Arab leaders have been very vocal about their opposition to such a move; some have even accused Donald Trump of "playing with fire," others say it will fuel extremism. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has previously warned the White House against moving the embassy.
In 1995, during the Clinton Administration, the U.S. Congress passed legislation on moving the embassy. It was supposed to happen by May 31st, 1999. But there was a provision in the law that allowed the president to sign a waiver every six months - in the name of national security. Every president since 1998 has done so, even Donald Trump himself back in June.
Putting the embassy in Jerusalem is controversial because the eastern part of the city is Palestinian territory being illegally occupied by Israel. So, what message is the Trump Administration sending with this plan to relocate the embassy?
Presenter: Peter Dobbie. | Guests: Mustafa Barghouti - Secretary General, Palestinian National Initiative; Daniel Levy - President of U.S.-Middle East Project; Hussein Ibish - Senior Resident Scholar, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington
