Speaking at his official swearing-in ceremony Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed the United States will be moving its embassy to Jerusalem “years ahead” of schedule.
Flanked by the President, the nation’s top diplomat vowed to follow through on President Trump’s historic decision to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv to the Israeli capital; fulfilling years of empty American promises to one of its strongest allies.
“We will soon move our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem years ahead of schedule,” Pompeo told reporters.
“We will employ tough diplomacy when necessary to put the interest of the American people first,” he added. “I will work to ensure their safety, to preserve their rights and defend their values and I will make sure that America is always a respected and principled leader on the world stage.”
Watch the Secretary of State’s comments above.
PROMISE KEPT: Trump Recognizes JERUSALEM as Israeli Capital
President Donald Trump made history and fundamentally changed American foreign policy in the Middle East on Wednesday, officially recognizing Jerusalem as the “capital of Israel,” and announcing his decision to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
“After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result,” said the President.
“I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While previous Presidents have made this a campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today I am delivering,” he added.
“I’ve judged this course of action to be in the best interest of the United States of America, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This is a long overdue step to advance the peace process and to work towards a lasting agreement,” said Trump. “Israel is a sovereign nation with the right, like every other sovereign nation, to determine its own capital.”
Watch the President’s historic remarks above.
TRUMP TOWN? New Jerusalem Neighborhood May be Named After Trump
Months after President Trump announced the United States’ plan to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem other nations have followed suit; prompting Israeli officials to construct a new diplomatic neighborhood and possibly name the site in honor of President Trump.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the new collection of embassies on the outskirts of Jerusalem may be designated “Trump Town” as an official “thank you” for recognizing the holy city as the capital of Israel.
“There is an apparent pattern of embassies moving to Jerusalem, and we have to start getting ready now,” said an Israeli official. “We might have to build dozens of embassies, and we would need new land ready for that purpose. I asked my ministry to vigorously take action as fast as possible.”
Possible names for the diplomatic enclave have boiled down to “Embassy Town” or possibly “Trump Town.”
“If that name is indeed given to the embassy quarter, it would not be the first site in the capital named after Trump by a minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Transportation Minister Israel Katz announced in December that he would name the train station that will be built in the future near the Western Wall after the US president,” adds the Post.