JERUSALEM: The Middle East saw a fifth day of protests over US President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, while further global condemnation followed the deeply controversial move.
While tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met EU foreign ministers in Brussels, declaring that the move he has lauded as historic ‘makes peace possible’.
He also said he expected ‘all or most’ European countries would follow the United States – but the 28-nation bloc’s foreign policy head Federica Mogherini gave him a stern rebuff, telling him to ‘keep his expectations for others’.
In Cairo, Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced Trump’s decision as ‘destabilising’ while calling for a resumption of long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks.
And after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara later Monday, Putin said the Trump declaration could ‘derail’ peace efforts.
At a joint press conference, Erdogan said he and Putin had taken a similar approach on the issue, while accusing Israel of continuing to ‘add fuel to the flames.
Erdogan has been perhaps the most outspoken of global leaders in warning about the consequences of Trump’s move.
Earlier Monday he said in a speech in Ankara that Washington was a ‘partner to bloodshed’.
Hezbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006, organised a demonstration in Beirut in which tens of thousands of people chanted ‘Death to America!’ and ‘Death to Israel!’
In Tehran, hundreds of diehard Iranian conservatives rallied against Israel and said Trump had hastened its demise by his decision.
In Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, dozens of Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
“We came here against Trump’s decision and we want to send a message that Jerusalem is and will stay our capital, and we will stay to defend it,” one protester in a black ski mask told AFP.
There were also low-level clashes in Hebron and the Gaza Strip.
About 27 Palestinians were wounded by live fire or rubber bullets throughout the day, the Red Crescent said.
Palestinian demonstrations have declined in number and intensity since reaching a peak on Friday, but there are concerns they will again increase later this week.
Late Monday, at least two rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, with one intercepted by Israel’s missile defence system.
In response, Israel’s army said it hit Hamas military positions in the strip with tank and aircraft fire.
There were no immediate reports of casualties on either side.
Four Palestinians have been killed so far in clashes or Israeli air strikes in response to rocket fire from Gaza, and hundreds have been wounded.
Tens of thousands of people have protested in Middle Eastern and Muslim nations.
Palestinian leaders are outraged by Trump’s move, but they also face difficult choices in how to respond since they rely on US aid and would like to salvage the possibility of a two-state solution to the conflict.
President Mahmud Abbas will refuse to meet US Vice President Mike Pence when he visits the region later this month, Palestinian officials say, a move that led Washington to accuse Abbas of ‘walking away’ from a chance to discuss peace. — AFP