Top Trump Aides Had Opposed US Decision To Move Embassy To Jerusalem:Reports

Top diplomatic and military aides of President Trump were opposed to his decision of moving the US embassy in Tel Avis to Jerusalem due to security reasons, American media reports said citing officials

WASHINGTON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 08th Dec, 2017 ) :Top diplomatic and military aides of President Trump were opposed to his decision of moving the US embassy in Tel Avis to Jerusalem due to security reasons, American media reports said citing officials.

President Trump this week official announced that America recognized Jerusalem as the 'political capital' of Israel and asked the officials to start the process of moving the embasy to Jerusalem.

The decision has drawn widespread criticism from the world over including Pakistan which do not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital as they want that its status must be resolved as part of peace talks between Israel and Palestine.

Pakistan has time again raised the issue in the United Nations that a viable, independent state of Palestine on the basis of the internationally agreed parameters, the pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital is the only sustainable guarantee for enduring peace in the middle East.

According to media reports Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis opposed President Trump's decision, saying it would endanger American diplomats and troops deployed in the Middle East and Muslim countries.

The move has already triggered protests in the larger Middle East region and it was expected that more protests will be held against the decision in Muslim majority countries.

US media is seeking clarification from the government over the repercussions of the decisions as the government officials insisted that there were no immediate changes to the status quo.

Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, David M. Satterfield, at a special briefing said that the President has only acknowledged a 'reality' but no other changes were made at this point.

"With respect to boundaries of sovereignty, borders, geography, those are matters for final status negotiations between the party, and we're not going to touch on those at this time," he said. At a separate press briefing, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that the government was not taking any position on the overall boundaries.

Media reports that said Tillerson and Mattis opposed the decision were reinforced by the fact that the Defense Secretary sought to dodge the question when asked about the decision during a press encounter on his way back from a foreign visit.

The retired General said that he met Trump last week over the issue and had an open discussion. "I gave to the president what I thought. You have to look at the world in different parts and pieces too.

So, as you do that, you have to have a lot of information. I collected the information. I made my recommendation, and I'll just leave it that," Mattis said while on a plane from Kuwait to Washington.