Deputy foreign minister slams Trump for delaying embassy move

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely criticizes US President Donald Trump for saying he will delay moving the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem until an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan his administration is working on is given a chance to succeed.

“If you really would like to give peace a chance you would move your embassy to Jerusalem, in order to ensure that Jerusalem will never be divided,” Hotovely tells a visiting Israel Allies Foundation delegation of 26 members of parliament from around the world.

“We can’t give peace a chance when Hamas and Fatah wants to be a part of the same government,” she says.

Meanwhile, Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Zeev Elkin (Likud) says he is saddened by Trump’s decision to delay the move because of the “illusion” that it’s possible to advance peace with the Palestinians.

— Jacob Magid