'We All Want to Pray in Jerusalem', Says Bassil Urging Arab Measures, Uprising

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil has called for an Arab popular uprising and for diplomatic, political and economic Arab measures against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“Jerusalem cannot belong to a unilateral state… Jerusalem is for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We are the sons of Abraham, Jesus and Mohammed, we all want to pray in Jerusalem and we will not accept to be prevented,” said Bassil at an emergency Arab League meeting in Cairo over Trump’s move.

He warned that the Arab countries are today facing two choices: “Revolution or the death of a dormant nation.”

The minister then suggested a host of measures to confront the U.S. administration’s move.

“We must restore the unified Arab policy to take deterring measures in response to the U.S. decision and any similar decision by any other state, starting with diplomatic measures to political, economic and financial measures,” Bassil said.

“There should be a unified popular uprising in all our Arab countries… This uprising should not stop before the implementation of all the stipulations of the Arab Peace Initiative without any selectivity,” the FM added.

He also urged Arabs to achieve “an inter-Arab reconciliation,” describing it as “the only path for the salvation of this Nation.”

“We must call for an emergency Arab summit for Jerusalem to restore its Arab identity, because without Jerusalem there can be no Arabs and no Arabism,” Bassil added.

The U.S. decision has ignited protests across the Middle East, where it is widely seen as a blatantly pro-Israel move that threatens the decades-old peace process.

Lebanon is home to 450,000 Palestinian refugees, nearly 10 percent of the population.