Trump to declare Jerusalem as Israeli capital
JERUSALEM (AP) – U.S. officials say President Donald Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital Wednesday and instruct the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
The officials say recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will be an acknowledgement of “historical and current reality” rather than a political statement. They note that almost all of Israel’s government agencies and parliament are in Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv, where the U.S. and other countries maintain embassies.
The officials say moving the embassy, long a campaign pledge that Trump has insisted he must fulfill, will not happen immediately.
The officials spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss Trump’s announcement beforehand.