U.S. EMBASSY TO
But Trump may recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, say sources
WASHINGTON DC
PRESIDENT Donald Trump plans to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital but not to move the United States embassy there for now, people briefed on the deliberations said on Friday, a halfway gesture intended to fulfill a campaign pledge while not derailing his peace initiative.
Trump is expected to announce the decision on Wednesday, these people said, though they cautioned that the president had not yet signed off on it and the details could shift.
Those details, experts warned, are fiendishly complicated. The diplomatic status of Jerusalem is one of the world’s most contested issues, with both Israel and the Palestinians claiming it as their capital. Its holy sites are sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, and any change in its status would have vast repercussions across the Middle East and other Islamic countries worldwide.
Trump promised to move the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv as one of his first acts as president — a pledge that was wildly popular with his evangelical supporters as well as powerful Jewish donors.
US presidents must sign a national security waiver every six months to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv.
In June, Trump deferred a decision to move it to Jerusalem, under pressure from Arab leaders and advisers, including his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
With another deadline looming tomorrow, Trump is expected to sign an order keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv.
But he will couple that with a statement that the US recognises Jerusalem as the capital — something that no president, Republican or Democrat, has done since the state of Israel was established in 1948. NYT