White House says Trump speaking from ‘Jerusalem, Israel’

The reference to Jerusalem as a part of Israel is a small but diplomatically important detail, as the status of the ancient city is one of the most controversial issues yet to be settled in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The United States does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite an act of Congress urging presidents to do so. Trump was expected to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv early in his presidency, but that has not happened.

While the White House live stream said Trump was in Jerusalem, Israel, the White House’s emailed schedule does not refer to Jerusalem that way. But the move likely had the support of lawmakers who say it’s time for the U.S. to recognize the city as Israel’s capital.

“It is long past due for America to follow through on our pledge to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel and fulfill our commitment to our strongest ally in the Middle East,” Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., wrote in a letter to Trump signed by 39 of their colleagues.

The administration has sent mixed messages on the issue, especially when asked about the final status of the Western Wall, a holy site in Judaism and the last remaining part of the Temple Complex. After some administration officials cast doubt on Israeli authority over the wall, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley took a bolder position.

“I don’t know what the policy of the administration is, but I believe the Western Wall is part of Israel,” Haley told The Brody File. “I think that’s how we’ve always seen it and that’s how we should pursue it. I’m not real sure what happened with that issue, but I know that they’re trying to fix that and get that taken care of.”

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson demurred. “The wall is part of Jerusalem,” he said on Air Force One Monday morning, without any further clarification.