WE welcome the OIC’s (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) decision declaring East Jerusalem as capital of Palestine at a summit at Istanbul on Wednesday as the most appropriate and timely action to denounce US President Donald Trump’s unilateral declaration that Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Israel.
Their call on all other countries of the world sympathetic to Palestinian statehood to recognize State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital is equally a timely call to isolate and defeat the US move; which has no visible friend so far to follow this unjust decision. The IOC summit attended by Head of States and governments and other high-powered delegation from 57 Arab and Muslim countries have clearly identified Mr Trump’s decision as ‘dangerous’ to destroy the Palestinian cause. But low-level representation by some vital Arab states in the summit also made clear that some countries are following double standard and they must be on watch.
In our view OIC leaders have realized the gravity of the situation and lost no time to come out with the immediate response to counter the Trump-Netanyahu’s conspiracy. OIC leaders showed unity that was the need of the hour to give the message to Mr Trump and Israel that the Muslim nations are equally prepared to protect Palestinian interest.
What is noticeable is that Mr Trump is so far alone and isolated, as nobody has come forward to follow the US footstep to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. International law and UN decisions recognize East Jerusalem as occupied land and many believe it will be the future capital of an independent Palestinian state. The summit made it clear that Arabs and Muslim countries will severe relation with anyone who may follow the US President’s footstep. Mr Trump has breached international and other conventions but global public opinion has ignored him to be cheated and blackmailed.
In fact the US president’s action has lost the US role as peace mediator it was playing over the past 25 years. As a Muslim hater and proponent of ultra-right ideology injecting social unrest in US domestic politics and threatening world peace, Mr Trump is now promoting the agenda of bigger Israel at the cost of vital US national interest. But OIC leaders have given the message that his politics of hate will not work.
In fact Mr Trump’s hectic policy is isolating the USA in all fronts. It is absent from Paris Climate conference this week. His withdrawal from Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal, which is a free trade deal with 10 other East and South East Asian countries, has left the USA ignored in the region. It lost a vital senate election in Alabama State on Monday threatening his party’s majority in US Senate. Mr Trump is creating big problems everywhere to make the USA to pay for it. The OIC leaders must maintain unity to protect Muslim interest all over.
