The leader of the Sadrist Movement in Iraq, Muqtada al-Sadr, condemned the US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move its embassy there. He called on Saudi Arabia to direct the Islamic alliance it leads to liberate Jerusalem.

In a news conference he held in Najaf on Thursday in response to Trump’s decision, Al-Sadr said, “The declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of (Israel) came on the day of the birth of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and this constitutes a challenge for Muslims, and I hope Muslims can really understand that.”

Al-Sadr called on the «Jihadi Iraqi factions to an urgent meeting in any place they want to discuss the matter of Jerusalem», pointing out that “if the factions are serious in fighting (Israel) I will be the first soldier and not a leader,” according to Al-Sumaria Iraqi channel.

He stressed the need for “the return of Jerusalem to the majority and not to the minority,” and called “the Palestinians not to bow in any way after Trump’s decision, and to reinitiate the Palestinian Intifada,” according to HuffPost Arabi.

Al-Sadr also called on Saudi Arabia to “immediately end the war in Yemen, Bahrain and Syria, and direct the Islamic alliance it leads to liberate Jerusalem. Otherwise, this will bring nothing but humiliation and disgrace for us and for it as well in case it fails to do so.”

Read: AU, Muslim groups condemn Trump’s decision

Al-Sadr called on the Arab and Islamic countries to “temporarily close American embassies and to permanently close the Israeli embassies.” He urged them to “reject all Arab and Islamic differences and unite against such attacks.”

He also called on “Arab young people to be aware of the weightiness of the issue and renew the Islamic Jihad spirit in order to liberate Jerusalem before it is too late.” He stressed that the “Arab Spring must be against Israel, the traitorous rulers and megalomaniacs.”