(MENAFN- NewsBytes)
Trump delivers on Israel promise, recognizes Jerusalem as capital
07 Dec 2017
On December 7, Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in a bold and unprecedented step that reversed decades of official US policy.
Trump termed the move "a long overdue step to advance the middle-east peace process."
The status of Jerusalem is central to Israel-Palestine conflict.
Israel lauded the announcement while several world leaders criticized it.
Netanyahu: Palestine must accept reality that Jerusalem is Israel's capital
11 Dec 2017
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said that to facilitate peace, Palestinians must "get to grips with" the fact that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.
He said for 3,000 years, Jerusalem has been Israel's capital and had "never been the capital of any other people."
His statement comes amid ongoing protests in Muslim-majority countries against the US' decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Why is the status of Jerusalem contentious?
Fact
Jerusalem lies along the border between Israel and the West Bank. It is home to religious sites considered holy by Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Israel considers Jerusalem its capital while Palestinians envision East Jerusalem as the capital of their own future independent state.
Netanyahu says Bible, Jewish history confirm Jerusalem's status
Statement
Netanyahu said after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris that efforts denying the "millennial connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem" were "absurd."
He said the Bible and Jewish history confirm that, "Where else is the capital of Israel, but in Jerusalem?"
"The sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we will move towards peace."
Protests against Israel and US rage across the world
Protests
Violent pro-Palestine protesters in Beirut, Lebanon, were dispersed through teargas and water cannon as they tried reaching US embassy.
Protests also erupted in Cairo, Egypt, and Rabat, Morocco. At Jakarta, Indonesia, thousands protested outside the US embassy.
Anti-Israel protests have continued in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank.
The Israeli military has blown up a tunnel from Gaza used by militants.
Jerusalem casts shadow over Pence's upcoming Middle East trip
Pence visit
Meanwhile, US Vice-President Mike Pence's spokesman has slammed the Palestinian Authority.
He called Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' decision to decline a previously scheduled meeting with him during his upcoming visit to the region as "unfortunate."
Top Muslim and Christian clerics in Egypt have also canceled talks with Pence to protest against the US' decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
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