Vilnius Its Jewish influence has led to it being described as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania" and Napoleon named it "the Jerusalem of the North" as he was passing through in 1812. In 2009, Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture, together with the Austrian city of Linz. The name of the city originates from the Vilnia River. The city has also been known by many derivate spellings in various languages throughout its history: "Vilna" was once common in English. The most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include: , , , , , , ("Vilne"). A Russian name from the time
United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel process. Iran said the U.S. announcement was in violation of international resolutions and could spark a "new intifada". Lebanese President Michel Aoun said the policy change would derail the peace process. Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani called it "a death sentence for all who seek peace". Indonesian President Joko Widodo condemned the decision and asked the US to "reconsider the decision". Malaysian PM Najib Razak similarly did so, stating that "we strongly oppose any recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital for all time". On December 13, 2017, during an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting held in Istanbul,