President Donald Trump told Arab leaders on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) that he intends to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a move that would break with decades of US policy and risks fuelling further unrest in the Middle East.
Senior US officials have said Trump is likely on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he is expected to order his aides to begin planning such a move immediately. The officials said, however, that no final decisions have been made.
US endorsement of Israel’s claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would reverse long-standing US policy that the city’s status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions.
Read the full article by Reuters at the Financial Review.