Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has voiced “concern” over Donald Trump’s expected announcement that he will recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
US officials have said the president will declare on Wednesday that he is to start the process of moving the country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city, reversing decades of American policy.
The move has sparked consternation around the world, amid fears that it could provoke violent protests by Palestinians who may view it as America dropping its long-standing position of neutrality in the Middle East peace process to side with Israel.
Boris Johnson stands in front of the Dome of the Rock during a visit to Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif in Jerusalem in 2015 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
Speaking to reporters as he arrived for a Nato summit in Brussels, Mr Johnson made clear that the UK has no intention of following Mr Trump’s lead by moving its own embassy from Tel Aviv.
“Let’s wait and see what the president says exactly, but we view the reports that we have heard with concern, because we think that Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, a negotiated settlement that we want to see,” said Mr Johnson.
“We have no plans ourselves to move our embassy.”