US President Donald Trump has recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announced plans to relocate the US embassy, currently based in Tel Aviv, to the city. In his live televised address from the White House last night, Mr Trump said, it was a long overdue step. He also directed the State Department to immediately begin the process of construction of the US embassy in Jerusalem.

''I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While previous Presidents have made this a major campaign promise.  They failed to deliver. Today I am delivering. I have judged this course of action to be in the best interests of United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.''

The move reversed decades of US and international policy on the holy city, which many Arab leaders warned could trigger an upheaval in the already volatile West Asia region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the US  decision. He termed it as historic and a courageous and just decision. Leading the global voice of dissent against the US President's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the holy city is the final-status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said, the decision tantamounts to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator after a decade of sponsoring the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Iran and Qatar have also denounced the US move.  Pope Francis expressed deep concern and appealed for all to respect the city's status quo, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions.

The European Union called for the resumption of a meaningful peace process while both China and Russia have also expressed their concern and said the move could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said, the UK government disagree with the US decision and said there is no plan to move its embassy from Tel Aviv.

Furious protests are being raged across from Turkey to Gaza to Jordan against the decision of the US government. The Arab World had already warned suggesting that shift in policy regarding Jerusalem would inflame regional tensions and make the process of brokering a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians more difficult. Israel has always regarded Jerusalem as its capital city, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The issue goes to the heart of Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, who are backed by the Arab and wider Islamic world. The city is home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem.

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