BREAKING its OFFICIAL JERUSALEM CAPITAL OF ISRAEL

Israel rejects ‘preposterous’ UN vote, thanks nations that ‘voted for the truth’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-rejects-un-vote-but-grateful-for-nations-who-voted-for-the-truth/?utm_source=israel-rejects-un-vote-but-grateful-for-nations-who-voted-for-the-truth&utm_medium=desktop-browser&utm_campaign=desktop-notifications
Netanyahu: Jerusalem is our capital -- always was, always will be; top Arab MK: World believes the Palestinian people deserve a place in this world
By TOI STAFF
Today, 8:37 pm  0
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a Likud rally marking the Hanukkah holiday in Tel Aviv on December 19, 2017. (Flash90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday dismissed a UN vote to reject US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but said Israel was heartened by the large number of countries who did not vote for the resolution and stood by “the truth.”

“Israel rejects the UN decision and, in parallel, expresses satisfaction at the large number of states that did not vote for the resolution, countries that Prime Minister Netanyahu has visited in Europe, Africa and Latin America,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said after the vote.

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“Israel is grateful to President Trump for his steadfast position on Jerusalem, and thanks the nations that voted with Israel, and with the truth.”

In an English-language video on Facebook, Netanyahu said, “Israel completely rejects this preposterous resolution. Jerusalem is our capital — always was, always will be. But I do appreciate the fact that a growing number of countries refuse to participate in this theater of the absurd.”


The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday defied the United States and overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and calling on countries not to move their diplomatic missions to the city.

A total of 128 countries voted in favor of the text, defying the threats — that were forcefully reiterated in an address before the vote by US envoy Nikki Haley — to cut aid to countries that opposed the motion.

Nine countries — the US, Israel, Togo, Micronesia, Guatemala, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands and Honduras — voted against the resolution.

There were 35 abstentions, including a number of countries that had been widely expected to support the move, such as Colombia, Mexico, Malawi and Rwanda. A further 21 countries did not vote at all.

Minister of Strategic Affairs and Public Security Gilad Erdan also blasted the UN vote.

“The historic connection between Israel and Jerusalem is stronger than any vote by the ‘United Nations’ — nations who are united only by their fear and their refusal to recognize the simple truth that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the Jewish people,” Erdan said in a statement after the vote.

“While the US has recognized this simple truth, the UN has chosen once again to resort to lies and to ignore the reality that has existed for 70 years. Our response to the UN campaign by Abu Mazen [PA President Mahmoud Abbas] and his supporters against the US and Israel will be to strengthen our sovereignty, security, and construction in every part of Jerusalem. The Palestinians can threaten and the UN can vote – we will continue to build and strengthen our capital Jerusalem.”

The top Arab lawmaker in the Knesset, Arab Joint List chairman MK Ayman Odeh, said the vote was a wake-up call for Israel.

“In the international arena, there still exists a large and definitive majority that believes that the Palestinian people, like all other nations, deserve a place in this world and the right to self-determination,” he said in a statement.

“This evening’s vote by the majority of the world’s nations against Trump’s announcement, in spite of the pressure and threats, flies in the face of Trump’s and Netanyahu’s diplomatic policy and is a clear statement by the international community in support of peace and the right of the Palestinians to an independent state, whose capital is East Jerusalem.”

Other Israeli leaders took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the UN, with Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein issuing a laconic tweet that reads, in full, “SHAME ON U(N).”

View image on Twitter
 
Yuli Edelstein

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/un-resolution-against-us-jerusalem-move-passes-128-9/?utm_source=liveblog_entry/un-resolution-against-us-jerusalem-move-passes-128-9&utm_medium=desktop-browser&utm_campaign=desktop-notifications LIVE NOWUPDATED 6MIN AGO 7:36 pm Israel: Number of countries that opposed or abstained from UN vote ‘hugely significant’ Israel’s Foreign Ministry says the number of countries that either opposed, abstained or were absent from the vote on the UN resolution rejecting US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is “hugely significant.”   One hundred and twenty eight countries voted in favor of the motion and nine voted against. Thirty-five countries abstained.   A further 21 countries didn’t show up for the vote.   The vote shows that “not the whole world is part of this show,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nachshon says, immediately after the vote.

