VP Pence Draws Applause Some Heckles For U.S. Embassy Move To Jerusalem : Parallels : NPR
Pence announced the new timetable in a speech before the Knesset  Israel's parliament  drawing a standing ovation from Israeli lawmakers and accelerating one of  the Trump administration 's most contentious foreign policy decisions to date.
"In the weeks ahead   our administration  will advance  its  plan to open the United States Embassy in Jerusalem â and that United States Embassy will open before the end of next year " Pence said.
When  President Trump  last month appeared before cameras and announced the U.S. was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and beginning to prepare for a new embassy in the city  Pence stood behind  Trump  â in more ways than one.
As a devout Christian and an ardent supporter of Israel  Pence was one of the biggest advocates for the move as the  Trump  administration debated the decision.
But instead of allowing the parties to move on  it has led to a crisis in U.S.-Palestinian relations â the lowest point in  the Trump administration 's months of shuttle diplomacy and attempts to restart the peace process.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says the U.S. sided with Israel and that he will not participate in peace negotiations led by the United States.  Trump  tweeted that if the Palestinians were not prepared to negotiate  the U.S. should cut funding for them.
Indeed   the administration  subsequently cut $65 million in funds to a U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees but said  it  was meant to encourage reform in the agency  not as punishment.
In a rambling and fiery speech  Abbas directed a colloquial Arabic phrase at  Trump  â literally "may your house be destroyed" â that is often used casually but was widely criticized by Israeli leaders and seen as brash rhetoric directed at a foreign leader.
Meeting with European Union foreign envoys in Brussels  Abbas said the Palestinians would participate in peace talks only if they were held with the involvement of other countries  not just the United States. Abbas sees European countries as more favorable than  the Trump administration  to the Palestinians.
Opposition lawmakers stood and applauded  but not Netanyahu. Many members of his right-wing coalition reject a two-state solution. Since  Trump 's election  many in the Israeli government have called for annexing parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank where Israeli settlements are located and where Palestinians want to establish a state.
Israel has refrained from such an annexation since capturing the territory 50 years ago  fearing international and American backlash  but many lawmakers believe the time to do it is now â with  a sympathetic President Trump in the White House . The  Trump  administration has been much more tolerant of Israeli West Bank settlements than have previous U.S. administrations  Republican and Democratic alike.
Pence announced the new timetable in a speech before the Knesset  Israel's parliament  drawing a standing ovation from Israeli lawmakers and accelerating one of  the Trump administration 's most contentious foreign policy decisions to date.
"In the weeks ahead   our administration  will advance  its  plan to open the United States Embassy in Jerusalem â and that United States Embassy will open before the end of next year " Pence said.
When   [TGT] last month appeared before cameras and announced the U.S. was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and beginning to prepare for a new embassy in the city  Pence stood behind   [TGT] â in more ways than one.
As a devout Christian and an ardent supporter of Israel  Pence was one of the biggest advocates for the move as the   [TGT] administration debated the decision.
But instead of allowing the parties to move on  it has led to a crisis in U.S.-Palestinian relations â the lowest point in  the Trump administration 's months of shuttle diplomacy and attempts to restart the peace process.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says the U.S. sided with Israel and that he will not participate in peace negotiations led by the United States.   [TGT] tweeted that if the Palestinians were not prepared to negotiate  the U.S. should cut funding for them.
Indeed   the administration  subsequently cut $65 million in funds to a U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees but said  it  was meant to encourage reform in the agency  not as punishment.
In a rambling and fiery speech  Abbas directed a colloquial Arabic phrase at  Trump  â literally "may your house be destroyed" â that is often used casually but was widely criticized by Israeli leaders and seen as brash rhetoric directed at a foreign leader.
Meeting with European Union foreign envoys in Brussels  Abbas said the Palestinians would participate in peace talks only if they were held with the involvement of other countries  not just the United States. Abbas sees European countries as more favorable than   [TGT] to the Palestinians.
Opposition lawmakers stood and applauded  but not Netanyahu. Many members of his right-wing coalition reject a two-state solution. Since  Trump 's election  many in the Israeli government have called for annexing parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank where Israeli settlements are located and where Palestinians want to establish a state.
Israel has refrained from such an annexation since capturing the territory 50 years ago  fearing international and American backlash  but many lawmakers believe the time to do it is now â with  a sympathetic President Trump in the White House .  [TGT]  has been much more tolerant of Israeli West Bank settlements than have previous U.S. administrations  Republican and Democratic alike.