Sunday Talk Shows

Bolton: Recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel ‘enhances the chances for peace’

National security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday that recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will make achieving peace easier.

“It’s a recognition of reality,” Bolton said on ABC’s “This Week.” “If you’re not prepared to recognize that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and that’s where the American Embassy should be, then you’re operating on a completely different wavelength.

“I think recognizing reality always enhances the chances for peace,” Bolton added.

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Bolton’s comments come one day before the Israeli U.S. Embassy is set to open in Jerusalem.

President Trump decided to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December. The move, Trump said, broke with decades of failed policy on Jerusalem during which the U.S. and most world powers declined to recognize the city as the capital of Israel.

The decision sparked outrage from the Palestinians, who pulled out of peace talks after Trump announced the change.

The White House is reportedly working on an Israel-Palestine peace deal, but details of the agreement remain unknown.

Though the U.S. Embassy will now be in Jerusalem, the U.S. ambassador will not yet work there permanently, The New York Times reported.