![\"Saudi](\"https:\/\/cdn.ghana-mma.com\/2019\/06\/01093036-696x463.jpg\" "\\"Saudi")
<\/div>Political leaders and heads of state"},"modified":"2019-06-01T09:30:53","modified_gmt":"2019-06-01T09:30:53","slug":"mecca-summit-supports-palestinians-backs-saudis-in-iran-standoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2019\/06\/01\/mecca-summit-supports-palestinians-backs-saudis-in-iran-standoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Mecca summit supports Palestinians, backs Saudis in Iran standoff"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
![\"Saudi](\"https:\/\/cdn.ghanamma.com\/2019\/06\/01093036-696x463.jpg\" "\\"Saudi")
<\/div>\nPolitical leaders and heads of state from Islamic nations on Saturday condemned countries who have made the \u201cillegal and irresponsible decision\u201d to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement at the end of a summit of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia the leaders called on countries who have moved their embassies to Jerusalem to rethink their strategy which they said constituted \u201ca serious violation of international law and international legitimacy\u201d.<\/p>\n
The OIC urged member countries to take \u201cappropriate measures\u201d against countries that move their embassies to Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital in December 2017, breaking with decades of established protocol, and in May 2018 transferred the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
Guatemala followed suit soon afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Palestinian people have the right to achieve their inalienable national rights, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State,\u201d the final statement said.<\/p>\n
Jerusalem is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians as their capital and the US move was roundly condemned by Palestinians who said the US could no longer portray itself as a neutral mediator between the two sides.<\/p>\n
\u2018Deal of the century\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n The OIC\u2019s statement comes as Trump\u2019s son-in-law Jared Kushner prepares to roll out economic aspects of his long-awaited Middle East peace plan at a conference in Bahrain later this month.<\/p>\n The plan, dubbed the \u201cdeal of the century\u201d, has already been rejected by the Palestinians, who say Trump\u2019s policies have shown him to be blatantly biased in favour of Israel.<\/p>\n Kushner, who was in Jerusalem on Friday on the latest leg of a regional tour to sell the plan, had looked to an alliance with Saudi Arabia against Iran as a way to gain Arab support.<\/p>\n But Saudi King Salman told leaders of the IOC countries gathered at the summit: \u201cThe Palestinian cause is the cornerstone of the works of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and is the focus of our attention until the brotherly Palestinian people get all their legitimate rights.<\/p>\n \u201cWe reaffirm our unequivocal rejection of any measures that would prejudice the historical and legal status of Quds (Jerusalem).\u201d<\/p>\n The meeting was the third international summit to be held in Saudi Arabia since Thursday.<\/p>\n Iran tensions<\/strong><\/p>\n The OIC also backed Saudi Arabia over escalating tensions with Iran, as King Salman warned that \u201cterrorist\u201d attacks in the Gulf region could imperil global energy supplies.<\/p>\n The remark came after sabotage attacks damaged four vessels, two of them Saudi oil tankers, off the UAE and twin Yemeni rebel drone attacks shut down a key Saudi oil pipeline.<\/p>\n \u201cWe confirm that terrorist actions not only target the kingdom and the Gulf region, but also target the safety of navigation and world oil supplies,\u201d the king told OIC member states.<\/p>\n Tehran has strongly denied involvement in any of the incidents.<\/p>\n In a tweet just before the start of the summit, the king vowed to confront \u201caggressive threats and subversive activities\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cUndermining the security of the kingdom effectively undermines the security of the Arab and Islamic world,\u201d said OIC Secretary-General Yousef bin Ahmed al-Othaimeen, voicing solidarity that was shared by other members.<\/p>\n Analyst say Riyadh\u2019s strategy to counter Tehran are not being mhelped by divisions within Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.<\/p>\n \u201cThis strategy from the GCC states is flawed. Flawed because in one sense they don\u2019t want to talk to Iran. Iran has asked for a dialogue and they don\u2019t want to sit at the table and talk to Iran and sort out all the issues they have with Iran. There are conflicts between the GCC member states. The GCC is not united and it is fragmanted,\u201d Abdullah Baaboob, Gulf and Middle East Analyst told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n The OIC summit also urged the United States to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n