Washington: President Donald Trump told Israeli and Arab leaders on Tuesday that he plans to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a symbolically fraught move that would upend decades of US policy and upset efforts to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Trump is expected to announce his decision on Wednesday, two days after the expiration of a deadline for him to decide whether to keep the American Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Palestinian officials said Trump told the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, that the United States would move the embassy to Jerusalem. Jordan said the president gave a similar message to King Abdullah II.
US officials, however, said such a move could not occur immediately for logistical reasons, given the lack of facilities to house the embassy staff. As a result, Trump is expected to sign a national security waiver that would authorise the administration to keep it in Tel Aviv for an additional six months.
Read the full article by Mark Landler and David M. Halbfinger at the Brisbane Times.