United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley defended President Trump’s controversial decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem earlier this week by calling it a recognition of reality.
“This is time that we acknowledge reality. It was 22 years in the making,” Haley said on “Fox News Sunday.”
She said the move has been in the making for 22 years and prior administrations have called for the move to the city that Israel recognizes as its capital.
The decision was widely panned by international officials including British Prime Minister Theresa May, who said it could destabilize the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians.
The status of the city of Jerusalem has been a flash point for decades as Palestinians also call the city their capital.
Haley said that despite the concern from the international community, the move will “help us fastball the peace process going forward.”
“We didn’t set any parameters or this was the final status,” Haley said. “We are gonna put the embassy in its capital. We are as committed to the peace process as ever before.”
Haley also said it isn’t writing off that East Jerusalem could be capital of a Palestinian state if that is what both Israel and Palestine agree on.
“We will respect anything the two parties come together on,” she said.