UN vote condemns as ‘null and void’ US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
https://worldisraelnews.com/un-vote-condemns-null-void-us-recognition-jerusalem-israels-capital/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=push_notification&utm_campaign=PushCrew_notification_1513874229&pushcrew_powered=1
 December 21, 2017
UN vote condemns as ‘null and void’ US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capitalMevlut Çavusoglu, right, Turkey's foreign minister at the UN. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Predictably, the UN approved a nonbinding resolution condemning the US for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

By: World Israel News Staff, with files from AP

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted Thursday in favor of a nonbinding resolution condemning President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The resolution also represents a rejection of the US’ intention to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, a policy that has been sanctioned by US law for over two decades.

The UNGA voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions to declare as “null and void” the recent declaration by President Trump that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital.

While the Palestinians view the vote as a victory, the final tally fell short of the 150 votes that supporters of the resolution had hoped for. A total of 21 countries were absent, which could be viewed as a victory for the United States and an indication that Trump’s threat to slash US aid to opponents of his declaration did in fact affect US allies’ decision-making.

The UN resolution declares that any decision to change Jerusalem’s status is “null and void,” has no legal effect, and must be rescinded. In addition, the resolution calls on member countries to abstain from setting up Jerusalem-based diplomatic missions.

After the US announcement regarding Jerusalem, the Czech Republic and Guatemala announced that they also intend to move their embassies to Jerusalem. Russia had previously passed a law sanctioning the establishment of their embassy in “west Jerusalem.”

Before the vote, Palestinian Authority (PA) Minister for Foreign Affairs Riyad al-Maliki addressed the UNGA, denouncing the US and Israel. According to al-Maliki, the US decision represents “an agression on the natural rights of the Palestinian people…and all Arabs and Muslims of the world.” In his address, al-Maliki made repeated references to Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, without ever acknowledging the ancient Jewish ties to the holy city.

Al-Maliki relied on traditional tropes of the Palestinian narrative, using buzzwords such as “colonialism,” “imperialism,” “occupation” and “apartheid.”

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, also addressed the UNGA before the vote, referring to the vote as a “performance of delusion,” a “fraud,” and a “distraction” to facilitate the Palestinians’ continued “reject[ion of] peace.” Danon also accused nations supporting the vote as participants in a “puppet show,” with the Palestinians serving as their  “puppet master.”

Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the UN as a “house of lies.”

Haley: ‘The US will remember this day’
US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley also addressed the emergency meeting of the assembly, announcing that “no vote in the United Nations will make any difference” on the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem, which will go ahead because “it is the right thing to do.”

Haley continued, “The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very right of exercising our right as a sovereign nation.”

“We will remember it when we are called upon once again to make the world’s largest contribution to the United Nations,” she vowed. “And we will remember when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit.”

Haley remarked that Thursday’s vote “will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN, and this vote will be remembered.”

Which countries will follow Trump to Jerusalem?
https://worldisraelnews.com/countries-will-follow-trump-jerusalem/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=push_notification&utm_campaign=PushCrew_notification_1512669420&pushcrew_powered=1
December 7, 2017
Which countries will follow Trump to Jerusalem?President Donald Trump announces official recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel. (Youtube/Screenshot)
Israel has launched a campaign to encourage nations to follow the US lead by recognizing Jerusalem as capital of the Jewish state and moving their embassies there.

By: Steve Leibowitz, World Israel News
While many nations condemned US President Donald Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, others are already following America’s lead and exploring the idea of beginning the process of moving their embassies.

Within hours of Trump’s landmark address, the Czech Republic and the Philippines were reportedly in contact with Israel’s foreign ministry to discuss the issue.

According to Israel Radio, the Czech Republic said Wednesday night that it “recognizes Jerusalem to be in fact the capital of Israel in the borders of the demarcation line from 1967.” The Czech Republic, together with other EU member states, following the EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusions, considers Jerusalem to be the future capital of both states, meaning the State of Israel and a future “State of Palestine.” Israel Radio also reported that Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte sent an official message to Jerusalem declaring that he wants to move his nation’s embassy.

