United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel
[4] Trump's decision was rejected by the vast majority of world leaders; the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on December 7, where 14 out of 15 members condemned it, but the motion was overturned by U.S. veto power.
[6] Other countries supported the move; Guatemala affirmed their intent to issue a follow-up on the U.S. recognition and relocate their diplomatic mission to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, and the Czech Republic, Honduras, Paraguay, and Romania stated that they were also considering the same course of action.
[9][10] The Palestinian National Authority stated that the recognition and relocation disqualifies the U.S. from mediating peace talks, while Hamas called for the beginning of a new intifada against Israel in the aftermath of Trump's declaration.
"[29] During the 2016 US Presidential election, one of Trump's campaign promises was to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which he described as the "eternal capital of the Jewish people.
Daniel C. Kurtzer noted America's international isolation in his remarks and Richard H. Jones expressed concerns that moving the embassy would fuel further violence.
J Street, New Israel Fund, and progressive Zionist organization Ameinu expressed concerns that the move would undermine Middle East peace efforts and could lead to violence.
[39] In December 2017, more than 130 Jewish studies scholars from across North America criticized the Trump administration's decision, calling on the U.S. government to take actions to de-escalate the tensions and "clarify Palestinians' legitimate stake in the future of Jerusalem.
[48] On December 6, shortly after Trump's statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the announcement was a "historic landmark" and praised the decision as "courageous and just".
[50] The announcement was well received by Knesset members of left, right and center parties including Yesh Atid, Bayit Yehudi, Yisrael Beytenu, and Likud.
In contrast, Bezalel Smotrich of the religious zionist Bayit Yehudi party issued the following statement: "For 30 years we have fallen into the pit of the Palestinian state as a realistic solution.
Avi Gabbay, the leader the Zionist Union, also supported Trump's announcement, saying that recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital is more important than a peace deal.
[51][52] Israel's Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism party said building in "parts of Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem that need housing would be better than a declaration that means nothing".
[54] Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech where he said the decision meant the United States was "abdicating its role as a peace mediator".
[49] Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki similarly said the United States could no longer act as a mediator in the peace process because it had become a party to the dispute.
[59] The Jerusalem announcement inspired activist Ahmed Abu Artema to write a Facebook proposing the outlines of the Great March of Return protests.
The resolution stated that "any actions by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem were illegal and therefore null and void.
It further stressed the need for the parties to refrain from provocative actions, especially in areas of religious and cultural sensitivity, and called for respect for the historic status quo at the holy places of Jerusalem."
She also noted that Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem was considered a violation of international law under a 1980 United Nations Security Council resolution.
After the meeting, the League's Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit issued a statement saying the change in US policy was "against international law and "amounts to the legalization" of Israeli occupation.
[80][81] While the summit did not produce any concrete sanctions against Israel or the United States,[82] The New York Times called the declaration "the strongest response yet" to Trump's decision.
[84][85] Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria canceled a meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in protest of the American decision.
[86] Jihadist movements from around the world responded with calls for armed struggle:[87] Al-Qaeda in North Africa issued a statement exhorting all fighters to make the liberation of Palestine their central goal.
"[88] China has historically supported an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and said that this position remains unchanged in the aftermath of Trump's announcement.
[89] Following the announcement, Chinese state media aired lengthy broadcasts emphasizing Palestinian opposition to it and lack of support for the move among America's European allies.
[95] President of Bolivia Evo Morales was critical of the US decision and accused Guatemala of mocking the international community and ignoring UN resolutions by moving its embassy to Jerusalem.
Japan and Malaysia were among those expressing concern that the relocation could escalate tensions,[98][99] while Russia and Venezuela added that the move contradicted existing international agreements.
A few hundred Iranian conservatives rallied against the US decision in Tehran, playing music with addition of lyrics like "the US is a murderer", "Palestinian mothers are losing their children" and "Death to America".
[129] A former Marine who had been interacting with Facebook posts praising ISIL, was arrested over an ISIL-inspired terror plot on San Francisco's Pier 39 for Christmas.
[140] Two Danish journalists of the National Geographic channel were injured in Libreville on 16 December by an Islamist carrying a knife and crying "Allahu Akbar", according to Gabon's Defense Minister Etienne Kabinda Makaga.
[151] On March 4, 2019, the consulate general was formally merged into the embassy; ending the US practice of assigning separate diplomatic missions to Israel and the Palestinians.
