Donald Trump is planning to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in the coming days, according to Israeli media.
The highly controversial move would officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel further threatens hopes of a two-state solution as the Palestinians regard the east of the city – occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War – to be the capital of any future Palestinian state.
Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence have repeatedly promised to move the US embassy to Jerusalem but reports by Israel's Channel 2 quote senior officials saying the government expects an announcement from the White House in the coming days.
It comes after Pence said the president is 'actively considering' moving the embassy, calling it a matter of 'when and how'.
He told an event celebrating the 80<sup>th anniversary of the United Nations' endorsement of an Israeli state: 'President Donald Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.'
The US, the UN and almost every country in the world currently refuse to accept that Jerusalem is Israel's capital, with most major embassies functioning in the sea-side business capital, Tel Aviv. International consensus is that East Jerusalem – having been occupied militarily in the Six Day War and then unilaterally 'annexed' – is occupied territory, just like the West Bank.
In 1995, the US Congress approved the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which requires that the American embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. However, successive US presidents – both Democratic and Republican – have exercised a waiver delaying its implementation every six months since on national security grounds, and official US policy does not recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
In June Trump renewed the waiver as is standard despite the campaign promise but unconfirmed reports suggest Trump is about to implement the move.
Earlier this month, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman repeated his confidence Trump would relocate the embassy, calling the move a matter of 'when, not if'.
He said: 'The president has also made clear that he intends to move the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It is not a question of if, it is a question of when. And I take the president at his word, and I'm personally committed to do all that I can to advocate for this move.'
