MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. The decision made by US President Donald Trump to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has sobbed the regional players and showed that the American monopoly in the Middle East settlement is not working, Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and African Countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said at the Valdai Discussion Club’s conference dubbed "Russia in the Middle East: Playing on All Fields."
"Trump’s last decisions showed that the US monopoly in the Middle East settlement is not working. Only international support of negotiations is possible. They should be bilateral," Bogdanov stressed. "In this regard, the Russian administration’s proposal to hold a direct meeting between the heads of Palestine and Israel seems to be the most relevant."
Following the US’ decision of December 6, 2017, to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Palestinians refused to regard Washington as one of the parties at the talks with Israel further on, stating that the Middle East settlement needs a new international mechanism now.
Jerusalem’s status is a major issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israelis occupied the city’s eastern part during the war of 1967. They insist that Jerusalem is Israel’s "single and indivisible" capital. The Palestinians, for their part, want to make the city’s eastern part the capital of their state.