ISTANBUL – Leaders of the pan-Islamic Organization of Islamic Cooperation united on Wednesday to discuss the US President’s decision to recognize Al-Quds (Occupied Jerusalem) as the capital of Israel.

In the joint statement, the Muslim leaders “rejected and condemned in the strongest terms” the US decision, which was announced last week by President Donald Trump, Voice Of America reported.

The OIC’s statement declared “East Jerusalem [Al-Quds] as the capital of the State of Palestine.”

It also urged all nations “to recognize the State of Palestine and East Jerusalem as its occupied capital.”

Addressing the attendants of the OIC meeting, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Trump’s decision a “crime.”

He said the action meant the US had “chosen to lose its qualification as a mediator” in peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.

“We will no longer accept that it (U.S.) has a role in the political process from now,” Abbas said.

A senior White House official said Wednesday that President Trump “remains as committed to peace as ever.”

The controversial decision also led to protests and clashes in several Palestinian areas last week, as well as demonstrations in other nations.

Israel occupied the holy city and the West Bank in the 1967 war and later annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community or UN resolutions.

Since then, Israel has adopted a series of oppressive measures to force the Palestinians out of the city, including systematic demolition of their homes and the building of illegal Israeli settlements.