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Trump's presidency agitates the Jerusalem crisis

US President Trump signals aggressive Israeli policy, saying the US Embassy is to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and Israeli officials accelerate settlements in occupied East Jerusalem

Ersin Çelik
10:55 - 24/01/2017 Tuesday
Update: 11:20 - 24/01/2017 Tuesday
Yeni Şafak

Jerusalem, occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967, is turning into being a crisis, as United States President Donald Trump says that he doesn't forget his promise to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, to recognize the city as Israel's capital.



U.S.' Donald Trump reiterated his promise to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and recognize the ancient city as the capital of Israel.



Trump's words signaled an aggressive Israel policy and statement followed by Israel's approval of building permits for a 566-settler settlement in occupied East Jerusalem.



The approval of the building plan on Sunday came two days after the inauguration of Donald Trump in the United States, with an Israeli official saying the permits had been held up until the end of Barack Obama's administration, which had been critical of Israeli settlement activity.





Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said that Israeli will accelerate building the settlements this year.



Former chief of Arab League, Amr Moussa, said that the European political entity is disturbed by the policies of the new President of the United States, Donald Trump.





Hamas Political Bureau Moussa Abu Marzook said Trump's policies are encouraging radicalization.





Palestinians are reacting harshly to Trump's statement, saying that such a decision would mean that the U.S. would officially recognize the Israeli capital as Jerusalem instead of Tel Aviv. Both Palestinians and Israelis have been living in Jerusalem for decades and both claim Jerusalem as their capital. Outgoing U.S. President Obama also cautioned Trump's new team.



Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeyn said the U.S.' move is against the United Nations Security Council decision.





East Jerusalem is among those territories which were occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967.



Despite the fact that Israel has been applying a permanent settlement strategy on the occupied territory and claims that Jerusalem is the capital of the country; the United Nations does not accept Israel's single-sided declaration of Jerusalem as capital, as well as its presence on the lands it occupied after 1967.



#Donald Trump
#US
#Hamas
#Jerusalem
7 years ago