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White House Pledges to Stand Firm on Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's Capital
(Washington Post) Anne Gearan - In the wake of President Trump's announcement this month that the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital and has initiated the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy, a U.S. official said, "Overall, the reaction was more muted than we expected." Trump has told aides and members of Congress that the decision merely recognizes what is already true in practice, since the Israeli government is headquartered in Jerusalem, and has complained about what he considers narrow thinking. Language in the UN General Assembly resolution Thursday condemning the action was softer and less direct in its criticism of the U.S. than Palestinians had proposed, after Egypt and some European allies said they would not vote for the original version. U.S. officials said they did not lobby for that but pointed to it as a sign of solidarity with the U.S. The administration vowed that neither the Jerusalem announcement nor the reaction to it would derail plans to seek a Middle East peace accord next year. "Relationships between the United States and other nations have their peaks and their valleys," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.