Muslim nations say they don’t consider the US a peace broker in the Middle East

A group of leaders from Muslim nations declared Wednesday that the U.S. would no longer be considered a peace broker in the Middle East in the wake of President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation announced in a draft declaration obtained by Reuters that Trump’s move regarding the Israeli capital was a signal that the U.S. was stepping back from its role in achieving peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The draft also declared that East Jerusalem was the Palestinian capital, and urged other countries to “reconsider” their recognition of Israel due to its policies toward Palestinians, according to Reuters.

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“We call on world nations to reconsider their recognition of Israel over its conduct toward Palestinians and its dismissal of decisions by the international community with the backing of the United States,” the draft said.

The move comes as members of the organization convene during an emergency meeting in Turkey over the U.S. decision, which Trump announced last week.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced earlier on Wednesday that Palestinians would no longer accept a role from the U.S. in the Mideast peace deal.

Trump’s decision has sparked unrest in the region, with Palestinians viewing East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

The international community including the U.S. has maintained their embassies in Tel Aviv. Trump announced that his administration would begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. 

The U.S. has long played a major role in peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

The Trump administration had made it a goal to achieve peace between the two factions, dispatching the president’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner to spearhead a plan to promote peace in the region.