In a speech on Wednesday, President Trump will formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the first step in moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv, Israel's internationally recognized capital, to Jerusalem. The State Department and European and Arab leaders have warned Trump against making the move, saying it will almost certainly spark violence from Palestinians and Muslims across the Middle East, and kill the Palestinian-Israeli peace efforts.
Some White House officials argue that Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem, as he promised he would during the campaign, actually "strengthens his credibility around the world as a someone who stands by his word, isn't intimidated by threats, and doesn't cave to international pressure," Israeli journalist Barak Ravid writes at Axios. And they say the peace process can continue because Trump will say he is open to a two-state solution, a plan every president since Bill Clinton has endorsed.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
-
Syria's Druze sect: caught in the middle of Israeli tensionsThe Explainer Israel has used attacks on religious minority by forces loyal to Syria's new government to justify strikes across the border
-
Athens city and beach: The Dolli at Acropolis and Cape SounioThe Week Recommends Luxury living in two Grecotels designed to showcase ancient Greek ruins and modern Greek style
-
Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia Hotel: a foodie haven in Portugal's Douro ValleyThe Week Recommends Luxury city hotel with food from a Michelin-starred chef – and plenty of port
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney postspeed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff dealspeed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffsspeed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying reportspeed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop banspeed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff ideaspeed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Trump is not sure he must follow the Constitutionspeed read When asked about due process for migrants in a TV interview, President Trump said he didn't know whether he had to uphold the Fifth Amendment
