BICOM

US President Donald Trump is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in a major speech at 5pm UK time.

In parallel to the declaration, Trump will likely sign the waiver delaying for another six months moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, due to logistical and budgetary issues. It is reported that he has given US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, a close confidant of the President, the final say on when the move is appropriate.

Yesterday President Trump spoke to regional and world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Jordan’s King Abdullah, Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and Saudi King Salman and informed them of his decision.

Israeli media reported that Israeli officials have been working in close coordination with President Trump’s team to prepare for today’s announcement. There has been no official comment from Netanyahu’s office.

Abbas’s spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdainah, said the Palestinian leader had warned Trump of the dangers of such a decision to Middle East peace efforts as well as the security and stability in the region and the world. Abbas then spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Pope to try and make the case against the embassy move.

Turkey’s President Erdogan also warned yesterday that he would cut relations with Israel if Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In response, Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett said:  “Unfortunately, Erdogan does not miss an opportunity to attack Israel. Israel must advance its goals, including the recognition of United Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel. There will always be those who criticise, but at the end of the day it is better to have a united Jerusalem than Erdogan’s sympathy.”

Late on Tuesday, Palestinian national and Islamic groups issued a joint statement calling for three days of “popular anger” to protest against the US announcement,  throughout the Palestinian territories and in demonstrations at US embassies and consulates around the world. In response, the Israeli army raised its alert ahead of possible violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank and the American consulate in Jerusalem prohibited employees and family members from going to the Old City or the West Bank. The US State Department urged embassies around the world to tighten their security.