SPLIT DECISION: The White House, after months of internal deliberations, confirmed last night President Trump will fulfill a campaign promise by announcing today that the U.S. officially recognizes Jerusalem to be the “political capital” of Israel. But officials attempted to temper the expected blowback from the decision by insisting that the planned move of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv is still years away. “It will take some time to find a site, address security concerns, design a new facility, fund a new facility, and build it — so this is not an instantaneous process,” an official said.

The split-the-baby approach is designed to mute criticism from European and Arab allies who say that moving the American embassy would upend the peace process and anger U.S. allies in the region. No other country has an embassy in Jerusalem.