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News > World

Lebanon and Turkey to Build Palestine Embassy in Jerusalem?

  • A demonstrator holds a Palestinian flag in front of the al-Aqsa Mosque.

    A demonstrator holds a Palestinian flag in front of the al-Aqsa Mosque. | Photo: Reuters

Published 14 December 2017
Opinion

The move follows the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's recent call for East Jerusalem to be recognized as the capital of Palestine.

As the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel continues to accumulate, regional heavyweight Turkey and neighboring Lebanon have announced intentions to open embassies with Palestine in East Jerusalem.

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In a post on his personal Twitter account, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil described East Jerusalem as "the capital of Palestine," noting that he had informed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of his willingness to establish a Lebanese embassy there.

Abbas had also promised to provide a piece of land for Lebanon's mission in Jerusalem, Bassil said, noting that the embassy plan will likely be debated Thursday during a cabinet meeting.

Meanwhile, Turkey's opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has called on the government to immediately open an embassy in East Jerusalem.

"Turkey should immediately, without wasting time, open its embassy to Palestine in East Jerusalem," Engin Altay, CHP's deputy chairman, said on Thursday.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that although Ankara is interested, it could only proceed once an independent Palestinian state has gained global recognition. He also cited "serious determination" among countries which haven't yet recognized Palestine to do so imminently.

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"Once we succeed, embassies will open in the independent Palestinian state's capital, East Jerusalem," Cavusoglu said.

The announcement came after the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) declared in a statement that it would recognize "East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine and invite all countries to recognize the State of Palestine and East Jerusalem as its occupied capital."

On Wednesday, the 57-member OIC said Trump's declaration means Washington is no longer an honest broker capable of working toward peace and stability in the region. The statement was issued at the end of the emergency summit in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

Revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, the Palestinian and Arab city of Jerusalem, also known as Al-Quds, is home to Islam's third holiest site. The illegal occupation of the city has for decades been a source of resentment in the Arab and Muslim world, and especially among the dispossessed people of Palestine.

Israel lays claim to all of Jerusalem, but the international community views the ancient city's eastern sector as occupied land. Palestinians consider it their future capital.

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