tonight at 6: warnings of new unrest in the middle east after president trump pledges a radical change in us policy. he says he'll recognisejerusalem as israel's capital — that's caused anger among palestinians and alarmed us allies, but mr trump says it's time. many presidents have said they want to do something and did not. many presidents have said they want to do something and did notm many presidents have said they want to do something and did not. it has drawn huge criticism around the world. fury amongst palestinians. the us is delivering a lethal bullet to the heart of the two state solution. this is the scene at the white house. the announcement will come in the next few minutes. we will have all reaction from around the world on the key decision. hello and welcome to viewers in the

ukjoining us hello and welcome to viewers in the uk joining us for this special coverage as we wait for donald trump to make the announcement to break with decades of us policy by recognising jerusalem as the capital of israel. he is due to speak about the highly controversial decision in the highly controversial decision in the next few minutes. he is also expected to approve plans to move us presidency —— embassy tojerusalem. the plans have sparked protest from global capitals and warnings that the move will destroy any hope of progress on peace. live now to the white house. it is all set up, the podium is there, thejournalists white house. it is all set up, the podium is there, the journalists are there to hear that key announcement from the president. he said it was a big decisionjust a from the president. he said it was a big decision just a few minutes ago. so we can go to thatjust a while ago, speaking at a meeting of his cabinet. saying the decision was

long overdue. we have a big announcement coming up at one o'clock, perhaps a couple of you will be there. it is a big announcement concerning israel and the palestinians and the middle east andi the palestinians and the middle east and i think it is long overdue. many presidents have said they want to do something and did not do it, whether through courage or they changed their mind, i cannot tell you that many people have said we have to do something and did not do it. we will be talking about that something at one o'clock. i look forward to seeing you there. well let's go to washington now and speak to anthony zucker, fascinating listening to that, suggesting that previous presidents were not brave enough to make this move. exactly, pretty remarkable as a statement, positioning himself as being the bold actor once again. he ran on this mentioned it multiple times on the campaign trail. the idea of

recognising jerusalem as the capital and moving the embassy there. especially welcomed by conservatives, evangelical conservatives, evangelical conservatives who see a unified jewish state with jerusalem conservatives who see a unified jewish state withjerusalem as the capital as the fulfilment of biblical prophecies. also conservative members who want to strengthen us ties to israel, this is seen as an important step. so donald trump, obviously he faces criticism from abroad but there is a large portion of his own party who welcome the development. the question is being asked though, you mentioned the campaign trail but why now? i think many people suspected or thought that he might make the move or thought that he might make the m ove eve n or thought that he might make the move even earlier. there is a statue —— a statute requiring the president to make a decision every six months on relocating the embassy. why particularly now at this time, you

could speculate there is a lot of possibly bad news going on for donald trump and this could be a way to change the discussion. as for why now, you need to look at the politics and say maybe he just decides that this is fulfilling a campaign promise and this is his chance to do it. and we have already had confirmation from so many capitals around the world, the reuters news agency saying that the us state department in a cable to us diplomatic post have asked officials to declare non—essential travel to israel until december 20. this is a recognition it seems that there could be unrest sparked by this decision. the promise of three days of rage, demonstrations in the palestinian territories. obviously the state department taking that seriously. the white house, the airline is that this move is a reflection of the reality that

jerusalem is already the capital of israel. —— there line. and this is long overdue but also acknowledging it is controversial and could be repercussions. i'm just being told we arejust repercussions. i'm just being told we are just about two minutes away and you can get a sense of that looking at these pictures. just the last few staff getting in their positions, thejournalists in place. just a few seconds away from the us president coming into the room. and he will break with 70 years of foreign policy and recognised jerusalem as the capital of israel there has been condemnation from regional leaders, also condemnation from the us, from france in the uk, from the us, from france in the uk, from china. and our international correspondent is here watching these pictures with me. briefly, your

thoughts before we hear this major announcement? there's no way to underestimate the powerful symbolism of what we understand president trump is about to announce. notjust about a city or a land but a deeply emotional issue. an issue that touches on three religions who regard jerusalem as the holy site, as sacred. it goes to the heart of one of the most contentious and emotional issues in the peace process. and it is an issue that will not go unnoticed and there will bea will not go unnoticed and there will be a response. i'mjust will not go unnoticed and there will be a response. i'm just waiting will not go unnoticed and there will be a response. i'mjust waiting now from reuters, president trump said the us remained deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement but many commentators saying that this move will make that so much more difficult if not torpedo the whole thing. president trump, you heard his comments before the programme began saying that other

