Grand Mufti of Al Quds Sheikh Mohammed Hussein on Saturday warned against the grave consequences of US President-elect Donald Trump's decision to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The remarks came during the Friday prayers sermon that took place at al Aqsa Mosque. He said the move would be a tantamount to a “declaration of war” urging Muslims to shoulder their responsibility if Trump goes on with this move. He added that the move would have “disastrous impact” on peace process.
“Jerusalem will remain the capital of the State of Palestine,” he said pointing out the “serious repercussions” of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.
He highlighted statements from Trump’s inauguration speech in which he vowed to “unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism” and that every US decision would be guided by a vision that puts “America first.”
Trump’s plan to relocate the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would “create a significant challenge for security in the region.”
Trump has said at various times that he plans to relocate the embassy, and last month chose David Friedman, a right-wing lawyer who has pledged to move the mission to Jerusalem, as his ambassador to Israel.