JERUSALEM: President Donald Trump will recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday (Dec 6), upending decades of careful US policy and ignoring dire warnings of a historic misstep that could trigger a surge of violence in the Middle East.
A senior administration official said Trump would make the announcement - ignoring frantic warnings from US allies in the region and around the world - at 1pm (1800 GMT) from the White House.
The status of Jerusalem is a critical issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming the city as their capital.
In a frantic series of calls, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the European Union, France, Germany and Turkey all warned Trump against the move.
On Wednesday, further warnings came from Britain, China, Syria and the UN envoy for the Middle East peace process.
China warned the plan could fuel tensions in the region and Syria called it a "dangerous" move that showed US "contempt for international law".
UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov said "we all have to be very careful with the actions we take because of the repercussions of these actions."
Most of the international community does not formally recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved in final status negotiations.
Critics say Trump's approach is more like "splitting the baby" and could also extinguish his own much-vaunted efforts to broker Middle East peace while igniting the flames of conflict in a region already reeling from crises in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Qatar.
The armed Hamas movement has threatened to launch a new "intifada" or uprising.
Palestinians were calling for three days of protests starting from Wednesday, raising fears of potential unrest.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman warned his close ally that moving the US embassy was a "dangerous step" that could rile Muslims around the world.
"Mr Trump! Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims," Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a raucous televised speech on Tuesday.""
Trump would say he is merely honouring his election campaign promise to his voters to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Isreal. Nothing wrong with it right?
It is such an ironical situation really. He has lied many times n not kept his promises n were condemned. Rightly so. Yet for this one time when he is honouring his words, the potential damages it can unleash is frighteningly destructive to the peace in the Middle East!!
If the Hamas n the Palestinians really got going, where would it end? How would it end?
If it is a very powerful emotional response, where the willing-to-die people swelled as they can go to heaven, the rebellion can be very bloody n devastting.
Let's hope Trump changed his mind. OR that he knows the Palestinians n Hamas better than any of the wise people in various countries who advised/warned him NOT to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Isreal!!
Who is right? Hmm. And how many lives will be lost if he is WRONG!!
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