Abbas hails Qatar's opposition to U.S. Jerusalem decision

DOHA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas praised on Sunday Qatar's rejection to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Abbas made the remarks at his meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, during which the Qatari leader stressed his country's firm stance of supporting the Palestinian cause and rights.

The emir lauded the progress that Palestinians have achieved to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the resolutions of international legitimacy and the two-state solution backed by the international community.

Qatar has close ties with the U.S., which has its largest military base in the Middle East in Doha for launching anti-terror attacks.

Israel took over East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war and declared the whole city as its eternal capital in 1980. But the Palestinians insist that East Jerusalem should be the capital of their future independent state.

On Dec. 6, Trump announced his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, tossing aside 70 years of U.S. neutrality on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

The move has infuriated Muslims across the world, who revered Jerusalem as the third holiest site in their religion.

Waves of protests have been held in the past weeks by the Palestinians and other Muslims in the Middle East and around the world, calling on the U.S. to withdraw its decision. Enditem