President Donald Trump
on Wednesday announced that the United States will formally recognize Jerusalem
as Israel’s capital.
“That city is Israel’s
capital,” Trump said in remarks at the White House. “It is time to officially
recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”
Trump also announced plans to build a new American embassy in
Jerusalem. The current U.S. embassy is located in Tel Aviv.
Trump acknowledged
that his decision was driven by a political campaign pledge, saying that “while
previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to
deliver. Today, I am delivering.”
The president went on
to say that his decision “is not intended in any way” to hamper a lasting peace
agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. He also said the United States
would “support a two state solution if agreed to by both sides.”
But Trump’s decision
has already angered leaders across the Middle East, who warned the president
that his decision would effectively doom any future peace negotiations between
Israel and the Palestinians, and could further destabilize the entire Middle
East.
Jerusalem has long
been a divided city, with West Jerusalem serving as the seat of Israel’s
government. Palestinians, however, consider East Jerusalem as the rightful
capital of any future Palestinian state.
Trump said he would
immediately begin the process of designing and building a new U.S. embassy in
Jerusalem. Upon completion, he said, it “will be a magnificent tribute to
peace.”
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