Iranian President: Quds to Remain Palestinian Capital

TEHRAN (defapress)- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned again his US counterpart Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital, stressing that the city belongs to the Palestinians.

News ID: 67442

Date: 12 December 2017 - 23:29

"Quds is the holy territory of all Muslims and will be the capital of a Palestinian state and we will never forget this important and holy goal," President Rouhani told reporters before departing Tehran for Turkey to participate in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on Tuesday.

He underlined that the Muslim leaders should condemn the US decision in all international bodies and circles, specially the UN and declare it as incorrect.

"This (Trump's) decision will spark fresh tension in the region and if Muslims keep united and stand against this decision, it will be a major victory for the Muslims and the Palestinians," President Rouhani said.

In relevant remarks on Sunday, President Rouhani condemned the US decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital, stressing that his country will not keep mum about the hostile move.

"Today, the US has started a new plot with the help of the Zionism which is aggression against the holy Quds but we have not and will not remain silent about the US, the world arrogance and the Zionism's plot," President Rouhani said, addressing the parliament in Tehran.

He also underlined that Iran spares no efforts to support the Palestinian nation and the holy Beit al-Moqaddas.

Rouhani described support for Palestine as one of Iran's causes, and said, "The US and the Zionist regime will not succeed in this plot and God willing, the Muslim nations will one day liberate al-Quds."

His comments came after Top Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said the United States' recent decision to recognize al-Quds as Israel's capital will fail to materialize its planned objectives, promising that the city would become the graveyard of the Zionists.

"The main goal of the Untied States and the Zionist regime is destruction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but God willing, Quds will be the place where the Zionist regime will be buried," General Jafari said at a meeting with the IRGC General Staff personnel here in Tehran on Saturday.

He further warned that the Muslim world is needed to take rapid action against "this devilish plot" as it could be late tomorrow, but meantime stressed that Washington and Tel Aviv "have embarked on historic foolishness".

"This decision of the Untied States is a prelude to the full denial of a Palestinian state and Palestinians' right to live in their own country," the General said, and added, "To achieve this goal they have even ignored and humiliated their own ex-friends in the Fatah Movement."

The IRGC commander further blamed Riyadh for its complicity in the US-Israeli move against the Palestinians. "We have been informed that this decision has been the product of behind-the-stage consultations, agreements and coordination with certain Arab states, specially Saudi Arabia, and they had been informed of the move since several months earlier."

He also pointed out that the verbal opposition shown by Riyadh is only meant to lead the antagonistic efforts against the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in order to contain opposition to words and avoid action.

"They have struck an agreement with Israel and the US in a bid to block any practical move to protect Quds and exclude the Palestinian issue from the domain of the Muslim world's interests and sensitivities."

Jafari, yet, reminded the failure of the US and Saudi schemes in Kurdistan, Lebanon and Yemen, and said, "Frequent failures in the region have disturbed the enemies' calculation and decision-making systems; under such circumstances, the best thing the Muslim world can do is to make the best and prompt use of these opportunities."

The US president last Wednesday defied global warnings, and said Washington formally recognizes Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel, and will begin the process of moving its embassy to the occupied city, breaking with decades of American policy despite widespread international opposition.

In anticipation of Trump's move, 151 members of the UN General Assembly voted last week to adopt a rare resolution that denounced Israel as the “occupying power” of Jerusalem al-Quds, a city that is holy to Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike.

The city has seen heightened tensions since 2015, when the Israeli military introduced restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque — Islam’s third holiest site.

Over 300 Palestinians have lost their lives at the hands of Israeli soldiers ever since.

Israel lays claim to the entirety of al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital while Palestinians want its Eastern part as the capital of a future state for themselves.

Palestinian leaders have warned that the potential relocation would fuel strong reaction in the region and deliver a death blow to any prospect of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump’s move which overturns decades of US foreign policy has triggered a fresh wave of unrest in the Middle East.