President Trump is expected to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital Israel next week, according to a new report.
Trump promised during his campaign to make the designation, which was mandated by Congress in 1995 and then delayed by successive presidents, only to postpone the move while attempting to launch a new Middle East peace process. But his team has begun discussing the policy shift more openly in recent days, contributing to speculation that a course correction is imminent.
“Trump is giving a speech Wednesday recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Axios reported, citing two sources.
That report was disputed by a White House spokesman, but it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence spoke publicly about such a move.
“President Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” Pence said Tuesday.
The vice president plans to travel to Israel this month, when he will address its legislature. And Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was tasked with leading White House efforts to resume the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, is giving an address Sunday at the Saban Forum for Mideast Peace.
“The president has always said it is a matter of when, not if,” the White House spokesman told Axios. “The president is still considering options and we have nothing to announce.”