presidents had maybe changed their mind or were not brave enough, but he is the man who wants to do the deal. thank you. when i came into office i promised to look at the challenges of the world with open eyes and very fresh thinking. we cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strategies of the past. all challenges demand new approaches. my announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to conflict between israel... to relocate the american embassy to jerusalem and to recognise that that city and so importantly, is israel's

capital. this act passed congress by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. and was reaffirmed by unanimous vote of the senate only six months ago. yet for over 20 years every previous american president has exercised the waiver, refusing to move the us embassy to jerusalem or to waiver, refusing to move the us embassy tojerusalem or to recognise jerusalem as israel's capital city. presidents issued these waivers under the belief that delaying the recognition of jerusalem under the belief that delaying the recognition ofjerusalem would advance the cause of peace. some say that they lacked courage, but they made their bestjudgment based on fa cts made their bestjudgment based on facts as they understood them at the time. nevertheless the record is in. after more than two decades of

waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between israel and the palestinians. it would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better results. therefore i'm determined that it is time to officially recognise jerusalem determined that it is time to officially recognisejerusalem as the capital of israel. while previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they have failed to deliver. today i am delivering. i havejudged this course of action to be in the best interests of the united states of america. and the pursuit of peace between israel and the palestinians. this is a long overdue step to advance the peace process and to work towards a lasting agreement.

israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital. acknowledging this is a fact, is a necessary condition for achieving peace. it was 70 years ago that the united states under president truman recognised the state of israel. ever since then israel has made its capital in the city ofjerusalem. the capital the jewish capital in the city ofjerusalem. the capital thejewish people established in ancient times. today jerusalem is the seat of the modern israeli government. it is the home of the israeli parliament. as well as the israeli supreme court. it is the location of the official

residence of the prime minister and the president. it is the headquarters of many government ministries. for decades visiting american presidents, secretaries of state and military leaders have met their israeli counterparts in jerusalem. as i did on my trip to israel earlier this year. jerusalem is not just israel earlier this year. jerusalem is notjust the heart of three great religions but it is now also the heart of one of the most successful democracies in the world. over the past seven decades the israeli people have built a country where jewish people, muslims and christians and people of all faiths are free to live and worship according to their conscience and according to their conscience and according to their beliefs. jerusalem is today and must remain a

place where jewish jerusalem is today and must remain a place wherejewish people pray at the western wall, where christians walk the stations of the cross and where muslims worship at the mosque. however through all of these years presidents of representing the united states have declined to officially recognised jerusalem as the israeli capital. in fact we have declined to acknowledge any israeli capital at all. but today we finally acknowledge thatjerusalem is the israeli capital. this is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. it is also the right thing to do. it is something that has to be done. that is why consistent with the jerusalem embassy act,

be done. that is why consistent with thejerusalem embassy act, i'm also directing the state department to begin preparation to move the american embassy from tel aviv to jerusalem. this will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers and planners soa architects, engineers and planners so a new embassy when completed will bea so a new embassy when completed will be a magnificent tribute to peace. in making these announcements i also wa nt to in making these announcements i also want to make one point very clear. this decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. we want an agreement that is a great deal for the israelis and a great deal for the israelis and a great deal for the palestinians. we are not taking a position of any final status issues including the specific boundaries of the israeli

sovereignty in jerusalem by boundaries of the israeli sovereignty injerusalem by the resolution of contested borders. those questions are up to the parties involved. the united states remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is a cce pta ble facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. i intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement. without questionjerusalem is forge such an agreement. without question jerusalem is one forge such an agreement. without questionjerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in those talks. the united states would support a two state solution if agreed to by both sides. in the meantime i call on all parties to maintain the status quo at the holy sites injerusalem maintain the status quo at the holy sites in jerusalem including maintain the status quo at the holy sites injerusalem including the temple mount also known as home run

archery. above are —— above all our greatest hope is for peace. the universal yearning in every human soul. with the actions today i reaffirm my administration's long—standing commitment to future of peace and security for region. there will of course be disagreement and dissent. regarding this announcement. but we are confident that ultimately as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive ata these disagreements, we will arrive at a piece and a place far greater in understanding and cooperation. this sacred city should call forth the best inhumanity, lifting our sites to what it is possible, not pulling us back and down to the old fights that have become so totally predictable. peace is never beyond

the grasp of those willing to reach it. so today we call for calm, for moderation and for the voices of tolerance. to prevail over the purveyors of hate. our children should inherit our love and not our conflicts. i repeat, the message i deliver at the historic and extraordinary summit in saudi arabia earlier this year, the middle east isa earlier this year, the middle east is a region rich with culture, spirit and history. its people are brilliant, proud and diverse. vibrant and strong. but the incredible future awaiting this region is held at bay by bloodshed, ignorance and terror. vice president pens will travel to the region in the coming days to reaffirm our

