Arab FMs to meet on Jerusalem next month

Arab foreign ministers will meet next month to discuss the holding of an Arab summit to discuss the repercussions of a U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Arab League said Wednesday.  

In a statement, the Cairo-based league said the planned ministerial meeting will be held on Feb. 1. 

On Dec. 6, U.S. President Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ordered the relocation of the U.S. embassy from the holy city to Tel Aviv.  

The move has invited a storm of condemnations across the Arab and Muslim world and protests in the Palestinian territories that left at least 16 people dead.  

Last month, Arab foreign ministers held a meeting in Cairo to discuss ways of countering the U.S. policy change on Jerusalem.  

In December, the UN overwhelmingly rejected the U.S. decision to recognize the holy city as Israel's capital. Only a handful of states stood with the U.S. in the 128-9 vote, despite its threat to cut aid to countries that voted against it.  

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.