Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s dominant religious institution, and the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt expressed grave concern on Tuesday over the United States’ plan to allocate the Holy City of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Al-Azhar also called upon experienced individuals and international institutions, particularly the United Nations General Assembly, to confront this as a threat to international peace and security. The Church said it was imperative to preserve the legal status of Jerusalem within the agreed framework of international law and UN resolutions. The move would break with decades of US policy, which state that the Holy City’s status must be determined through negotiations with Palestinians – who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, as Israel is recognized as the occupying power.

Source: Egypt Independent December 06, 2017 13:06 UTC