Foreign ministry rejects Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital and warns of global consequences.

Qatar has called on the United States to reverse its decision recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lulwa Al Khater said on Wednesday that Qatar denounces US President Donald Trump’s move and warns the international community of its consequences.

International forums have already rejected Trump’s position, Al Khater said.

On Wednesday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) declared East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and rejected Trump’s decision as “null and void” at a summit in Istanbul.

Founded in 1969, the 57-member OIC bills itself as “the collective voice of the Muslim world”.

Trump announced on December 6 that the US formally recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will begin the process of moving its embassy to the city, breaking with decades of US policy.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, while Israel says Jerusalem, which is under Israeli occupation, cannot be divided.

The international community has never recognised Israel’s claim to the entire city.

Khater said Qatar will work “at both the Arab and Islamic levels” to ensure United Nations resolutions on Jerusalem are upheld in the wake of the Washington’s policy change, citing Doha’s ties with the Arab League and OIC.

Under the 1947 UN Partition Plan to divide historical Palestine between Jewish and Arab states, Jerusalem was granted special status and was meant to be placed under international sovereignty and control.

The special status was based on Jerusalem’s religious importance to the three Abrahamic religions; Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UN’s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, has labelled Jerusalem “perhaps the most emotionally charged and difficult subject” among final status issues in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

“The United Nations has repeatedly declared that any unilateral decision that seeks to alter the character and status of Jerusalem or that may alter these long-standing principles could seriously undermine current peace efforts and may have repercussions across the region,” he said on December 8.