Schumer–'I advised Trump to recognize 'united' Jerusalem'

NY Senator, Democratic leader says he advised president to recognize all of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Israel National News

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) reportedly advised US President Donald Trump to go even farther in his declaration that the United States government recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel, The Weekly Standard reported.

Trump announced that he was “acknowledging the obvious, that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital,” during a speech at the White House Wednesday. He said that the recognition was “long overdue.”

Trump also pledged to begin relocating the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

However, Trump pointedly refrained from specifying which boundaries he accepted as being included in Israel’s capital, saying that the issue was for the parties to decide.

Senator Schumer, the ranking Democratic senator, advised Trump to recognize “united” Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Senator told The Weekly Standard Tuesday. Such a move would recognize Israeli sovereignty over eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City and the Temple Mount.

Schumer had previously criticized Trump’s “indecisiveness” on the relocation of the US embassy.

“As someone who strongly believes that Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel, I am calling for the US Embassy in Israel to be relocated to Jerusalem,” he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in October.