An international conference held by Egypt’s al-Azhar to back Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine kicked off Wednesday in Cairo.
The two-day conference adopts the motto of “World Conference in Support of Jerusalem.”
According to Egyptian news outlets a number of prominent national regional and international figures are participating in the conference including: the Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayyeb Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark Tawadros II Arab Parliament chief Meshaal bin Fahm al-Salmi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
The conference will be attended by officials from 86 countries to discuss the issue of Jerusalem.
The event will highlight a number of issues including “raising awareness about Jerusalem and emphasizing its Arab and Islamic identity.
The conference is held nearly one month after the U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The event led by Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb is expected to conclude with several recommendations that support the Palestinian cause and stress the rights of Palestinians to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as undivided its capital.
Following Trump’s decision on Jerusalem which sparked protests in several Arab countries Egypt presented a draft resolution to the Security Council on behalf of Arab countries that would have required the U.S. to reverse its decision.
The resolution was vetoed by the US though it gained support from all 14 other members of the Security Council including key U.S. allies Britain France Italy Japan and Ukraine.
A total of 128 countries later voted in the UN General Assembly in favor of a resolution condemning Trump’s decision and calling on the U.S. to backtrack on the move.
