page_title: United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel
section_title: Israel
hierarchical_section_title: United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel / Israeli and Palestinian responses / Israel
caption_attribution_description: _DSC0565
context_page_description: On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump announced the United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered the planning of the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, welcomed the decision and praised the announcement. On December 8, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson clarified that the President's statement "did not indicate any final status for Jerusalem" and "was very clear that the final status, including the borders, would be left to the two parties to negotiate and decide."
  Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital was rejected by a majority of world leaders. The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on December 7 where 14 out of 15 members condemned Trump's decision, but the motion was vetoed by the United States. Britain, France, Sweden, Italy and Japan were among the countries who criticized Trump's decision at the emergency meeting.
context_section_description: On December 6, shortly after Trump's statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the announcement was a "historic landmark" and praised the decision as "courageous and just". During his remarks Netanyahu said there is "no peace that doesn't include Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel", adding that Jerusalem has "been the capital of Israel for nearly 70 years". He later said that he has heard condemnation about the announcement but has "not heard any condemnation for the rocket firing against Israel that has come and the awful incitement against us".
  The announcement was well received by Knesset members of left, right and centre parties including Yesh Atid, Bayit Yehudi, Yisrael Beytenu, and Likud. Isaac Herzog called it an "act of historic justice" but also added that the next step was to "realize the vision of two states". In contrast, Bezalel Smotrich of the religious zionist Bayit Yehudi party issued the following statement: "For 30 years we have fallen into the pit of the Palestinian state as a realistic solution. The time has come to rethink things". Avi Gabbay, the leader the Zionist Union, also supported Trump's announcement, saying that recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital is more important than a peace deal.
  Israel's Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism party said building in "parts of Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem that need housing would be better than a declaration that means nothing". Yisrael Eichler, also of UTJ, expressed similar views saying he would "rather have 1,000 homes for young couples in Jerusalem than one American embassy building." In contrast, left-wing party Meretz said recognition of Jerusalem should only come with the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, adding that Trump's declaration "de facto betrays the Zionist vision and the values on which the State of Israel was established".
  Hanin Zoabi and Ayman Odeh, both members of the Arab Joint List party, said the US could no longer act as a peace mediator. Odeh said that "Trump is a pyromaniac and will set the entire region ablaze with his madness".
caption: Jerusalem on May 7, 2018
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