Education Minister Naftali Bennett is calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to press US President Donald Trump to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during his upcoming visit to the region, and says any future peace agreement with Palestinians that will divide the capital city will be unsuccessful.
“I call on the prime minister to make clear that we expect the US administration to move the embassy to Jerusalem and recognize a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty,” he says in a series of tweets.
Bennett says moving the US Embassy to the capital “strengthens the chances of reaching a true peace, because any agreement based on the division of Jerusalem is bound to fail.”
Jerusalem, he says, “is our only and eternal capital.”
Bennett’s remarks come hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump is “being very careful to understand how such a decision would impact the peace process.” He said Trump’s decision would be informed by feedback from all sides, including “whether Israel views it as helpful to a peace initiative or perhaps a distraction.”
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From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 14, 2017
