US to identify Jerusalem as being the capital of Israel

 

This recognition therefore implements the right for the US embassy to be moved into Jerusalem. Working on this, President Trump is expected to sign a congressional legislation agreement in order to approve the moving of his nation's embassy. In the meantime, however, the US embassy will momentarily remain in Tel Aviv. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the building and establishing of the new embassy in Jerusalem will take the course of over several years. According to Trump administration officials however, certain boundaries of Jerusalem are however subject to a final status agreement, but it has been confirmed that holy sites are not affected by this speculation.

The US President has furthermore pledged to introduce a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestines, which is led by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. In commenting upon the US' decision, a senior administration official said: “For a long time the United States’ position held that ambiguity, or lack of acknowledgement would somehow advance the prospects of peace,” “It seems clear now that the physical location of the embassy is not material to a peace deal … So having tried this for 22 years, an acknowledgement of reality seems like an important change.”

What has been the global reaction to this news?

According to the BBC, it has been reported that middle-eastern officials are less optimistic about this news than the US. President Mahmoud Abbas coined the transfer of the US embassy into Jerusalem as "unacceptable" to Palestinians. The President's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdenerh said: "If this happens, it will complicate things,"Further adding to this contention is Turkey's Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, who said: "Jerusalem is a very delicate subject in the Islamic world. Our biggest expectation and hope on this matter is that no steps are taken. Impositions, wrong steps in this direction would bring irreversible consequences."

Pope Francis has however displayed a sense of neutrality in his opinions and called for the "status quo" be morally respected. He also emphasized the importance of looking at one's human rights regarding this subject matter. Meanwhile, President Trump is expected to announce a speech at the White House later on today, where he will formally declare his intentions for the US embassy to be moved into Jerusalem.

Sources – BBC News, The Guardian

By Kalendra Withana