Despite firm warnings from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, President Donald Trump intends to move the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman says.
After a law was passed in 1995 on transferring the US embassy to Jerusalem, all US presidents have signed a waiver every six months to postpone the move due to tensions between Israel and Palestine, which says East Jerusalem must be the capital of a Palestinian state.
Despite Trump himself signing the waiver in June, he is expected to refrain from repeating this action. Additionally, in a speech scheduled for Wednesday, the president is set to announce his stance on Jerusalem being recognized as Israel's capital.
With Abbas' spokesman, son Donald Trump, Jr. and White House adviser Jared Kushner all hinting that Trump will officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, many demonstrations have already been planned in that city and the West Bank — prompting the US Consulate General in Jerusalem to impose a travel restriction on US staff there.