Speaking off the record, a leading Israeli expert in international affairs told World Israel News (WIN), “I do not expect an avalanche of countries rushing to Jerusalem. But there are some nations, like the Czech Republic and the Philippines, that want to find favor either with Israel or the United States, each for its own reason. The Czechs are kind of mavericks and feel close to Israel. The Philippines president is considered something of an international outlaw at present, widely criticized for mass extrajudicial killings, but he recently had a positive meeting with Trump and plans to visit Israel in May.”

Netanyahu optimistic about the future

The unnamed expert cited Macedonia, Hungary and Lithuania as very pro-Israel nations that may soon have an inkling to move their nations’ embassies.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly hopeful that several mostly Christian countries in Africa could be swayed to move their embassies. A warming in ties with the continent has been reported following the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Kenya.

Netanyahu announced that Israel is already in contact with other friendly nations in an effort to get them to follow Trump’s lead. Speaking at the Foreign Ministry on Thursday, he said, “I would like to announce that we are already in contact with other countries which will issue a similar recognition.” Furthermore, “I have no doubt that the moment the American Embassy moves to Jerusalem, and even before then, there will be a movement of many embassies to Jerusalem. The time has come.” Netanyahu declined to name any of the countries with which the Foreign Ministry has been in touch.

Netanyahu, commenting on Trump’s speech, did not hold back on the hyperbole, saying, “President Trump has immortalized himself in the chronicles of our capital. His name will now be held aloft, alongside other names connected to the glorious history of Jerusalem and of our people.”

Most world leaders opposed to Trump’s message

Most world leaders speaking out on the issue were very much opposed to Trump’s message. France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Sweden were but a few of the leading nations issuing statements making it clear that they have no plans to move their embassies to Jerusalem. Most added comments advocating calm and a commitment to a negotiated settlement and a two-state solution.

Alan Baker, an International Law expert at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, told WIN, “Once the dust settles there will be movement toward Jerusalem. Currently there is a huge panic because of the dire comments by the French, British, Turks, Jordanians and Palestinians. When things settle down, I think the Australians will come along and I would hope that other friendly states will do so as well.”

Baker, a former Israeli ambassador to Canada, added, “I would expect Canada to move and it’s appropriate, but the present Canadian government has taken a step back from the former, more supportive government.”

Curiously silent on the issue in recent days is Russia. Last April, in a surprise move, Moscow announced that it considers western Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital. The Kremlin had issued a statement, reading, “We reaffirm our commitment to the UN-approved principles for a Palestinian-Israeli settlement, which include the status of East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state. At the same time, we must state that in this context we view West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

Israel’s position: Jerusalem is the united capital

In May, Israelis and Jews around the world celebrated 50 years since the reunification of Jerusalem during the Six Day War. The official position of the Israeli government is that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of the Jewish state. Ahead of Trump’s speech, the leading opposition parties supported that position. Speaking Wednesday at the Jerusalem Post‘s Diplomatic Conference, Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid expressed hope that the president would recognize a “united Jerusalem.” Avi Gabby, head of the Zionist Union alliance, told Israel Radio, “Jerusalem will remain undivided under Israeli sovereignty in any future peace agreement.”

Hamas warns Trump has opened ‘the gates of hell’ and calls for ‘day of rage’
Dec 6, 2017 | 0 |
Hamas warns Trump has opened ‘the gates of hell’ and calls for ‘day of rage’
Hamas has said US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the decision to move the US embassy there, “opens the gates of hell”. “Trump’s decision on Jerusalem will not succeed in changing the fact that Jerusalem is an Arab Muslim land,” a spokesperson for the militant group running Gaza noted.
The group has also repeatedly called for a Palestinian “day of rage” on 8 December as well. “The youth and the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank need to respond with all means available to the US decision that harms our Jerusalem,” the statement read. Hamas called the decision about the city – home to holy sites for Jews, Muslims, and Christians – “a red line”. The statement was unequivocal: “The resistance will not allow any desecration of it.”
READ MORE http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/jerusalem-latest-hamas-trump-gates-of-hell-day-of-rage-news-updates-response-a8095841.html

PM Netanyahu's perfect response to Trump's bold and courageous decision
https://israelvideoupdates.com/pm-netanyahus-perfect-response-to-trumps-bold-and-courageous-decision/?omhide=true
DECEMBER 7, 2017 AVI BIBI, JERUSALEM
This is a historic day. President Trump, thank you for today's historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Jewish people and the Jewish state will be forever grateful.
PM Netanyahu's Remarks on US President Trump's Statement

VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc1d30mCHbo

President Trump realized a campaign promise, moral truth, and historical fact when he declared that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.

