World denounces Trump’s move

UNITED NATIONS: The international community has rejected the US President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel´s capital.

UN chief

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has implicitly criticized President Donald Trump´s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel´s capital, warning that the city´s status must be resolved through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

"From day one as secretary-general of the United-Nations, I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians," Guterres said.

"Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between the two parties on the basis of the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, taking into account the legitimate concerns of both the Palestinian and the Israeli sides," Guterres said.

UN Security Council meeting 

 Eight countries,including, Bolivia, Egypt, France, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Uruguay have called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council after the United States said it recognized Jerusalem as Israel´s capital.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said the United States can no longer play the role of peace broker after Donald Trump´s decision on Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel´s capital.

"These deplorable and unacceptable measures deliberately undermine all peace efforts," Abbas said in a speech after Trump´s announcement.

Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO)

The secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation said US President Donald Trump´s decision destroys any hopes for a two-state solution to the conflict.

"He destroyed the two-state solution," Saeb Erekat, who long served as the Palestinians top negotiator, told journalists after Trump´s speech.

Hamas 

Hamas has said that the US President Donald Trump´s controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel´s capital would "open the gates of hell" on US interests in the region.

Pope Francis

Pope Francis, speaking hours before U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem, called on Wednesday for the city’s “status quo” to be respected, saying new tension in the Middle East would further inflame world conflicts.

Pakistan 

Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement said, “Islamabad opposes the US President Donald Trump’s plan to recognise Jerusalem as Israel´s capital and moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.”

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia  slammed US President Donald Trump´s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel´s capital, calling the move "unjustified and irresponsible".

"The kingdom expresses great regret over the US president´s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," said a Saudi royal court statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

"The kingdom has already warned of the serious consequences of such an unjustified and irresponsible move."

Turkey

Turkey has slammed the move saying irresponsible and illegal. "We condemn the irresponsible statement of the US administration... the decision is against international law and relevant UN resolutions," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter.

Ahead of Trump´s widely-flagged announcement Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had warned after a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II that the move would "play into the hands" of terror groups.

Erdogan has already called a summit meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on December 13 to discuss the issue.

France 

French President Emmanuel Macron has branded as "regrettable" his US counterpart Donald Trump´s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel´s capital, calling for efforts to "avoid violence at all costs".

Addressing a press conference during a state visit to Algeria, Macron affirmed "the attachment of France and Europe to the two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within internationally recognised borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of the two states."

Jordan

Jordan has also condemned US President Donald Trump´s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as amounting to a violation of international law and the UN charter.

"The decision of the American president to recognise Jerusalem as Israel´s capital and the transfer of the US embassy to this city constitutes a violation of decisions of international law and the United Nations charter," said government spokesman Mohammed Momani.

Iran, Qatar, Egypt 

Iran, Qatar, Egypt have also condemned the Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel´s capital    immediately after the US leader´s announcement.