Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a celebratory meeting at the Israeli foreign ministry marking the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, reiterated the historic significance of US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, asserting it may be put on par with the historic Balfour Declaration and Truman’s statement. Netanyahu further stated that Israel was looking forward with anticipation to next week’s visit by US Vice President Mike Pence, while emphasizing Jerusalem’s position in which there is no substitute to Washington’s leadership in the world and the Middle East.
The Palestinian leadership said it would boycott US Vice President Mike Pence during his visit to the region, as Ramallah continues to rally international support in both rejecting Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, as well as seeking a counter declaration, in which East Jerusalem would be recognized as the capital of a Palestinian state.