ME to be peaceful if Jerusalem is Palestine capital: Mehmoud

CAIRO: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has clearly stated that the Middle East would be peaceful only if Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine.

He was addressing the gathering of world religious and political figures held in an old part of Cairo at Al-Azhar University hall. The two-day conference which began on Wednesday, is sponsored by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and organised by Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asserted that Israel’s aggression had been increasing against Palestinians due to the policies of US President Donald Trump. He also stated that Jerusalem would be a gateway for peace only if it's the capital of Palestine but also reiterated that the holy city should remain open for all the religions.

The Palestinians have long demanded East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Israel seized control of East Jerusalem in the 1967 six-day war and annexed it in 1980, a move that has never been recognised by the international community.

President Abbas called on Arabs to visit Jerusalem, noting that by doing so it would not legitimise Israel's control of the city, and that call for a boycott would only harm the Palestinians. Many Egyptian officials including religious leaders from Al-Azhar University and Egypt’s Coptic Christian Church have for decades refused to travel to Jerusalem in protest at the Israeli occupation.

During the speech, President Abbas several times slammed US President Donald Trump's policies for Palestinians and the participants applauded over almost every critical comment. Although, Mahmoud Abbas clearly stated that the Palestinians would not turn to terrorism to achieve their goals but rather take diplomatic measures.

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb called on Arabs and international community to show support for the Palestinian people during his speech in the conference. He also called on the Muslim world to turn its attention to the Palestinian issue and Jerusalem. He also proposed 2018 "to be the year of Jerusalem."

Last month, Al-Tayyeb rejected a meeting requested by US Vice President Mike Pence in protest against a US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Egyptian Coptic Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Orthodox church, said US President Donald Trump's Jerusalem decision paved the way for "the judaization of Jerusalem and wiping away the holy city's pluralist nature."

Interestingly, the conference brought together senior Muslim, Jews, Christian clerics, political figures as well as regional and international organisations from 86 countries. While speaking with The News, cleric of Jew United Against Zionism Rabbi Dovid Feldman stated that the conference was “crucially important” to have the world understand the Palestine's occupation is “totally wrong” and turning Jerusalem into the capital of Israel would be even worse.

Al-Azhar gathering is expected to conclude with several recommendations that support the Palestinian cause and stress the rights of Palestinians to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.