Palestinians should make Ramallah their capital, says Egyptian officer

“How is Jerusalem different from Ramallah?” asks an Egyptian intelligence officer, saying the Palestinians should content themselves with the city that currently serves as their de facto administrative capital. 

By: Adina Katz, World Israel News

Capt. Ashraf al-Kholi, an Egyptian intelligence officer, has been urging influential talk show hosts to accept US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to convince their viewers as well, the New York Times reported Saturday.

“How is Jerusalem different from Ramallah, really?” he asked repeatedly in four audio recordings of his telephone calls obtained by Times.

For decades, according to the Times, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with the Jewish state in 1979, have publicly condemned the Israeli “occupation of Palestinian lands” while quietly acquiescing. Furthermore, the spread of Radical Islamic terror by groups such as ISIS coupled and the growing Iranian threat have resulted in closer collaboration between the some Arab countries and Israel.

“Like all our Arab brothers,” Egypt would denounce the decision in public, Kholi told the hosts in quietly placed phone calls, the Times said.

“Exactly that,” agreed one host, Azmi Megahed, who confirmed the authenticity of the recording.

Jordan rooting for PA capital in Jerusalem

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Arab states will push for international recognition of east Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, the Associated Press reported.

Safadi spoke after hosting five Arab foreign ministers and the head of the Arab League in order to decide on a joint Arab response to Trump.

The Arab world would pursue a “global political decision to recognize the Palestinian state … with east Jerusalem as its capital,” he stated.

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