08 December 2017•Update: 08 December 2017
By Cansu Dikme
ISTANBUL
A youth forum affiliated with Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned on Friday the U.S. move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
In a statement, Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation said the “ill-advised” decision by the U.S. President Donald Trump “undermines the prospect of a just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”
Trump’s decision also the opinion of community, violates international law, and harms the country’s “honest broker” role in mediation efforts, according to the statement.
It concluded with the cooperation’s call on OIC Heads of State for taking “necessary action” and “solidarity” during the gathering in Istanbul on next Wednesday.
Turkey will host an extraordinary meeting of the OIC on Dec. 13 on of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his capacity as the current chair of the OIC Summit.
Despite widespread international opposition, the U.S. president on Wednesday announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
According to Trump, the U.S. State Department has been told to begin preparations for relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The dramatic shift in Washington’s Jerusalem policy triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq and other 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 future Palestinian state.
