Dec 1, 2017

White House: No Israel embassy decision this week

Trump hasn’t ruled out moving the embassy to Jerusalem. Photo: Sebastian Scheiner / AP

President Trump isn't going to announce a decision this week about whether the U.S. will move its embassy to Jerusalem, an administration official tells us. "The President is still considering options," the official said, noting that Trump already has a full plate with the North Korea missile launch, the tax bill in the Senate, and other issues.

Yes, but: That still leaves the door open to an announcement in the near future. And the administration official didn't rule out an embassy move: "The law passed in 1995 states that the Embassy should be in Jerusalem. As the President has made clear, it is a matter of when, not if."

What to watch: Israeli officials think there is a chance Trump will sign the waiver and not move the embassy for the next six months, but at the same time declare that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. If that happens, it will likely cause an angry response from the Palestinians and some Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

The big picture: The status of Jerusalem is one of the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A presidential announcement that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel will make it harder for the Trump administration to promote the peace initiative it has been working on for the past few months.

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White House: No Israel embassy decision this week

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