‘Assault on all Muslims’ Jerusalem Grand Mufti slams Donald Trump's US embassy plans
DONALD Trump’s plans to relocate the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem is an “assault” on all Muslims, according to the holy city’s grand mufti.
Trump supports movement of US embassy to Jerusalem
Muhammed Hussein warned the President-elect that the Islamic world will “not remain silent” if he makes good on his pledge to move the embassy from Tel Aviv.
The US, like most UN nations, does not recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and for that reason the embassy has been based in Tel Aviv for 50 years.
Moving official headquarters to the city would represent a dramatic shift in diplomatic relations between the US, Israel and Palestine, which also claims Jerusalem as its capital.
Advisors in Trump’s transition team have previously said relocating the embassy to Jerusalem was a ‘priority” after his inauguration next Friday.
But leaders in the Middle East have reacted with fury to the proposals, saying the plan would completely derail the already combustable Isreal-Palestine peace process.
During a sermon at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's Old City, Muhammad Hussein said: "The pledge to move the embassy is not just an assault against Palestinians but against Arabs and Muslims, who will not remain silent.
“The transfer of the embassy violates international charters and norms which recognize Jerusalem as an occupied city.”
The plans had previously been branded a ‘declaration of war” by Mahmoud al-Habash, a close aid of Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas.
The transfer of the embassy violates international charters and norms which recognize Jerusalem as an occupied city
President Abbas himself has warned the move would cause major setbacks to the Israel-Palestine peace process.
He said: "We heard a lot of statements relating to moving the US embassy, which we hope are not correct and will not be implemented, but if implemented then the peace process in the Middle East, and even peace in the world, will be in a crisis we will not be able to come out from.”
President Abbas has even reportedly appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene in the move.
It comes as three Republican senators introduced legislation to recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s official capital and move the embassy from Tel Aviv.
Ted Cruz, Dean Heller of Nevada and Marco Rubio of Florida unveiled the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act earlier this week.