Peaceful Middle East possible if Jerusalem is declared Palestine's capital: Mahmoud Abbas
January 18, 2018
CAIRO: The Middle East would only be peaceful if Jerusalem becomes the capital of Palestine, President Mahmoud Abbas stressed on Wednesday, saying Israel’s aggression has been rising against Palestinians due to US President Donald Trump's policies.
Abbas was addressing world religious and political figures at a gathering held at al-Azhar University Hall, here in an old part of the city.
The two-day conference — which began on Wednesday — is sponsored by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and organized by Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders.
The Palestinian president also stated that Jerusalem would be the gateway to peace once it becomes the Palestinian capital but also reiterated that the holy city should remain open to all the religions.
Israel seized control of East Jerusalem — which Palestinians have long demanded be declared the capital of their future state — in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1980, a move that was never recognised internationally.
Abbas called on the Arabs to visit Jerusalem, noting that by doing so, they would challenge Israel's control of the city, and that a boycott would only harm the Palestinians.
Many Egyptian officials — including religious leaders from Al-Azhar and Egypt’s Coptic church — have, for decades, refused to travel to Jerusalem in an act of protest against the Israeli occupation.
Abbas repeatedly slammed Trump's strategies towards Palestinians during his speech, with participants applauding each critical comment. Nevertheless, he clearly emphasised that Palestinians will not resort to terrorism to achieve their goals but would opt for diplomatic measures.
Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb — the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar — called on the international community as well as the Arabs to show support for Palestinians during his speech.
Al-Tayeb also called on the Muslim world to return its attention to the Palestinian issue, proposing 2018 "to be the year of Jerusalem".
Last month, the Imam had rejected US Vice President Mike Pence's request for a meeting in protest against America's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Pope Tawadros II — the head of the Egyptian Coptic church — said Trump's Jerusalem decision paves way for "the Judaization of Jerusalem and wiping away [of] the holy city's pluralist nature."
Interestingly, the conference brought together senior Muslim, Jew, and Christian clerics, political figures, and regional and international organizations from 86 countries.
Speaking to Geo News, Rabbi Dovid Feldman — a cleric of the Jews United Against Zionism — stated that the conference was “crucially important” for the world to understand that Palestine's occupation is “totally wrong” and making Jerusalem Israel's capital is an even worse move.
The event at Al-Azhar University is expected to conclude with several recommendations to support the Palestinian cause and underline the Palestinians' right to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
