Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Friday led thousands of Muslims in a rally to show solidarity with Palestinians slamming the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Najib told the crowd that Malaysia will do all it can to save Jerusalem and that he will not be cowed by the US nor by his close ties with President Donald Trump.
“Yes I have visited the White House and yes Trump is a good acquaintance but I will not pawn the sanctity of Islam” Najib said to loud cheers at the protest outside a mosque in the government capital of Putrajaya after Friday prayers.
“We are firm in our stand. We support the formation of a Palestine that is free and sovereign. We demand a Palestine with dignity and pride. We want East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine” he said.
Malaysia on Thursday joined more than 120 countries voting in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution calling for the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital ignoring a threat by Trump to cut off financial aid to countries voting against his move.
Earlier this month Trump reversed decades of US policy by announcing the United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that the US embassy would be moved to the holy city.
