Palestine demands UN replace U.S. in peace process

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Islamic leaders Wednesday to replace the United States as the Israeli-Palestinian deal broker in response to President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Abbas delivered his hourlong speech at a gathering of heads of state and leaders from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul. He called Trump’s decision a “crime,” saying, “The United States has chosen to lose its qualification as a mediator.” Abbas called on the United Nations to replace the United States. Israel has long claimed Jerusalem as its eternal and indivisible capital, while Palestine has argued east Jerusalem will serve as its future capital. Trump’s decision sparked protests across the Muslim world. The summit will likely garner a unified stance from the Muslim world against the recognition. “They expect the Islamic nation to remain silent,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in his opening remarks at the pre-summit meeting. “But we will never be silent. This bullying eliminates the possibility of peace and the grounds for shared life.”