Ramallah: Palestinian leaders on Sunday sought to rally diplomatic support to persuade US President Donald Trump not to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital after suggestions that he planned to do so.
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas was holding a series of phone calls with world leaders to “explain the dangers of any decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem or recognise (Jerusalem) as Israel’s capital”, Abbas’s diplomatic adviser Majdi al Khalidi said.
His calls so far have included those to Arab leaders, French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan told Abbas that an independent Palestinian state must have east Jerusalem as its capital, Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Abbas was also said to be seeking an emergency summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League to discuss the issue.
Saeb Erekat, Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, and Palestinian Authority Intelligence Head Majed Farraj were making contacts in Washington, Khalidi said. — AFP
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