Arab foreign ministers fumed over Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital at an emergency meeting in Cairo today.

In speech after speech, officials at the Arab League get-together spoke venomously of President Trump's announcement - but offered few ideas on actions to counter his move.

'If we do nothing about this one [Trump's decision], there will be many, many more tragedies,' warned Iraq's foreign minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

'No normalization [with Israel] and no compromises.'

Scroll down for video

In speech after speech, officials at the Arab League get-together spoke venomously of President Trump's announcement - but offered few ideas on actions to counter his move

Lebanon's foreign minister, Gibran Bassil, suggested that there might be a silver lining in the latest crisis to hit an Arab world locked in conflict with Israel for nearly 70 years. Pictured: Palestinian National Authority Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al Maliki meets with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit ahead of the meeting

'If we do nothing about this one [Trump's decision], there will be many, many more tragedies,' warned Iraq's foreign minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari (pictured)

The Cairo meeting's televised public session began at 9pm local time and ended two hours later after nearly 20 chief delegates spoke

The head of Egypt's largest Christian church also announced he would not meet US Vice President Mike Pence when he visits Cairo on December 20, mirroring a decision on Friday by the head of al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's top seat of learning.

Trump's announcement on Jerusalem, and his intention to move the US Embassy there, triggered denunciations from around the world, with even close allies suggesting he had needlessly stirred more conflict in an already volatile region.

The city's status lies at the core of the Israeli-Palestinians conflict, and Trump's move was widely perceived as siding with Israel. Even small crises over Jerusalem's status and that of the holy sites in its ancient Old City have sparked deadly bloodshed in the past.

The Cairo meeting's televised public session began at 9pm local time and ended two hours later after nearly 20 chief delegates spoke. Their comments ranged from blasting Trump's decision to the need for concrete action to musings on whether fiery speeches would change anything.

Lebanon's foreign minister, Gibran Bassil, suggested that there might be a silver lining in the latest crisis to hit an Arab world locked in conflict with Israel for nearly 70 years.

'Could this calamity bring us together and wake us from our slumber? Let it be known that history will never forgive us and our future will not be proud of what we have done,' he told the meeting.

Bassil also called for an emergency Arab summit, a proposition that's said to have been embraced by several Arab league member-states.

Earlier, Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki called on world nations to recognize the State of Palestine with east Jerusalem as its capital in response to Trump's decision.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir arrives to attend the Arab League foreign ministers emergency meeting

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speaks during the meeting of the Arab League foreign ministers

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry attends an Arab League foreign ministers emergency meeting to discuss the potential Arab response to Trump's announcement

Aboul-Gheit said Trump's decision 'condemned' the country that took it and the administration that passed it. It also raised a question mark over Washington's role as a peace mediator, not just in the Middle East but in the entire world.

'The decision amounts to the legalization of occupation,' said Aboul-Gheit, alluding to the occupation and later annexation of east Jerusalem by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

Al-Maliki called on the league to instruct its envoys in the United Nations to submit a draft resolution to the UN Security Council condemning Trump's decision.

Trump's decision, he said, 'betrays its hostility and bias against the Palestinian people.'