A rally was held at the Alberta legislature Sunday afternoon to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The “Hands Off Jerusalem! Rally” was held in conjunction with other protests in Canada and around the world.
“We just feel like that’s a very dangerous move and in my opinion, it’s also a little bit ridiculous. It’s like Prime Minister Trudeau saying, ‘We recognize Seattle as the capital of the United States,'” event organizer Mousa Qasqas said.
“He has no right to do that. That decision should come from people there, from the Palestinians and Israelis.”
READ MORE: Donald Trump announces U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
Jerusalem is a holy sanctuary for Jews, Muslims and Christians.
Qasqas said it’s unfair to have one government rule.
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“Palestinian Christians have come out against it, the Pope came out against it, here today we have a lot of our Jewish friends, independent Jewish voices here that are extremely against what’s going on,” he said.
“I think everybody who looks at it objectively will agree that this is not the right move to make.”
READ MORE: Arab foreign ministers urge U.S. to abandon recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
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Arab foreign ministers have urged the United States to abandon its decision, saying the move would increase violence through the region.
The announcement by President Donald Trump on Wednesday was a “dangerous violation of international law,” had no legal impact and was “void,” the Arab League said in a statement after a session attended by all its members in Cairo.
“If you follow the news, the reaction has been pretty extreme. People around the world are very upset, not just the people in the pro-Palestine or Muslim countries but even the United Nations,” Qasqas said.
READ MORE: More unrest feared over Trump’s Jerusalem decision, Israel beefs up police force
Qasqas said Trump’s announcement eliminates the United States as “an honest broker of peace.”
“Jerusalem, it is a divided city, and in the negotiations traditionally between Palestine and Israel, Jerusalem has kind of been, it’s a deal breaker,” he said.
“That’s why no president in the last 70 years has ever made this announcement even though Israel has asked every president to do it because they know once you give up Jerusalem that’s a bargaining chip to use in the peace process, and now there’s nothing left,” Qasqas said.
Qasqas hopes Sunday’s rally in Edmonton and others like it humanizes the Palestinian cause so people will view it as an essential issue.
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