Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed critics questioning the Trump administration’s handling of the Middle East peace process Sunday, as tensions escalate in the region ahead of Monday’s opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.
“The peace process is most decidedly not dead. We are hard at work on it,” Pompeo said during an interview with “Fox News Sunday.”
The Israeli military has doubled the number of troops it has stationed in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank in anticipation of Palestinians protesting Monday’s opening ceremony.
The status of the city of Jerusalem has been a flash point for decades as Palestinians also call the city their capital.
President Trump’s decision in late 2017 to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv placed further pressure on Israeli-Palestinian relations.
“With respect to security, we are aware of the situation on the ground,” Pompeo continued Sunday.
“The United States government has taken a number of actions to ensure that not only our governmental interests but the American people in that region are secure as well, and we’re comfortable we’ve taken action that reduces that risk,” he added.
First daughter Ivanka Trump, her husband and fellow White House adviser Jared Kushner, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will represent the Trump administration at Monday’s opening event.