King David made Jerusalem the capital of Israel and the Jewish people 3,000 years ago, and the Jewish Temple was built there roughly 3,000 years ago also.

The Temple was destroyed, but Jews continued to live in Israel and yearn for Jerusalem.

It was only a few hundred years ago that Muslims built mosques on top of the Temple Mount – the location of the destroyed Temple.

And as for the palestinians? The Holy Land was later renamed “Palestine”, and Jews still lived there.

It was only in the last century that the Arabs who lived in Palestine (alongside the Jewish people who had been there for 3,000 years) decided to invent for themselves a fabricated ‘palestinian national identity.’

Let’s get this straight – the original Jewish national claim dates back three MILLENNIA, and the fabricated palestinian national identity only goes back a few decades.

In conclusion, Jews have every right to Israel and Jerusalem.

President Trump made the bold, strong and true step to recognize that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.

Thank you, President Trump, and hopefully other world leaders will have the honesty and strength to also recognize Jerusalem as the capital, despite threats from radical Islam for violence.

We won’t give in to terrorists.

Read the latest blog post from Revelationtv.com





Jerusalem – The Eternal City and Capital of Israel

President Trump has made his announcement. The US recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The Palestinians rage. Hamas threatened a new Intifada. The nations of the world join in their condemnation of the announcement. What are we to make of it?

Here at Revelation TV we want to declare that Jerusalem is God’s eternal city. God has decreed it to be a united city and under the control of the Jewish people. That is not a political statement. It is a spiritual statement! The nations of the world may have other ideas but they will discover at their peril the folly of seeking to go against the will of God....

Continue reading "Jerusalem – The Eternal City and Capital of Israel "*
http://www.revelationtv.com/rnews/entry/jerusalem-the-eternal-city-and-capital-of-israel



President Trump has made his announcement. The US recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The Palestinians rage. Hamas threatened a new Intifada. The nations of the world join in their condemnation of the announcement. What are we to make of it?

Here at Revelation TV we want to declare that Jerusalem is God’s eternal city. God has decreed it to be a united city and under the control of the Jewish people. That is not a political statement. It is a spiritual statement! The nations of the world may have other ideas but they will discover at their peril the folly of seeking to go against the will of God.

To understand what is going on, we need to remind ourselves of some of our history. As World War II came to an end in 1945, the British ruled the area of land occupied by the Jewish people today. With the end of World War II, the Jews wanted to move into what they saw as their own homeland. On the other hand, the Arabs didn’t see why Jews, who were still the minority in Palestine at that time, should be given their own land. The British didn’t know what to do!

NEW STATE OF ISRAEL

On the 29th of November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted in favour of a plan dividing the land ruled by the British into two independent states, one Jewish and the other Arab, with Jerusalem having International status under the administration of the United Nations. It was agreed the British mandate to rule Palestine would finish on the 15th May 1948, and all British troops would be out of the region by 1st August 1948. The Jews accepted the plan. The Palestinian Arabs and surrounding Arab states rejected it.

The day before the British withdrawal, the Jews proclaimed the new State of Israel. After nineteen hundred years, Israel was reborn as a nation. The Arab nations responded by sending in forty thousand troops. The new Israel State was attacked on four fronts by five Arab armies. The fighting was fierce but gradually, the new State of Israel got the upper hand, and the Arab states were forced to begin peace talks. In 1949, peace agreements were signed with each of the attacking Arab nation. Israel had won, but none of the Arab nations was prepared to recognize the right of the State of Israel to exist.

A DIVIDED CITY

Jerusalem remained a divided city. Western Jerusalem was in the hands of the Jews. East Jerusalem, including much of the Old City, the Temple Mount and the Jewish Wailing Wall, was in the hands of the Jordanians. This didn’t stop the new Israel government declaring on the 23rd January 1950, Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The bitterness felt by the Arab states, at having been defeated by the fledging state of Israel smouldered beneath the surface. That resentment came to a head in 1967. In the May, President Nasser of Egypt, mobilized a hundred thousand of his troops, and a thousand tanks, and placed them on high alert in the Sinai desert within striking distance of the Israeli borders. On the 26th May, President Nasser publicly declared that he intended to destroy Israel. Other Arab States expressed delight at the thought of Israel being destroyed and indicated they would give military support to his action.

