Parisians protest US Jerusalem decision ahead of Natanyahu’s visit

Hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets of the French capital to protest against the US recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the country.

The protesters staged the gathering in Paris on Saturday, holding Palestinian flags and chanting slogans in support of Palestine amid global uproar against the US move.

The protest came ahead of Netanyahu’s visit to Paris on Sunday.

In Italy, hundreds of Palestinians, joined by a group of American and Italian activists, held a protest outside the US embassy in Rome.

The protesters called for boycotting Israel as well as the liberation of occupied Palestinian territories.

On Wednesday, Trump announced that he formally recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s “capital” and ordered the start of a process for moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the city.

The declaration sent shock waves throughout the Muslim world, and even prompted warnings from Washington’s allies in the West that it would bring more chaos to the region.

Also in Pakistan, hundreds of women belonging to the country’s main Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, rallied in the city of Karachi to protest against Washington’s move.

The protesters, who were wearing all-encompassing black veils, chanted anti-Trump and anti-US slogans.

Head of Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Sirajul Haq, who addressed the protest, called for a diplomatic boycott of the US if Washington did not reverse its decision.

Haq also called for a ban on American products and the closure of US diplomatic missions across Pakistan.

Palestinian leaders declared Friday as the “day of rage” against Israel and the US.

Clashes broke out between Israeli troops and Palestinian protesters after Friday prayers in Jerusalem al-Qud's Old City, al-Khalil -- also known as Hebron-- , Bethlehem and Nablus in the occupied West Bank as well as the besieged Gaza Strip. At least two Palestinians were killed and about 770 others were injured during the unrest on Friday.

Also on Saturday, twenty Palestinians were injured during continued clashes with Israeli forces in Bethlehem after the forces began targeting the crowd with rubber-coated bullets and fired tear gas to disperse protesters.

Jerusalem al-Quds remains at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians hoping that the eastern part of the city would eventually serve as the capital of a future independent Palestinian state.

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