Theresa May will confront Donald Trump over Jerusalem row
2 min read
Theresa May is preparing to confront Donald Trump over his controversial plan to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel.
The Prime Minister said she will raise the subject in a phone call with the US President, following reports that he is due to announce the decision in a speech later.
Mr Trump’s plan has prompted concern that it will inflame tensions in the volatile region.
Palestinians and Arab leaders have warned that it will jeopardise any Middle East peace process, while the Pope called for the "status quo" to remain.
While Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital no other country has formally accepted this position since the foundation of the state in 1948.
Asked how the UK would respond at Prime Minister’s Questions today, Mrs May said: "I'm intending to speak to President Trump about this matter but our position has not changed.
“Our position [is] that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately form a shared capital between the Israeli and Palestinian states."
Speaking earlier, the Foreign Secretary registered his “concern” over the plan.
Speaking to reporters as he arrived for a Nato summit in Brussels, Boris Johnson said: “Let’s wait and see what the president says exactly, but we view the reports that we have heard with concern, because we think that Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, a negotiated settlement that we want to see.”
Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, who asked the Prime Minister to set out the UK’s position, said: "The recognition by Donald Trump of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will do grave damage to the prospects of a just and lasting peace settlement."
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