Strategic Implications of President Trump Recognizing Israel’s Capital

US President Trump is expected to declare on Wednesday that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The Palestinians have warned the American president that US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would seriously affect the future of the peace process and cause instability in the region. Jordan’s King Abdullah rushed to Washington to dissuade President Trump from this declaration. The international community says Jerusalem’s status must be negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians, and warns a highly-charged declaration would risk inflaming tensions across the Middle East.

US embassies and consulates around the region have been warned to expect protests.

Former Ambassador Daniel Shapiro served as United States ambassador to Israel from July 2011 to January 2017. Prior to that he was Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the National Security Council at the White House. He previously served in numerous senior advisory positions in the U.S. Congress. He is currently a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies.