Abbas and Sisi to meet in Cairo to discuss Jerusalem

Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians hope the capital of a future Palestinian state will be in east Jerusalem.

DECEMBER 11, 2017 03:33

Updated: DECEMBER 11, 2017 11:32

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting as part of an effort to revive the Middle East peace process ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US, September 19, 2017 (photo credit: THE EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS) — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting as part of an effort to revive the Middle East peace process ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US, September 19, 2017

(photo credit: THE EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi were scheduled to meet in Cairo on Monday to discuss US President Donald Trump’s changes to American policy on Jerusalem, the official PA news site Wafa reported on Sunday.

US President Donald Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel"s capital and announces embassy to relocate

In a speech at the White House on Wednesday, Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and initiated a process to relocate the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking with decades of American policy on the city.

However, the American president stated he was not taking a position on the final status of Jerusalem, which he said Israel and the Palestinians would decide in future peace talks.

“The [bilateral] summit will deal with the developments related to the US’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ways to deal with the crisis that protect the Palestinian people’s rights, national holy sites and legitimate right to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” said Bassam Radi, spokesman for the Egyptian President’s Office.

In remarks televised on Wednesday evening, Abbas condemned Trump’s decisions, saying they “embody a declaration of the United States’ withdrawal from undertaking the role” of an interlocutor in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians hope the capital of a future Palestinian state will be in east Jerusalem. According to Palestinian officials, the US recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and starting a process to relocate its embassy in Israel there are equivalent to siding with Israel’s claim to all of Jerusalem.

Abbas will spend two days in Egypt, the Wafa report added.

Abbas also met last week with Jordanian King Abdullah and Crown Prince Hussein in Amman to discuss Trump’s decisions on Jerusalem.