Protesters in Jerusalem clashed with Israeli security forces for a second day in a row Thursday, following President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Jerusalem wasn’t the only city to experience waves of outrage and violence Thursday. Protestors took over large swaths of Gaza and the West Bank as well, some turning violent after police threw stun grenades and fired rounds of tear gas into crowds.
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Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s official capital upended decades of U.S. foreign policy in the region and was widely condemned by Arab countries as well as allies and the UN. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, said Trump’s decision undermined the U.S. as a serious peace broker for the Arab-Israeli conflict. And Hamas, which oversees the Gaza strip, interpreted the decision as “a declaration of war,” calling on Palestinians to launch another intifada.
“The US decision is an aggression, a declaration of war on us,” Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Palestinian Islamist group said Thursday. “We should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy.”
Trump’s decision was even unpopular in his own administration, with both Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis both reportedly warning the president such a move could impact American national security domestically and overseas.
More than 100 people have been injured in the protests thus far, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Cover image: A Palestinian protester burns tires during clashes with Israeli troops following protests against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
