The leaders of 57 Muslim nations have called on the world to recognise East Jerusalem as “the occupied capital of a Palestinian State”.
The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation declared US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise the city as Israel’s capital unlawful.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas earlier said the UN should take over.
In a speech to the OIC summit in Istanbul, Turkey, Abbas said it would be “unacceptable” for the US to be the mediator “since it is biased in favour of Israel”.
The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians. The city is home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem.
Israel occupied the sector, previously occupied by Jordan, in the 1967 Middle East War and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital.
The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.
Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries currently maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.
However, Trump has announced that the US will eventually move its embassy.
European foreign ministers have strongly rejected calls by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to follow Donald Trump’s example and recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
