Israeli officials are awaiting what could be one of the first announcements from the new Trump administration: a decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Such a move, which Trump repeatedly promised on the campaign trail, may please many Israelis but anger Palestinians as well as officials in Arab nations, who could see it as directly provocative and a hindrance to future peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
Trump, like the Israeli government, views Jerusalem as Israel’s “eternal capital.” Since Israel’s creation, the United States has maintained that the status of the holy city of Jerusalem should be settled only in negotiations between the two parties, and Trump appears prepared to dramatically break with tradition.
Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, but neither leader’s report of their conversation referred to a U.S. Embassy move.
“The president emphasized that peace between Israel and the Palestinians can only be negotiated directly between the two parties and that the United States will work closely with Israel to make progress towards that goal,” the White House said in a statement.
It also said that Trump invited Netanyahu to visit the White House in early February, making him one of the first foreign leaders invited to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. under the new administration.
“We are at the very beginning stages of even discussing the subject,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer told ABC News on Sunday about the embassy’s location.
Aides to Netanyahu told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz over the weekend that that no announcement of a U.S. Embassy move was imminent, leaving questions about when a decision could be announced or if it might be a gradual process.
The right-wing mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, said that the Trump administration is committed to the move, telling Army Radio today that he’s had conversations with people in the new administration that show “they are serious about their intentions.” Barkat has long advocated for the move.
“I applaud President Trump on his historic announcement that the White House has begun discussions regarding moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem,” Barkat said in a statement. “President Trump has proven that he is a true friend of the state of Israel and a leader who keeps his promises. This evening’s announcement has sent a clear message to the world that the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as the indivisible capital of the state of Israel. We will provide any and all necessary assistance to the U.S. administration to ensure that the embassy move is done seamlessly and efficiently.”
In December, Trump spokesman Jason Miller affirmed Trump’s commitment to moving the embassy, telling reporters on the phone that Trump made that promise “numerous” times during the campaign. Miller did not speculate on a timeline for a move or a site for the embassy.
At an October Trump rally in Israel, Trump’s nominee for the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, told ABC News that if State Department employees refuse to move the embassy, they would be fired. The most recent ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, a veteran policy adviser, has already packed up and vacated his office in Tel Aviv.
(Source: ABC News)
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One Response
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Dear Mr Trump,
You could also leave the embassy where it is, and announce that the capital of Israel, according to the USA, is Jerusalem!
Thank you, Mr President!
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