Statement from The Carter Center on U.S. Policy in Jerusalem

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Deanna.Congileo@cartercenter.org

ATLANTA – President Donald Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordering the Department of State to start preparations to move the U.S. embassy there damages the credibility of the U.S. as an effective mediator and undermines hope for a two-state solution. Since 1967, the international community has been unanimous in rejecting such a shift and in considering East Jerusalem part of the occupied Palestinian territory.

“This fundamental shift in decades-old U.S. policy exacerbates tensions throughout the Arab and Muslim world, but we hope that protests can remain nonviolent,” said former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. “Any change to the status of the city without the consent of the Palestinians jeopardizes any prospect for peace. East Jerusalem is a linchpin of Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own.”

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"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.