(MENAFN)Following US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield said during a telephonic press briefing from Washington DC on Sunday that "[Occupied] Jerusalem has been, is now and will remain the capital of Israel."
When asked about the outburst among US Foreign Service staffers regarding this move, Satterfield said the question amounted to "editorialising", saying that the Foreign Service "executes US policy".
The diplomat said the answer to the Arab League request to trump to reverse his decision was emphatically 'no'. "The decision stands. The president believes this is the right step at the right moment. It is US policy."
Satterfield said "Only through dialogue, exchanges, and inclusion ... can we move forward." Referring the questioner to Pence"s office, when asked about the decision of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to not meet US Vice President Mike Pence
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