Bassil to open a Lebanese embassy in Jerusalem and acknowledge the city as the capital of Palestine," Information Minister Melhem Riashi announced following a Thursday cabinet meeting.
Riashi went on to say that the Lebanese government considered U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision last week to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital "null and void".
Last Wednesday, Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, sparking protests in the Palestinian territories and in several Muslim countries.
Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.
In April, Russia recognized West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, voicing hope that the city's eastern half might eventually serve as the capital of an independent state of Palestine.
Notably, in his announcement last week, Trump said his administration had yet to decide on "the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem”.
