Trump aides feared ‘resistance’
ist and terrorist groups vowed a violent rebuttal.
The leader of the Hamas terror group, Ismail Haniyeh, said that Friday, the Muslim holy day, will be a “day of rage.”
“Our people and factions of the resistance are in a permanent meeting to follow developments to confront this strategic threat that threatens the city of Jerusalem,” he said.
Trump on Wednesday announced that the U.S. would not only recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but also that the American Embassy will be relocated there from Tel Aviv.
Trump defied worldwide warnings and insisted that after repeated peace failures, it was time for a new approach.
The move led the State Department to issue warnings calling on U.S. citizens to avoid East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Documents obtained by Reuters revealed that the Trump administration asked the Israeli government to temper their response to the announcement and said that there were concerns about violence.
“We expect there to be resistance to this news in the Middle East and around the world. We are still judging the impact this decision will have on U.S. facilities and personnel overseas,” the documents said.
U.S. embassies across much of the Middle East and parts of Africa warned American citizens of possible protests following Trump’s move.
In Somalia, a country itself wracked by war, the government said late Thursday that it’s closely following Trump’s “dangerous” decision, and urged him to change his mind.
“We are urging the U.S. government to seriously reconsider the risks that its decision could have on the future of the Middle East and the world in general,” Somalia’s foreign ministry said, adding Somalia’s government and people are prepared to support Palestinians in their struggle.