Abir Sultan | Pool | Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem March 5, 2017.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting the European Union, praised U.S. President Donald Trump‘s recognition of Jerusalem as his country’s capital on Monday and said he expected Europeans to follow suit.
“It makes peace possible because recognising reality is the substance of peace, the foundation of peace,” Netanyahu told reporters as he was greeting by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
“There is now an effort an effort to bring forward a new peace proposal by the American administration. I think we should give peace a chance. I think we should see what is presented and see if we can advance this peace.”
Netanyahu said Trump’s move, condemned by the Palestinians and by European governments, should be emulated by them.
“It’s time that the Palestinians recognise the Jewish state and also recognise the fact that it has a capital. It’s called Jerusalem,” he said.
“I believe that, even though we don’t have an agreement yet, this is what will happen in the future. I believe that all, or most, of the European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and engage robustly with us for security, prosperity and peace.”
