EU distances itself from Trump with comment on Jerusalem

BRUSSELS – A European Union leader says leaders of the 28-nation bloc have reiterated their “firm commitment” to a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, in what amounts to a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s recent decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, also tweeted at an EU summit on Thursday that the EU’s position on Jerusalem — which is that the city should be the capital of both Israelis and Palestinians — remains unchanged.

Last week Trump announced that the United States was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving its embassy there from Tel Aviv. The declaration departed from decades of U.S. policy that the fate of Jerusalem should be decided through negotiations and caused international uproar.