A view of the Dome of the Rock and Jerusalem’s Old City seen from Mount of Olives. President Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on 6th December and instructed the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. PICTURE: Oded Balilty/AP Photo.
Vice President Mike Pence announced that the US embassy in Israel will move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2019.
Mr Pence made the announcement Monday at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Pence for standing up for the “truth” and supporting Israel at the United Nations. He said the US and Israel have a “shared destiny.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu said President Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the country’s capital last month was one of the most historic in Israel’s history.
“America has no greater friend than Israel, and Israel has no greater friend than the United States of America,” he said.
Palestinians and Arab Israelis boycotted Mr Pence’s visit after Mr Trump broke with decades of US policy by announcing the embassy move.
Arab lawmakers were told to leave Israel’s parliament for heckling Mr Pence at the beginning of his speech.
Israel sees Jerusalem as its “eternal” capital and Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
Other nations, including the US, established their embassies in Tel Aviv in an attempt to stay neutral. Previous US presidents have said that the decision on Israel’s capital must come from a negotiated agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians.
– with Gregory Korte, of the Associated Press