BEST FORM OF DEFENSE IS ATTACK

Israel decided the best form of defence was attack! Early in the morning of the 5th June 1967, Israeli aircraft attacked Egyptian airfields, and destroyed most of Egypt’s planes. At the end of the day, Israel had air supremacy over all her attacking neighbours. Although fighting continued for a further 5 days, the war was effectively over. Israel had won. Of greatest significance to the Jewish people, and in fulfilment of biblical prophecy, the Israel army, on the 7th June took control of the Arab East Jerusalem, including the Old City, the Temple Mount, the Wailing Wall and other historical sites. For the first time in 2,000 years, all of Jerusalem was now in the hands of the Jewish people. For us, as gentiles, it is impossible to understand the sense of awe, wonder, and sheer emotion that the Jewish people felt at again being in control of their Holy City, and having access to their Holy sites.

There can be no doubting the significance and importance of the City of Jerusalem to the Jewish people.

WHO DOES JERUSALEM BELONG TO?

Each major world religion claims the city of Jerusalem as its own. Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times and captured and recaptured 44 times. Jerusalem is God’s eternal city. It is to be a united city and under the control of the Jewish people. That is not a political statement. It is a spiritual statement! The nations of the world may have other ideas but they will discover at their peril the folly of seeking to go against the will of God.

On the 30th July 1980, the Israel Knesset passed its Jerusalem Law, which declared Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Jerusalem. There was an angry response from the world! The UN Security Council passed Resolution 478 declaring that Israel’s new law was null and void, and a violation of international law, and numerous resolutions by the UN General Assembly. They called on all member states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city.

With a few weeks, the 13 countries who had embassies in Jerusalem, had moved their embassies to Tel Aviv. Israel remained defiant declaring the resolution will not undermine the status of Jerusalem as the capital of a sovereign Israel and as a united city which will never again be torn apart.

In 1995, the US Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act. The new law required that Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel; and the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999. The legislation, which notes that each sovereign nation, under international law and custom, may designate its own capital, acknowledged that Jerusalem had served as Israel’s capital since 1950 The law asserted that Jerusalem should remain an undivided city.

However, every American President since that time - Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barak Obama - have opted to waive that order for six-month periods, at a time. The Presidents have cited national security as their excuse for not doing so. The national security they were referring to was the threat of what the Arabs would do if any embassy moved back to Jerusalem. Until now Governments of the world have buckled at the threat from the Arab world and done nothing. Now President Trump has made his announcement that the US recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. He clearly fears God more than he fears man!

Whatever the nations do, don’t despair. Remember God is in control. The final book of the Bible, Revelation, has already been written. As Christians we know that one day soon Christ will return, and that when He comes, it will be to Jerusalem. Until then, we are called to be watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem.

I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, They shall never hold their peace day or night.

You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,

And give Him no rest until He establishes

And till he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Isaiah 62.6-7

Gordon,

on behalf of Howard and Lesley Conder, Gordon and Lorna Pettie.

Your Daily News Broadcast From Israel in English.

ILTV - BREAKING UPDATE- December 6th, 2017


BREAKING: U.S. President Donald Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

U.S President Donald Trump has recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In the proclamation, Trump also directed the State Department to start planning an embassy move to Jerusalem.

ILTV anchorman Aaron Poris hosted a panel of Israeli political experts to analyze the address and the political effects of the landmark move.

HERE http://www.iltv.tv/




Dear Elaine,

Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

US President Donald Trump formally recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital yesterday and announced that the State Department is preparing to relocate the US Embassy.

In a televised address from the White House, Trump said that he had “judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians,” and called the decision “a long-overdue step to advance the peace process and to work towards a lasting agreement”.

The President also reaffirmed “support for the status quo at the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al Sharif”. Trump was clear that “we are not taking any position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem” and he said that ‘The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the announcement, calling it “a historic day” and an “important step towards peace”.

