Trump's Secretary of State Refuses to Say Western Wall Is in Israel
Source: Haaretz News
Rex Tillerson says that the U.S. president's next stop after Saudi Arabia will be 'Tel Aviv, home of Judaism'
Amir Tibon May 22, 2017 4:54 PM
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday that the Western Wall is "in Jerusalem," but refused to respond to a question on whether it was in Israel.
He made the comments while flying from Saudi Arabia to Israel as part of President Donald Trump's first international trip.
The Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, is a section of the wall supporting the Temple Mount and the only remnant of the Second Temple, which stood in Jerusalem until its destruction in 70 C.E. Tillerson's comment is in line with traditional American policy over the last five decades, which doesn't recognize Israel's control of East Jerusalem
The secretary of state also told reporters traveling with him that settlements are one of the factors that have made it hard to reach peace between Israel and the Palestinians in the past.
Tillerson stated that from Saudi Arabia, President Trump was continuing to "Tel Aviv, home to Judaism" – most likely a reference to Ben-Gurion International Airport, where Trump landed. The president is not scheduled to visit Tel Aviv during his stay in Israel, and will spend almost all of his time in Jerusalem.
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