The fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Wednesday was evident on the ground with protests in Palestinian territory and across West Asia.
Reversing U.S. policy and putting the peace process in peril, Mr. Trump’s announcement threatened to destabilise a region grappling with conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. The status of Jerusalem — home to sites holy to the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths — is one of the biggest obstacles to reaching a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel considers Jerusalem its ‘indivisible’ capital and wants all embassies based there; Palestinians want the capital of an independent state of theirs to be in the city’s eastern sector, which Israel captured in the 1967 war.
Pictures show Palestinians scuffling with Israeli forces in Bethlehem on Thursday and protesters clashing with troops at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem that left many injured on Friday.
Palestinians scuffle with Israeli forces at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on December 8, 2017. Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces after calls for a “day of rage” as US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital sent shockwaves through the region for a second day.
