Jerusalem
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Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would be a “naked aggression” that would cause the United States to lose “its mediating role and turn it into a biased party to the conflict,” the Organization of Islamic States said.

The statement by the group, representing 57 countries, came as President Donald Trump delayed a waiver on moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem that presidents have routinely issued since 1995 when Congress passed a law mandating the move.

The resolution issued Monday after an emergency meeting at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia “warns against recognizing Al-Quds as the capital of Israel, the occupying power, or establishing or transferring any diplomatic mission to Al-Quds, given that this is considered a naked aggression not only on the Arab and Islamic Ummah, but also on the rights of Muslims and Christians alike, and on the Palestinian people’s national rights, including their right to self-determination.” Al Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem. The Islamic Ummah refers to Muslims.

Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would cause “the United States to lose the legal and moral ground and its mediating role, and turning it into a biased party to the conflict,” the resolution said.

Trump’s deadline for issuing the waiver, which according to the law must be issued every six months, was Friday Dec. 1. On Monday evening, the White House said it would be delayed.

“No action will be taken on the waiver today,” an official said to JTA in an email. “We will share a decision on the waiver in the coming days.”

Recent reports say that Trump was unhappy with his first waiver issued in June and wants to go ahead and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as early as Wednesday. There have been conflicting details of what such a recognition would encompass, and whether it would involve moving the embassy.