International leaders warned US President Donald Trump on Tuesday that he risked outraging Muslims and jeopardising Middle East peace efforts if he recognised Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and moved the US embassy there. Trump delayed a controversial decision on the ancient holy city on Monday, following frantic public warnings from allies and private phone calls between world leaders. Jerusalem’s status is a key issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both Israelis and Palestinians claiming the city as their capital. Warnings multiplied on Tuesday, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning Trump in a speech that the status of Jerusalem is a “red line” for Muslims and could even prompt Turkey to cut ties with Israel. But domestic politics may still push him to break with decades of US policy recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital instead in a gesture towards conservative voters and donors.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 05, 2017 00:33 UTC