Iraq demands US backtrack on Jerusalem, summons ambassador

MENA

Published: 2017-12-07 16:10

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 20:29


Trump recognizes Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
Trump recognizes Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

Iraq demanded on Thursday the US administration backtracks its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and Baghdad summoned the US ambassador to protest the decision.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassador in Baghdad and said they will hand him a memo protesting Trump’s decision, Foreign Ministry said.

“We caution against the dangerous repercussions of this decision on the stability of the region and the world.”

“The U.S. administration has to backtrack on this decision to stop any dangerous escalation that would fuel extremism and create conditions favorable to terrorism.”

On his turn, Iraq’s top Shi‘ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani condemned the decision and called the Islamic nation to unite its efforts to reclaim Jerusalem.

“This decision is condemned and decried, it hurt the feelings of hundreds of millions of Arabs and Muslims,” Al-Sistani’s office said in a statement.

“But it won’t change the reality that Jerusalem is an occupied land which should return to the sovereignty of its Palestinian owners no matter how long it takes,” it said.

Following Trump’s speech, dozens of Iraqis protested in Baghdad, carrying signs saying “Jerusalem is Arab” and they are planning to return in greater numbers on Friday.