LEBANESE police attacked demonstrators with tear gas and water cannon yesterday as they rallied outside the country’s US embassy.

Huge protests have erupted across the Muslim world following President Donald Trump’s December 6 declaration that Washington would now recognise Jerusalem as capital of Israel — despite the eastern part of the city being illegally occupied Palestinian territory.

Lebanon is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees, many of whom joined the protests. Lebanon Communist Party leader Hanna Gharib said the decision proved the US was “the enemy of Palestine.”

The demo raged after an emergency meeting of the Arab League condemned Mr Trump’s decision, saying the US had “withdrawn itself as a sponsor and broker” of any possible peace deal between Israel and Palestine.

The “illegal” decision was a “dangerous violation” of international law which officially puts Washington “in favour of the occupation,” it declared.

The League, which includes close US allies such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf monarchies, stopped short of any serious measures in response.

Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said that “Jerusalem has been occupied for 50 years. This is an extended battle, a battle that will be escalated” — but did not specify how.

A determination to push for a UN security council resolution condemning the move is unlikely to make waves, given the US can veto it and the other 14 members of the security council have all condemned the decision already.

Palestine’s Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said a similar resolution might be sought at the UN general assembly, but numerous UN resolutions deploring Israel’s occupation and colonisation programme have failed to sway US or Israeli policy.

Mr Maliki and Mr Aboul-Gheit reiterated the League’s commitment to a 2002 Arab peace plan proposing recognition of Israel in return for Tel Aviv disgorging the territory it has swallowed up since 1967.

The weekend saw further protests across the West Bank and Gaza, with clashes between Palestinians and occupying Israeli soldiers in around 20 different places, including East Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Israeli forces shot two Gaza protesters dead while air strikes killed another two, supposedly members of Hamas, which Israel blames for a rocket attack on Friday night that left no casualties.