The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, says President Trump’s decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel was “courageous.”Haley has staunchly defended Trump’s recognition last week of the contested city as Israel’s capital, facing a barrage of criticism at the U.N. last week. The United States stood virtually alone as Security Council members described the move as rash, impulsive and prejudicial to the outcome of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. “What you saw was a courageous move by the president,” Haley said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Disputing the notion that Trump had preempted the city’s status as part of any future peace agreement, she said: “He didn’t talk about boundaries; he didn’t talk about borders. Palestinian leaders have denounced Trump’s designation, which marked a break with decades of U.S. policy. But while Arab and Muslim states have decried Trump’s position on Jerusalem, there have been no dramatic diplomatic repercussions.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 10, 2017 16:17 UTC