Kushner: Trump Has Not Yet Decided on Israel's Capital

Jared Kushner, senior advisor to the President of the United States, stated that Donald Trump has not yet decided whether to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or to move the U.S. embassy to the city. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, warned of the consequences of Trump's decision. According to ABC News, Kushner, who is responsible for resuming peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine, mentioned on Sunday, December 3, that the U.S. President is still evaluating various options regarding this matter. He stated, "The President is in the decision-making process. There are still many issues he is assessing." Kushner's remarks came just hours before Mahmoud Abbas warned the U.S. not to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, stating that otherwise, Washington's efforts to establish peace in the Middle East would be jeopardized. Abbas said, "Any action taken by the U.S. in this regard or moving its embassy to Jerusalem would be a threat to the future of the peace process and would face opposition from Palestinians, Arabs, and the world." U.S. officials announced last week that Donald Trump is poised to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and is reviewing the timing and manner of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This is a policy that the U.S. Congress voted to implement 22 years ago, but since then, all U.S. Presidents have ordered its suspension. Trump is expected to announce his decision in this regard on Wednesday of this week. One of Trump's campaign promises was to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Israel considers Jerusalem its capital, with most government offices, the Prime Minister's office, the Supreme Court, and the parliament located in the city. Palestinians also claim East Jerusalem, which has been under Israeli control since 1967, as the capital of their state.