Malaysia’s Defence Minister has announced that that the country’s armed forces are “ready” to intervene following President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city.
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said that the United States’ decision to make Jerusalem the capital city of Israel was “a slap in the face for the entire Muslim world”.
The Malaysian state news agency Bernama quoted Hishammuddin Hussein as saying: “We have to be prepared for any possibilities.
“The ATM [Malaysian Armed Forces] has always been ready, waiting for instructions from the top leadership.”
The statement came a day after protesters gathered in front of the American embassy in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Minister for Youth and Sports Khairy Jamaluddin said through a loudspeaker towards the embassy: “Mr President, this is an illegal announcement. Jerusalem is an occupied territory.”
Last Thursday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called on Muslims worldwide to strongly oppose any recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city.
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In nearby Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, tens of thousands protested outside the U.S. embassy on Sunday in the capital Jakarta.
Arab foreign ministers who met in Cairo urged the United States to abandon its decision and said the move would spur violence throughout the region.
The Trump administration said it is still committed to “reviving Palestinian-Israeli talks” that collapsed in 2014.
It said Israel’s capital would be in Jerusalem under any serious peace plan, adding that it has not taken a position with regard to the city’s borders.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has said that Palestinians will be looking for a new peace talks broker instead of the United States, and would seek a United Nations Security Council resolution over Trump’s decision.
