Middle East

Russia on Jerusalem

07/12/2017

Kremlin concerned over US plans to recognize Jerusalem as capital of Israel

White House officials said US President Donald Trump would announce that the United States government recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on December 6

MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. Kremlin is concerned about the possible deterioration of the situation in the event of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by the United States. However, it is premature to comment on the decisions that have not been made yet, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“The situation is complex”, he admitted, recalling that the issue was earlier discussed during a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. “They expressed concern about the situation and its possible exacerbation,” Peskov said. “However, we do not want to talk about the decisions that have not been announced yet,” he added.

During his telephone conversation with Abbas, Putin reiterated Russia’s principled stance to support the early resumption of direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations on all disputed issues, including the status of Jerusalem. The conversation was initiated by Abbas, the Kremlin noted.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the key issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel established control over the eastern part of the city during the 1967 conflict. It insists that Jerusalem is its single and indivisible capital. The Palestinians want to make the eastern part of the city the capital of their state.

On Tuesday, White House officials said US President Donald Trump would announce that the United States government recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday and direct the US State Department to begin the process of moving the US embassy from its current location in Tel Aviv to a site in Jerusalem.