President Trump has decided to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and he will move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.
He'll make the announcement official in a few hours time, and his aides say that the President believes the time is right for the US to make the move.
But the decision is extremely controversial with many US allies in the region.
From Washington, Simon Marks reports.
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It's been the worst-kept secret in Washington over the past week: news that President Trump has decided to take a major step….officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and beginning the process of moving the US embassy there from its current location in Tel Aviv.
White House officials say President Trump believes this is the right time to recognize what they call reality: that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel…the Jewish people and the Jewish faith.
Work will begin immediately on identifying a site where a new US Embassy can be built.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
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What President Trump considers the best decision for the United States is not being embraced by many governments overseas.
President Mahmood Abbas of the Palestinian Authority expressed his concern over the decision when Donald Trump gave him advance notice of the announcement…..so too did King Abdullah of Jordan, a long-term US ally.
President Recep Tayip Erdogan of Turkey warned that the decision could spark conflict across the Arab world, arguing that Jerusalem is a "Red line for Muslims".
And the EU was also underwhelmed by news of the President's decision.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Feredica Moghrerini
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The White House insists the President's announcement will in no way obscure the possibility of negotiating that two state solution….a diplomatic effort that is being spearheaded by the President's own son-in-law Jared Kushner.
But the State Department warned US diplomats in the region to exercise caution….given the likelihood of protests and anger on the streets of the Arab world, that many Middle East analysts will at least temporarily derail the prospects for peace.
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