TEHRAN – Denouncing Israel as a “bureaucratic evil” in the Middle East, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said on Monday that the fate of Palestine cannot be separated from the fate of all Muslim countries.

Larijani urged Muslim countries to take action against recognition of al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital of Israel.

“We should all feel responsible (for the issue of Palestine), which is no trivial issue,” Larijani told an extraordinary meeting of the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States (PUOICM) in Tehran, Tasnim reported.

Pointing out that the issue of Palestine is a top priority for Muslim nations, the speaker called on Muslim countries to suspend their political and economic ties with the United States as long as Washington refuses to reconsider its decision about al-Quds.

The top lawmaker said, “If we do not act today, we will regret over the next few years.” 

The Palestine Committee of the PUOICM convened the extraordinary meeting in Tehran to discuss the latest developments concerning Palestine, especially U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial decision.

The meeting was attended by the parliament speakers of Iran, Iraq and Mali as well as parliamentary delegations from 7 other countries, including Palestine, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, and Jordan.

Trump made the move despite warnings from around the world that the measure risks triggering a fresh wave of violence in the Middle East.

In a speech at the White House on December 6, he said his administration would also begin a years-long process of moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to the holy city.

The announcement, which was a major shift by Washington that overturns decades of U.S. foreign policy, has drawn widespread condemnations and criticism worldwide, even from Washington’s close allies.

MH/PA