Israel
Trump reiterates US position that Jerusalem is ‘Israel’s rightful capital’
The US President reflected on the eighth anniversary of recognising Jerusalem as the capital
December 8, 2025 12:03
The US President reflected on the eighth anniversary of recognising Jerusalem as the capital
December 8, 2025 12:03Donald Trump has marked eight years since he recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and began the process of moving the US embassy there by reflecting on what he called “a transformative step forward in the pursuit of peace in the Middle East”.
In a statement released by the White House on Saturday, the US President said: “On December 6 2017, during my first term in office, I proudly signed a proclamation to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to relocate the United States Embassy to that marvellous city – [it was] a transformative step forward in the pursuit of peace in the Middle East.
“Today, eight years later, my Administration renews its commitment to ushering in a new era of peace, prosperity, and stability in the region and all around the world.”
He continued: “Since the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948, Jerusalem has served as its cultural and religious heart and the seat of its government.
"However, for decades, weak politicians refused to formally recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital – despite Congress voting to support the action – because they believed that moving our embassy would harm the cause of peace in the region.
"Yet delaying the recognition brought us no closer to a lasting peace agreement and showed that repeating the same approach to old challenges produces only the same failed results.”
Trump added: “In recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving our embassy to that beautiful city, we acknowledged the rightful capital that stands at the heart of Israel’s traditions, government, and heritage”.
In typically bombastic style, he went on to herald how the world now stands “on the doorstep of one of the greatest diplomatic achievements in history as a strong, durable, and everlasting peace is emerging across the Middle East”.
Jerusalem contains sites sacred to the Judaism, Islam and Christianity, and while Israel has always regarded the city as its capital, successive Israeli governments had been unable to persuade the international community to recognise its sovereignty over the east of the city following its capture in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Until Trump’s move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017 all countries with an embassy in the Jewish state had until that point maintained them in Tel Aviv.
Additional reporting by Simon Rocker
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