commitment to work with partners throughout the middle east to defeat radical —— radicalism that threatens the hopes and dreams of future generations. it is time for the many who desire peace to expel the extremists from their midst. it is time for all civilised nations and people to respond to disagreement with reasoned debate and not violence. and it is time for young and moderate voices all across the middle east to claim for themselves are bright and beautifulfuture. so today let us rededicate ourselves to a path of mutual understanding and respect. let us rethink old assumptions and open our hearts and

minds to possible and possibilities and finally i asked the leaders of the region, political and religious, israeli and palestinian, jewish and christian and muslim, tojoin us in the noble quest for a lasting peace. thank you. god bless you, god bless israel, god bless the palestinians and god bless the united states. thank you very much. well there it is. president trump making that announcement saying it is time to officially recognised jerusalem as the capital of israel. he went on to say this is a long overdue step to advance the peace process. he talked about at the start about not making the same

failed approaches, using the same failed approaches, using the same failed formulas. that was his justification for this abrupt change, this dramatic change in us foreign policy. he then went on in the second half of that statement to underline as he said at his commitment to pushing forward and advancing the peace process. he said iremain advancing the peace process. he said i remain deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement a cce pta ble facilitate a peace agreement acceptable both to the australians and the palestinians. so there he goes, that of comeback to our international correspondent. your headline thoughts? he said was a recognition of reality and in some ways that is correct. the israelis operate their business from jerusalem, the prime minister and president live there, the israeli parliament. but everyone will focus on the language and it will be looked at differently from the

israeli and palestinian side. when russia recognised jerusalem as the capital earlier this year they said westjerusalem, not capital earlier this year they said west jerusalem, not jerusalem capital earlier this year they said westjerusalem, notjerusalem as a whole. president trump talked about jerusalem, the capital city but did not use the israeli words which is eternal, undivided. the palestinians will seize a pub in that, the recognition that some parts of jerusalem could be theirs in the capital and president trump careful to say this does not presuppose any discussions in the final status talks about the boundaries of jerusalem. he did not even hint however that the palestinians wanted eastjerusalem as the capital and when he came to that mantra at the two state solution, he did not say that i believe in the two state solution, he said the two state solution, he said the two state solution if both sides agree to it. so he stepped back from that. so for some israelis he may not have said

enough but for palestinians and arabs he certainly said nothing that would satisfy them. there was nothing sweetened in for them aside to his commitment to a process but that will not be enough, that appeal for calm. there was nothing in his language that will bring about that calm. and in the build-up to this announcement we have seen condemnation from so many different places in the world, as you go through it and you have been looking at all of it to the day, which were the most significant voices that stood out for you. all the voices, what will matter most is what is happening on the ground. we will hear from happening on the ground. we will hearfrom mahmoud happening on the ground. we will hear from mahmoud abbas happening on the ground. we will hearfrom mahmoud abbas but we know i think what he will say, he will see it as a challenge to him, to his leadership. never mind that this is a history of failed is making but he knows there will be anger on the streets and in some ways he must respond to that. we heard from hamas in the gaza strip, calling for a day of rage and friday and all arab

leaders have always tried to be standard—bearers for the palestinian cause, the palestinians will say they've never done enough to help. but today they are all standing up and that includes arabs, turkish and iranian leaders and of course european leaders as well. in saying that this is something that will damage the peace process. we will have a different view from the israelis, president trump is right, all the way from president clinton on, they're not help the peace process. so in some senses he is correct that there needs to be new thinking but this new thinking may not be the right one. thank you very much for that. now we are going to hear from the palestinian much for that. now we are going to hearfrom the palestinian president, hearfrom the palestinian president, he said that he would make a televised address after being from donald trump and we will play that to you when we get it. more from ramada innjust to you when we get it. more from ramada inn just a to you when we get it. more from ramada innjust a moment but

to you when we get it. more from ramada inn just a moment but first we go tojerusalem. your reaction to what we've just heard from the american president? this is a great day for the state of israel and the region as a whole. it has been so long that this unnatural idea of carving ofjerusalem, which is the eternal capital and the jewish eternal capital and the jewish eternal capital, would somehow bring peace upon us. and president trump is right, by putting that aside, by understanding and solidifying the fa ct understanding and solidifying the fact thatjerusalem is and will a lwa ys fact thatjerusalem is and will always be the israeli capital, now we can proceed towards peace. the tidal wave of criticism we already had today for the palestinians, from regional leaders, the eu, uk, the pope, does that not bother you? of course it bothers us. but i would expect leaders of the free nations