“I share President Trump’s commitment to advancing peace between Israel and all of our neighbours, including the Palestinians, and we will continue to work with the President and his team to make that dream of peace come true,” he added.

However, international reaction, including from the UK government, has been negative, with Theresa May saying the announcement was “unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region”. She said: “Our position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states.”

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called Jerusalem “the eternal capital of Palestine” and said that “the decision has resulted in the United States being unable to serve as a mediator in future negotiations.”
Best wishes,

Luke Akehurst,
Director, We Believe in Israel

Join the fastest growing pro-Israel movement in the UK to help ensure Israel’s case is heard
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Trump recognizes Jerusalem as capital of Israel, will move US embassy
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-trump-recognizes-jerusalem-as-capital-of-israel-will-move-us-embassy/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=push_notification&utm_campaign=PushCrew_notification_1512581221&pushcrew_powered=1
December 6, 2017
Trump recognizes Jerusalem as capital of Israel, will move US embassyPresident Donald Trump signs waiver delaying embassy move but will begin process of relocation. (Youtube/Screenshot)

Trump officially declared recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, vowing to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

By: World Israel News Staff

“After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result. Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” President Donald Trump stated Wednesday in his long-anticipated speech.

“Today, Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. It is the home of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, as well as the Israeli Supreme Court. It is the location of the official residences of the Prime Minister and the President. It is the headquarters of many government ministries.

‘Recognition of reality’

“Jerusalem is the capital the Jewish people established in ancient times,” Trump said. “Today Jerusalem is the seat of Israel’s government.”

“Today, we finally acknowledged the obvious, that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. This is nothing more than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do,” he stated.

“That is why, consistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act, I am also directing the State Department to begin preparations to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers, and planners do that a new embassy, when completed, will be a magnificent tribute to peace,” he added.

Boundaries subject to final status negotiations

The president also stressed his commitment to achieving an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement that would benefit both sides. The specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the holy city are subject to final status negotiations, he said.

The time has come to rethink strategy with an open mind, Trump continued, noting the lack of progress in achieving peace over the last 20 years.

“We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians,” he said. “The United States would support a two state solution if agreed to by both sides.”

CBS News
(@CBSNews)
Pres. Trump: "I have determined that it's time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering." cbsn.ws/2B7UlDb pic.twitter.com/6GwrKvO…
MainAll NewsMiddle EastTrump to recognize Jerusalem, order embassy move

It's official:
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/238919
Trump to recognize Jerusalem, order embassy move
Officials in Washington confirm that Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and will order the embassy moved there.
Contact Editor Nitsan Keidar, 06/12/17 03:58
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Trump at the Western Wall in JerusalemTrump at the Western Wall in JerusalemThe White House
Senior U.S. administration officials said in a briefing with reporters on Tuesday night that President Donald Trump will announced in a speech on Wednesday that he has decided not only to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in honor of Israel’s 70th Independence Day, but has also ordered to start the process of moving the American embassy to Jerusalem.

"The president will say that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel – it is recognition of the historical reality that Jerusalem has been the center of Jewish faith for thousands of years, and the reality today in which the government ministries, the Supreme Court and the central authorities are all located in the capital of Israel – Jerusalem," the officials said.

"The second statement [in the speech] will be that the president ordered the State Department to begin the process of moving the embassy from its present location in Tel Aviv to a new location in Jerusalem," they continued.

It is important to stress, however, that Trump intends to sign the waiver that postpones the embassy move for another six months. "The president will continue to sign the waiver every six months, until the final stages of the moving process," noted the senior administration officials.

They stressed that this will be a long process. "It does not mean that it will happen tomorrow. It's a long-term move to find a new place, prepare it and build the right structure. It's a long process. The president will not specify times - but in order to clarify expectations - it's a matter of years, not months.”

The officials further noted that it was too early to talk about a location for the embassy in Jerusalem, adding that while Trump will not specify a timeframe in his speech, the embassy move is seen as a process that could last from three to four years, especially because of the need for security measures.

"The president is fulfilling a major promise in his election campaign, and he is also carrying out a series of decisions adopted by Congress back in 1995. Trump understands that this is a very sensitive issue, but he says it has become impossible to ignore the reality on the ground," the officials added.

