British PM: U.S. Decision To Move Embassy To Jerusalem ‘Unhelpful’ For Peace
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with British Prime Minister Theresa May in London, February 6, 2017. Image by Getty
LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Theresa May disagrees with the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel because it is unlikely to help efforts to bring peace to the region, her spokesman said on Wednesday.
Jerusalem should ultimately be shared between Israel and a future Palestinian state, the spokesman said.
“We disagree with the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement,” the spokesman said. “We believe it is unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region.”
President Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy on Wednesday and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite warnings from around the world that the gesture further drives a wedge between Israel and the Palestinians.
Trump sparked outrage in Britain last week after he issued a sharp rebuke of May on Twitter after she criticized him for retweeting British far-right anti-Islam videos.
May’s spokesman welcomed Trump’s desire to end the conflict and his acknowledgement that the final status of Jerusalem, including boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
“We encourage the U.S. Administration to now bring forward detailed proposals for an Israel-Palestinian settlement,” he said.
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