Arab allies attack Trump’s Jerusalem decision

Arab officials say US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital risks plunging the Middle East into “violence and chaos”.
The move ended US neutrality on one of the region’s most sensitive issues.
Arab League foreign ministers now say it means the US cannot be relied upon as a broker of Middle East peace.

The statement by 22 countries, including close US allies, comes after a third day of violence and protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israel has always regarded Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem – occupied by Israel in the 1967 war – as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
For Mr Trump the decision fulfils a campaign promise and he has said it was “nothing more or less than a recognition of reality”.
But he has faced fierce criticism for the decision.
The Arab League resolution was agreed at 03:00 (01:00 GMT) after hours of talks in Cairo. It was backed by a number of US allies, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, who had already voiced their concern.
The resolution said:
The US had “withdrawn itself as a sponsor and broker” of any possible Israeli-Palestinian peace process through its decision
Mr Trump’s move “deepens tension, ignites anger and threatens to plunge region into more violence and chaos”
A request would be made for the UN Security Council to condemn the move
At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, the US found itself isolated, with the other 14 members all condemning Mr Trump’s declaration.
Jerusalem is of huge importance to both Israel and the Palestinians. It contains sites sacred to the three major monotheistic faiths – Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
Israel occupied the eastern sector – previously occupied by Jordan – in 1967, and annexed it in 1980, but the move has never been recognised internationally.
Some 330,000 Palestinians live in East Jerusalem, along with about 200,000 Israeli Jews in a dozen settlements there. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel does not regard them as settlements but legitimate neighbourhoods.
According to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.
The last round of talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in 2014 and while the US is formulating fresh proposals, Palestinian officials have said Mr Trump’s announcement has disqualified the US from brokering future negotiations. -BBC