Jerusalem or Tel Aviv? What’s at stake in the decision to move the U.S. Embassy

TEL AVIV – Amid conflicting signals from the Trump administration about plans to relocate the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Palestinian officials warn that the move could doom peace talks and end hope for a two-state solution in the region. But the Israeli government, which considers Jerusalem the united capital of the Jewish state, is pushing for the move. The embassy in Tel Aviv, approximately 45 miles from Jerusalem, is the only American embassy not located in a nation-state’s declared capital city. The United States does not officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Changing that policy would complicate relations with Arab nations and with Palestinians, who still hope to move their future capital to East Jerusalem. Jerusalem also holds significance for the three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Palestinians, who include both Muslims and Christians, believe they have both religious and historical claims on the city. If the Trump administration breaks with long-standing American policy and moves the embassy — as Trump promised to do during the campaign — Palestinians believe there will have no hope of being recognized as a nation-state