BRUSSELS (Dispatches) – European Union leaders have rejected a contentious US decision to recognize al-Quds as the Zionist regime’s "capital,” saying the 28-member bloc’s stance on the city remains "unchanged.”
"EU leaders reiterate firm commitment to the two-state solution and, in this context, the EU position on Jerusalem [al-Quds] remains unchanged,” President of the European Council Donald Tusk said in a message posted on his official Twitter account on Thursday.
The tweet came after EU leaders discussed Trump’s decision at a summit underway in the Belgian capital of Brussels.
On December 6, Trump sparked international outrage as he declared that Washington was recognizing al-Quds as the "capital” of the regime and that he had instructed his administration to begin the process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the ancient city.
The dramatic shift in Washington’s Jerusalem policy has drawn fierce criticism from the international community, including Washington’s own allies, while triggering demonstrations against the U.S. and the Zionist regime worldwide.
Thursday’s statement by the bloc’s heads of state and government adds fresh weight to the criticism of Trump’s move.
According to media reports, French President Emanuel Macron had lobbied for a sharper statement against Trump’s declaration.
The Zionist regime failed to torpedo the statement, but managed to get the French text watered down with the help of the Czech Republic and Hungary.
On December 7, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini voiced alarm at the U.S. decision and said it could take the region "backwards to even darker times.”

Lebanon, Turkey to Counter U.S. Move

Lebanon and Turkey are considering opening diplomatic missions in the occupied East al-Quds in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial recognition of the whole city as the "capital" of Israel.
In a post on his official Twitter account, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil described East al-Quds as "the capital of Palestine,” saying he had informed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of his willingness to establish a Lebanese embassy there.
Bassil also noted that Abbas had promised to provide a piece of land for Lebanon's mission in al-Quds.
The top Lebanese diplomat further pointed out that the embassy plan was expected to be debated during the cabinet meeting.
Separately, Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), called on the government to open the country's embassy in East al-Quds.
"Turkey should immediately, without wasting time, open its embassy to Palestine in East al-Quds," Engin Altay, CHP's deputy chairman, said.