Hundreds fill Times Square to protest Trump's Jerusalem decision

NEW YORK — Chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," hundreds of protesters – including many from North Jersey – filled Times Square on Friday to denounce President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

One of the holiest and most contested cities in the world, Jerusalem holds vast significance not only to Jews, but also to Palestinian Muslims and Christians, who make up about 37 percent of the city’s population.

On Friday, protesters alternated between feelings of anger and fear. Many were vexed by the president's announcement, believing it would stifle peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Others worried the news could usher in a new era of violence in the region.

“You’re seeing unrest not only in the U.S. but all over the world,” said Omar Awad, president of the Islamic Center of Passaic County.

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In a move that sent shock waves across the world, Trump announced Wednesday that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and called for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the holy city. World leaders from U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May to Pope Francis criticized the decision, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some Jewish-American groups praised it.

On Friday, crowds of protesters began to swell just before sundown along a fenced-in section of 42nd Street. Many waved Palestinian flags or held up signs proclaiming“Free free Palestine” and “End the Occupation."

A rented U-Haul flatbed truck served as the stage for dozens of speakers who through a microphone led chants in Arabic and English.

Sayel Kayed of North Bergen had parked the truck earlier in the day at the corner of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue. The Palestinian native, who heads the New Jersey chapter of American Muslims for Palestine, called Trump's decision a “slap in the face” for Muslims who face discrimination in Jerusalem.

“This is a move to ethnically cleanse the Palestine area even more,” he said.

Kayed's organization is one of several that banded together to host Friday's demonstration, which attracted hundreds of Palestine supporters from the Tri-State area.

Lamis Deek represented Al/Awda, a group that advocates for the rights of all Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. The attorney from Brooklyn said Friday that she feared the president’s announcement would turn peace talks into a farce.

“This moment lets us know that the only way we will ever achieve peace is to ensure that there is justice and liberation for Palestinians,” Deek said. “Regional peace is critical for global peace.”

The United States remains "deeply committed" to facilitating a peace agreement, Trump said this week. But he argued that decades of presidential waivers delaying the relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem had not moved negotiators closer to a peace deal.

But many around the world fear the president’s stance will jeopardize the United States’ position as a peace broker, alienate major allies and foment unrest.

Jerusalem is home to the Temple Mount, the holiest site in the world for Jews, who come from around the world to pray at the Western Wall. For Christians, it is where Jesus ministered, died and was resurrected. For Muslims, Jerusalem’s heart is Al Aqsa Mosque and the surrounding area, where they believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven.

The United Nations partitioned Palestine into Jewish and Arab states in 1947, designating Jerusalem an international city. Jerusalem itself was divided not long after – the western half became part of Israel, and East Jerusalem came under the control of Jordan. Israel captured East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War of 1967, but the city's status remains disputed and the occupation is considered illegal under international law. For decades, U.S. administrations have said the status must be decided by peace talks.

Solutions to the infighting were always few and far between, Kayed said. Now, the United States' position as an arbiter in those discussions is weaker than ever, he said.

“Negotiations really weren’t going anywhere, but now it’s more clear that the U.S. is not interested in peace," said Kayed.

Email: nobile@northjersey.com