Arab League to hold emergency meeting Saturday over Jerusalem issue

The Arab League (AL) decided to hold an emergency meeting at the level of foreign ministers on Saturday to discuss the Arab action regarding the possible U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital city, official MENA news agency reported on Wednesday. 

The decision is made in response to Palestine's request that has been supported by Jordan.

A view of Jerusalem Old City is seen from Mount of Olives on Dec. 6, 2017. [Photo: AP]

"The meeting will discuss the necessary Arab actions towards the possible change of the U.S. position that affects the status of Jerusalem as well as its legal and historical position," MENA quoted the Palestinian memorandum as saying. 

The AL announcement comes while U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to make a decision Wednesday over his country's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the disputed holy city. 

Over the past few days, the AL and most Arab states have been warning against the "dangerous repercussions" of such a U.S. decision, if made, on peace, security and stability in the Middle East region and the chances for a settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict emerged since the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the Western-backed creation of Israel in 1948. 

Israel is blamed by the international community for the deadlock of the peace process due to its settlement expansion policy, which is rejected even by its strongest ally, the United States. 

The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital in the light of the UN-proposed two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders.