Muslim Dutch politicians blast US' Jerusalem move

By Abdullah Asian, Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

AMSTERDAM

The U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital is dangerous “insolence” meant to legitimize the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, according to Muslim Dutch politicians.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Tunahan Kuzu, the co-founder and head of Netherland's DENK party -- established in 2015 by Turkish-Dutch lawmakers -- warned that U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial decision will cause a huge crisis.

"Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital means legitimating Israel's years-long illegitimate occupation," he said.

He added: "We were used to Trump's nonsense, but this is more than that, it’s disrespect and insolence."

Kuzu said the U.S. decision served to reward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has presided over unprecedented Israeli settlements being built in occupied Palestinian land.

"Netanyahu is being rewarded instead of punished for his increasingly invasive policies of recent years," Kuzu stressed.

He said that U.S. should reverse the decision.

"This decision and other similar decisions show that we should immediately recognize the Palestinian state," Kuzu said.

He added that they will take initiatives in the Dutch parliament for recognition of Palestine.

-'Flouting international law'

Nourdin El Ouali, who leads the NIDA party, also said that Trump and Israel have once again flouted international law, the UN, Palestinians, and the entire world.

"This attitude exacerbates injustice and makes peace more distant," he said.

Jerusalem is one of the holiest sites for the world’s three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

Despite widespread international opposition, Trump on Wednesday announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and said preparations would begin to move the U.S. Embassy there.

The declaration sparked demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories as well as Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, and other majority-Muslim countries.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

During his presidential campaign last year, Trump repeatedly promised to relocate the embassy and acknowledge Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.