Arab League prepares ‘roadmap’ over US Jerusalem move

By Hussein al-Qabbani

CAIRO (AA) – The Arab League is preparing a roadmap in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, according to a league spokesman.

Arab foreign ministers are set to hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Saturday to discuss repercussions of the U.S. decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“There will be assertion on the Palestinian right to establish an independent state and the importance of Jerusalem,” Mahmud Afifi said in televised statements.

“A roadmap will also be presented, which the Arab side will adopt to motivate the international community not to respond to the U.S. decision,” he added.

On Wednesday, Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, in a move that reversed decades of U.S. policy of remaining neutral on the holy city.

The decision has triggered mass demonstrations in the Palestinian territories and across the Muslim world.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.