They stressed that the move does not contradict the American administration's desire to seek peace in the Middle East. "President Trump remains committed to bringing about peace between Israel and the Palestinians. He believes that peace is achievable and he is very optimistic about this issue. He will agree to a two-state solution if both sides are interested in that and give their consent to it."

It was further emphasized in the briefing that "part of the recognition of Jerusalem as far as Trump is concerned is the preservation of the status quo between the religions on the Temple Mount."

The officials explained that the decision was made after a long process of consultation with all the relevant professionals.

The officials were asked whether the declaration would change anything in U.S. policy regarding what is referred to as "the occupied territories" and replied vaguely that "the declaration will not change political matters on which our opinion is known."

The senior officials were also asked if they expected an extraordinary Palestinian move following the president's decision and replied, "The Palestinian Authority must make its decisions in the wake of our move. We told them that the president recognizes reality. He is not making a decision that will change the core issues that are to be discussed in the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. We must be fair about the reality that Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for seven decades now and this cannot be denied. This recognition of reality should not affect the peace process."




http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/05/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-explainer-intl/index.html
Why declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is so controversial
By Oren Liebermann, CNN
Updated 1646 GMT (0046 HKT) December 6, 2017


Trump hopes to mediate Israeli, Palestinian peace
A picture taken on December 28, 2016 shows the US Embassy building in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv.
Will US move its Israel embassy to Jerusalem?

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A picture taken on December 28, 2016 shows the US Embassy building in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv.
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President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands during a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
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Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman looks on during a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on January 26, 2015. AFP PHOTO / VASILY MAXIMOV (Photo credit should read VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP/Getty Images)
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israeli-american teen arrest_00002718.jpg
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JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - MAY 23: (ISRAEL OUT) In this handout photo provided by the Israel Government Press Office (GPO), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on May 23, 2017 in Jerusalem, Israel.
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Jewish people take part in the Cohanim prayer (priest's blessing) during the Passover (Pesach) holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on April 13, 2017, with the Dome of the Rock seen in the background.
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US President Donald Trump exits Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 13, 2017 . / AFP PHOTO / Olivier Douliery (Photo credit should read OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images)
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Jerusalem (CNN)US President Donald Trump is expected to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel this week in a move that will spark controversy across the world.

The announcement would move Trump one step closer to fulfilling his campaign pledge to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem -- a move long sought by Israel, but set aside by previous US Presidents due to regional concerns and Jerusalem's contested status between Israelis and Palestinians. Both sides claim the holy city as their capital.
Upon making his decision public, Trump is expected to sign a waiver to keep the US embassy in Tel Aviv for another six months. But the State Department's security arm has been told to plan for potentially violent protests at US embassies and consulates if the White House announces the move.
CNN's Oren Liebermann, who is based in Jerusalem, walks us through what's at stake.
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Why is declaring Jerusalem the capital such a big deal?
The final status of Jerusalem has always been one of the most difficult and sensitive questions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If the United States declares Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it would be seen as prejudging that question, deciding an issue that was supposed to be left to negotiations and breaking with the international consensus on the holy city.
Recognizing Jerusalem as the capital also moves the United States one major step closer to relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which would be seen as cementing Israeli sovereignty over the city.
How would the embassy move work?
Logistically, moving the embassy to Jerusalem could be very simple. There is already a US consulate in Jerusalem, while the embassy remains in Tel Aviv. It could be as simple as switching the names -- making the embassy in Jerusalem and a consulate in Tel Aviv. The US Ambassador to Israel would move from his residence in a Tel Aviv suburb to Jerusalem.
But that would be just about the only simple part. Moving the embassy risks setting off diplomatic crises with Arab states that could include widespread protests outside of US diplomatic offices in those and other countries.
The ramifications of an embassy move would be felt far outside of Jerusalem. It would overturn 70 years of international consensus, and, many argue, would effectively signal the end of moves to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Give me some history ...
The United Nations partition plan drawn up in 1947 envisaged Jerusalem as a separate "international city." But the war that followed Israel's declaration of independence one year later left the city divided. When fighting ended in 1949, the armistice border -- often called the Green Line because it was drawn in green ink -- saw Israel in control of the western half, and Jordan in control of the eastern half, which included the famous Old City.