in the world, germany, france, the uk, to follow the united states and recognise our capital. we recognise brilliant as the capital of germany and paris as the french capital, we would expect they recognise our capital that has incidentally been that way for 3020 years now. so not as if we are inventing a new situation, it has always been our capital long before london was even in existence. we think that is the natural way that the leaders should go. and do you think this move brings peace poster or move that further away? in the short term there might be some friction but in there might be some friction but in the long term this definitely will bring peace closer because never could peace be predicated on dividing jerusalem, neverwill could peace be predicated on dividing jerusalem, never will there be peace with a wall in the middle ofjerusalem and you cannot profit up. in the long run this will advance peace and the prose is that for so many years dividing

jerusalem, that never brought peace. your settlements in east jerusalem are seen internationally as illegal under international law, does this in any way in your opinion legitimised these settlements? we do not have settlements in east jerusalem, we havejewish communities living in our capital. the death we are legitimate regardless of what the international community thinks because i said we live there and we our own language, in ourown live there and we our own language, in our own homeland. but we think it is high time capital around the world a cce pt is high time capital around the world accetherusalem is high time capital around the world accept jerusalem as is high time capital around the world accetherusalem as our capital. do you still believe in a two state solution? we have to be creative. president trump talked about new ideas, i have a new idea of building peace bottom—up through the economy, through trade. there are already a two state situation,

in gaza, and it is a failed state. the notion of creating a second palestinian state i do not think will work and we must think creatively how palestinians can govern themselves. we do not want to govern themselves. we do not want to govern but by not creating another 100 years misery. and we have some new fresh ideas there. thank you for your time. and let me tell you that the israeli prime minister has described that announcement from donald trump as an historic landmark. let's speak to the palestinian politician who is a member of the plo executive committee. thank you so much for being here on the programme. your reaction to this news?|j being here on the programme. your reaction to this news? i think this is disastrous. it is not well thought out, it is in direct contradiction of the most basic requirements of peace. it violates international law. it shows total

bias in favour of israel. it shows an accommodation of illegal annexation ofjerusalem and that accommodation and support for occupation and full force and military violence. and at the same time it says we recognise reality but what is reality. the law should be the basis of any recognition, international law as well as the imperatives of peace. what he's doing is saying we're going to do everything to scuttle the chances of peace, to destroy the chances of peace, to destroy the chances of peace and at the same time we think this is in the service of peace. in this is in the service of peace. in this mad rush to show that is different from other presidents he does not stop to think about what made the peace process fail. what made the peace process fail. what made it fail is us biased towards israel, israeli impunity, the us coverfor israel, israeli impunity, the us cover for israeli violations and violence against the palestinians and a disregard for international law. this is why the peace process

fail. let me ask you another question. he talks about not repeating failed mistakes. in your view that peace process or moves to try to make progress, is that totally torpedoed now in your mind? yes, i think he's just paying lip service, he's insulting our intelligence is talking about that. what he is doing is encouraging anti—peace elements, encouraging the most extreme hard—line warmongers in israel. this coalition in israel is certainly the most hardline government in the history of israel and they are systematically destroying the chances of peace. he has cast his lot with them and at the same time letting go all the people who have fought for decades to visualise the language of negotiation, of legality and justice. and saying it does not

work. and this also encourages and emboldened not just the work. and this also encourages and emboldened notjust the israeli extremists but also extremists on the other side of wealth. let me ask you about exactly that because you will know there are groups that have already called for three days of rage. as a key palestinian leader, what would your corby, is that a call that you support or would you be urging calm as we heard from donald trump a few moments ago? that is not the issue. he says one thing and he does the other. he urges calm and he does the other. he urges calm and then promotes everyone yon endurance. how dare you urge calm when you're provoking sentiments and turning history into a forgery. the judge amassing land confiscation and transforming jerusalem into a forgery. this is a palestinian city and as such belongs to the palestinians. the palestinian people. you cannot say i will choose

where i want my capital. i would like to conquer england and take over london and make it my capital, but israel has taken overjerusalem by warand but israel has taken overjerusalem by war and annexed it illegally. it isa by war and annexed it illegally. it is a palestinian city, they do not have the right or freedom to make their capital. what can you actually do about it? in reality? in reality, what we should do is go to the international community, israel must be held accountable, this impunity has to stop, this total disregard of international justice stop, this total disregard of internationaljustice has to stop, this american collusion, and i am not saying all americans, there are many people all over the