Sen. Bob Coker applauded President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday and also announced plans to relocate the US embassy there, a move expected to inflame tensions in the region and unsettle the prospects for peace.
“Today’s announcement recognizes what has been true for almost 70 years, namely that Jerusalem is Israel’s seat of government,” Corker said in a statement.
My full statement on the president’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and begin the process of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: pic.twitter.com/2E7IKqCa4N
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) December 6, 2017
Corker and Trump have exchanged insults on Twitter in the past but the Tennessee Republican senator praised Trump’s decision on Jerusalem, saying he “[applauded] the president’s initiative in making this a reality.”
Trump's decision, previewed Tuesday by senior administration officials, upends decades of policy from successive Republican and Democratic administrations that have said the status of Jerusalem should be left up to a final status agreement negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians.
Officials estimate it will take years before a new embassy can open in Jerusalem.
*CNN contributed to this story.
