U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed he turned Jerusalem into the capital of Israel, even as the Jewish state has long said the city is the seat of its government.
Mr Trump, speaking Friday to supporters, also declared that his decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was most appreciated by US Christians.
Mr Trump slammed previous administrations for not moving the diplomatic mission to bestow U.S. recognition on the Israeli claim to the city.
“They never moved the embassy to Jerusalem, thereby making Jerusalem the capital of Israel, which I did,” Trump said.
“You know who appreciate it the most, are the evangelical Christians,” he added.
READ ALSO: Israel responds to Gaza rockets with strikes on Hamas targets
Palestinians want the eastern part of Jerusalem for the capital of their future state and the move by Mr Trump was denounced by the Palestinian Authority.
The president also claimed “nothing happened” during the ceremony of opening the new embassy, though clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces that day left dozens dead in the Gaza Strip.
Mr Trump took a specific dig at his predecessor, Barack Obama and vice president Joe Biden, who is running in the November election.
“Nobody has been worse to Israel than president Obama and Biden,” said Trump, citing the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
(dpa/NAN)
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