US President Trump recognises Jerusalem

President Trump on Wednesday announced that the United States recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will begin the process of moving its embassy to the city. The move breaks with longtime US policy.

Trump ignored warnings from Western and Arab allies to make the controversial announcement from the White House at 1 p.m. Washington time (1800 GMT) and said the decision was in the best interests of “the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s decision as a “historic landmark” and urged other countries to follow suit in re-locating their embassies to Jerusalem.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Trump had destroyed his country’s credibility as a broker for peace in the Middle East, calling the decision “a declaration of withdrawal from the role it has played in the peace process.”
Reaction to Trump’s announcement was swift and largely negative in capitals across Europe and the Middle East.
The process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv is expected to take several years.
Revisit Trump's speech as it happened and the reaction that followed in our Live Blog below.