1st LD-Writethru: Arab Parliament calls for emergency summit to defy U.S. decision on Jerusalem

CAIRO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Arab Parliament called on Monday for an urgent Arab summit to discuss ways to defy the recent U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The parliament decided to assign delegations representing the Arab Parliament to visit the African and European parliaments to hold meetings and demand for international rejection to the U.S. decision.

It further stressed the Arab and Islamic solidarity with the Palestinians via coordinating efforts between the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab Parliament to enhance recognition of the Palestinian state and its full membership in the United Nations.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and decided to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Trump's declaration received widespread criticism and opposition from Arab and Muslim countries.

Jerusalem lies at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

Israel took over East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war and declared the whole city as its eternal indivisible capital in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.

The Palestinians insist that they should establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital in the final settlement.

Under the previous Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, the status of Jerusalem should be determined through the final-status talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Enditem