Arab media launch joint broadcast to support Jerusalem

Arab radio stations and TV channels will launch a joint broadcast on Sunday in a show of support for Jerusalem following a US move to recognise the holy city as Israel’s capital.

“This is a message to [US President Donald] Trump that his declaration about Jerusalem is rejected,” Ahmed Assaf, the general supervisor of official Palestinian media, told Voice of Palestine Radio. “It’s also a message to Israel that Jerusalem belongs to Palestinians and Arab,” he said, adding:

This message is also directed to our people that they are not alone in defending Jerusalem

A Palestinian flag attached to flying balloons is seen on air during a protest against US President Donald Trump’s announcement to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Jerusalem’s Old City on December 16, 2017 [Mahmoud Ibrahim / Anadolu Agency]

The official Palestine TV and Voice of Palestine radio station will host a number of Palestinian and Arab guests to speak about the importance of Jerusalem to Arabs and Muslims.

Last week, the Arab States Broadcasting Union set December 17 to show solidarity with the Palestinians by launching a joint broadcast in support of Jerusalem.

At a Tuesday summit in Istanbul, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) responded to the controversial US move by formally recognising East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Read: Erdogan says Turkey will open embassy in East Jerusalem

Tension has risen across the Palestinian territories since US President Donald Trump’s decision to officially recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Most countries consider East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after capturing it in a 1967 war, to be occupied territory, and say the status of the city should be left to be decided at future Israeli-Palestinian talks.

While the international community has almost unanimously disagreed with Donald Trump’s announcement, reports suggest that the announcement was done with the pre-agreement of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with the Saudi Arabia going as far as, allegedly, stating to the Palestinian President to accept a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem as the alternative Palestinian capital.

Following Trump’s announcement, several Chinese and Japanese tech companies have cancelled delegations to Israel.

Read: Malaysian army ‘ready to perform its duty’ towards Palestinians

A demonstrator takes photos of Israeli security forces as they take photos of the protestor during a demonstration against US President Donald Trump’s announcement to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Jerusalem’s Old City on December 16, 2017 [Mahmoud Ibrahim / Anadolu Agency]