彭斯：美國大使館年遷到耶路撒冷

After announcing the United States would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by the end of 2019, Vice President Mike Pence wraps up a four-day Middle East trip Tuesday by meeting with Israel's president and making visits to a Holocaust remembrance center and the Western Wall.

Trump's decision parted from longstanding U.S. policy that left the status of Jerusalem as an issue to be resolved during negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had previously said the embassy relocation would likely take years. But on Monday, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert confirmed the administration "will advance its plan to open the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and will open the embassy before the end of the year."

Netanyahu thanked Trump and Pence for what he called the "historic statement" and declared the U.S.-Israel relationship has "never been stronger."

Palestinian leaders have been sharply critical of Trump's decision. A group of Arab lawmakers greeted Pence's Knesset speech with protests and signs that said, Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine," before being removed from the chamber.美國副總統彭斯宣佈2019年年底之前把美國大使館遷到耶路撒冷後，星期二會見以色列總統，還要參觀一個大屠殺紀念中心和西牆，隨後結束對中東的4天訪問。

川普總統承認耶路撒冷爲以色列首都的決定背離了美國多年的政策，即耶路撒冷的地位應有以色列和巴勒斯坦人通過談判解決。

美國國務卿蒂勒森曾經表示，搬遷美國駐以色列大使館需要多年的時間。但是國務院發言人諾爾特星期一證實，川普政府將加速推進在耶路撒冷開館的工作，年底開始辦公。

以色列總理內塔尼亞胡感謝川普總統和彭斯副總統所做的”歷史性聲明”，並宣稱美國和以色列的關係“比以往任何時候都要牢固”。

巴勒斯坦領導人猛烈批評川普總統的決定。彭斯總統在以色列議會講話時，一些阿拉伯議員進行抗議，打出了“耶路撒冷是巴勒斯坦首都”的標語。隨後他們都被帶出會場。