Israel wants to name a train station in Jerusalem after Trump

President Trump's name may soon grace a building in Jerusalem — and it won't be a hotel. Reuters reported Wednesday that Israel's transportation minister, Israel Katz, wants to name a proposed train station in Jerusalem after Trump as a token of gratitude after the president's controversial decision to recognize the disputed city as Israel's capital.

“Trump Station" would be located in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, and near the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism. The hypothetical station has been proposed as part of a larger project to link the coastal Israeli city of Tel Aviv to Jerusalem with a high-speed train.

Of course, the Western Wall isn't the only holy site in Jerusalem; in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City lies the Dome of the Rock, which is important to both Jews and Muslims and plays a huge part in the conflict over the ownership of Jerusalem. The entire Old City, in fact, is technically within the boundaries of East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as their capital city. But Israel has long claimed Jerusalem as its capital — hence why Katz has proposed honoring Trump, who bucked international consensus to designate Jerusalem as Israel's.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Reuters notes the plan for the Western Wall station has yet to gain full approval, but barring unforeseen circumstances — like say, violent protests over the incursion by Israel into disputed land — The Washington Post reports that the station could be ready as soon as next year in Jerusalem.