Arab foreign ministers are holding an emergency meeting in Cairo on Thursday, upon a request by Saudi Arabia, to “confront the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people” as well as “the illegal decision of the United States to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem.” The Council of the Arab League convened on Wednesday at the level of delegates. The meeting was chaired by Saudi Arabia, which was represented by the Saudi Ambassador to Cairo and permanent representative to the Arab League, Osama Al-Nugali, and in the presence of Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, at the request of the State of Palestine and with the support of a number of Arab countries. Diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that a draft resolution that was presented to the Arab foreign ministers was not only aimed at condemning recent developments in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, but rather agreeing on a quick Arab move to prevent the transfer of more embassies to Jerusalem and to call for recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, in exchange for the recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The draft also calls for asking the US administration to define its options and set a clear plan for achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region, in light of rising calls by the Palestinian Authority and other countries for an international and multilateral mechanism to replace the US, which they no longer consider as an intermediary in the peace process. The sources said that the draft resolution urges “international institutions to obtain support to the previous UN General Assembly resolution annulling the US decision to transfer the US embassy to Jerusalem, which is an occupied territory, and to demand an international commission of inquiry into the massacre against the Palestinians, and international protection for the Palestinian people.” Speaking during a press conference at the end of Wednesday’s meeting, Nugali said the Arab delegations focused on two issues: “The decision of the United States to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem and the Israeli escalation against the Palestinian people in Gaza.” “I believe that the agreement on the draft resolution reflects the Arab consensus on the Palestinian Cause and Jerusalem,” he added. In response to a question on the status of the Arab Peace Initiative, Nugali said: “The Arab League says at every meeting that the initiative is submitted by the Arab side, considering that peace is a strategic choice for the Arabs, and this is confirmed by all Arab summits and ministerial meetings.”