KUALA LUMPUR: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members must object in a united voice to any suggestion by the United States (US) to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said OIC members should react swiftly to any plans by US president Donald Trump's administration to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital as it could escalate to a major crisis in the Middle East region.
"We are very concerned with this development and I wish for the OIC members to speak up in one voice to object any move by the United States to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
"The OIC nations should view it beyond a Palestinian matter as it is an international issue," Zahid said.
He said this after receiving a courtesy call from a Hamas delegation led by its political bureau member, Dr Maher Salah, along the sidelines of the Umno general assembly 2017 at the Putra World Trade Centre here today.
Zahid said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is also expected to issue a statement on Malaysia’s stand over the matter soon.
He added that Malaysia would come up with several suggestions and an action plan in handling the issue.
"The suggestion will not interfere in the internal affairs of any country including the superpower nations but we hope it would lead to the resolution of the issue and avoid potential conflicts," he said.
Zahid was responding to Trump’s move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Several Islamic nations had expressed their concern over the development, with Turkey reportedly cautioning that the move would bring “catastrophe”.
Leaders in the Middle East and elsewhere had warned Trump that the move would have grave implications for the peace process and on regional stability.
Israel claims the city as its capital, following occupation of East Jerusalem in the 1967 war with Syria, Egypt and Jordan, and considers the city to be a "united" city.
Palestinians had long seen East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.