US President Donald Trump gave a televised address Wednesday afternoon at the White House in which he formally declared that the US recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He has also given instructions to the State Department to begin firm planning for moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem as soon as possible. Israeli officials and the general public were widely supportive of the move, but there were also voices raising concerns over the potential backlash.

Ismail Haniyeh, Politburo Chief for the Islamist terror militia Hamas, issued a statement late Tuesday demanding that the Palestinian people launch an “Intifada” or armed uprising in response to the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He also urged all Palestinian factions to resolve their differences and “overcome all the issues and details in order to turn our attention to Jerusalem and al-Aksa.” His sentiments were indeed echoed by the leaders of several other Palestinian factions, including the PA.

The Israeli Air Force announced on Wednesday that it has achieved initial operational capability for its first squadron of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, with nine planes ready for combat operations and more on the way. Israeli Air Force, Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin said the new capabilities come to the Air Force “at a time in which the IAF is operating on a large scale on a number of fronts in a dynamic Middle East.”

The National Insurance Institute Annual Poverty Report for Israel was published on Wednesday, including the startling statistic that 1.8 million Israelis, around 22% of the population, was living below the poverty line in 2016. According to the report, nearly half of those living in poverty in Israel are children, while also noting that Israel’s poverty rates remain the highest in the OECD list of developed economies.

A display of coins from the Muslim Umayyad dynasty adorned with Jewish menorahs recently opened at museums in Jerusalem. “We wish that many Muslims will be exposed to this knowledge, which is part of their own religious and cultural heritage,” said Dr. Assaf Avraham of Bar-Ilan University. “We have launched an informational project whose goal is to expose this information to the world and to Muslims in particular. We hope that this exposure will promote an educated dialogue between Jews and Muslims.”

U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to transfer the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has been met with Palestinian threats of violence. Any delay of the American decision on Jerusalem will strengthen the Palestinian (and Arab) leadership’s view that the Trump administration is limited in its ability to exert effective pressure on the Palestinians because of their “deterrent power” of violence and terror that will undermine regional stability.

Watch the video of the full statement by US President Donald Trump regarding his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and his intention to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem in the near future.

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