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Report: Trump decides against embassy move to Jerusalem

Not wanting to hamper any chances for peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, Trump has reportedly decided not to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for now.

In violation of a promise made during the 2016 presidential campaign as the Republican candidate, US President Donald Trump has reportedly decided not to move the US embassy to the Israeli capital for now, Bloomberg reported.

Trump had vowed to move the embassy to Jerusalem, referring to the city as “the eternal capital of the Jewish People.” His decision is sure to put a damper on his highly anticipated visit to the Jewish state next week – just a couple of days ahead of Jerusalem Day, when Israelis will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War.

However, intent on brokering what he terms “the ultimate deal,” the US leader is being cautious not to anger the Palestinians and discourage participation in peace negotiations with the Israelis, a senior White House official told Bloomberg on condition of anonymity, due to the sensitivity of the issue.

“We don’t think it would be wise to do it at this time,” the official said. “We’ve been very clear what our position is and what we would like to see done, but we’re not looking to provoke anyone when everyone’s playing really nice.”

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At a joint press conference in Washington earlier this month, Trump told Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that there can be no deal without an end to incitement to terror, to which Abbas responded that children in the PA are raised in a “culture of peace.”

“I heard President Abbas yesterday say that the Palestinians teach their children peace. Unfortunately, that’s not true. They name their schools after mass murderers of Israelis and they pay terrorists,” Netanyahu stated the next day.

Indeed, just ahead of Trump’s arrival in Israel next week, the PA, which claims it wants to reach a peace agreement with Israel, continues its policy of glorifying the murder of Israeli civilians.

The Jerusalem Post reported earlier this week that a square in the Palestinian city of Tulkarem was named after Maher Younis, a prisoner in Israel since 1983 for the murder of IDF soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1980.

The square was dedicated in a public ceremony attended by the Palestinian mayor and other local dignitaries.

The reason for Trump’s optimism about concluding a deal is unclear. Over the past two decades, former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have all tried and failed.

By: Adina Katz, World Israel News