UK PM Considers Moving British Embassy to Jerusalem

New York, MINA – Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has thanked his British counterpart, Liz Truss, for announcing that she is considering moving the British embassy to the contested city of Jerusalem.

Quoted from The New Arab, the two prime ministers met on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Wednesday when news of Truss’ controversial statement was discussed.

Most embassies are based in Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem, which Israel considers its capital, due to the international view that neither side has sovereignty over the Holy City.

“I thank my good friend, British Prime Minister Liz Truss, for announcing that she is positively considering moving the British Embassy to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel – we will continue to strengthen partnerships between countries,” Lapid wrote on Twitter.

In a bid to bolster his campaign when he was running for prime minister to replace Boris Johnson, Truss signaled to British lobby group Conservative Friends for Israel that he would review moving the British embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

It follows Donald Trump’s highly controversial decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and some of Israel’s main allies have followed suit.

The world has rejected such a move and the announcement sparked a major dispute between the US and the Palestinian Authority.

The British move would deal another heavy blow to the Palestinian cause and another obstacle to a two-state solution.

Israel regards Jerusalem as its eternal capital and rejects any division, while Palestinians expect occupied East Jerusalem – annexed in 1967 – to be the capital of their future state. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)