Donald Trump has directed the State Department to begin relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem
While supporters of Donald Trump and the Israeli government rally behind the President's decision, Arab states have warned Mr Trump that this decision will compromise the stability of this already volatile region.
Taking to Twitter, the US President wrote that he has determined that it is "time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel" and that he will direct the State Department to relocate the American Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a pre-recorded speech, said Jerusalem was the "eternal capital of the State of Palestine" and that Trump's move was "tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator.
Here are the live updates on the Jerusalem decision:
UK Prime Minister Theresa May, in a statement, said Britain's position on the status of Jerusalem is that 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."
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Twitter said that Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for nearly 70 years while being the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years.
French President Emmanuel Macron in a tweet said that France does not approve the decision of the United States and that it supports the two-state solution, Israel and Palestine, living in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of the two states.
Arabs, Europe, UN Reject Donald Trump's Recognition Of Jerusalem As Israeli CapitalArabs and Muslims across the Middle East on Wednesday condemned the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region and Palestinians said Washington was ditching its leading role as a peace mediator.
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