Vice President Pence told Israel's Knesset on Monday that the U.S. Embassy will open in Jerusalem next year, ahead of schedule. In an address to the Israeli parliament on Monday, Pence defended the controversial decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv and recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which has been condemned by the Palestinians and their Arab allies. Pence says the administration will advance its plan in the coming weeks and the embassy will open by the end of 2019. They say the U.S. cannot be a mediator after the decision and have preemptively rejected any peace plan presented by the Trump administration. President Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December, saying it's time to "finally acknowledge the obvious."

Source: Fox News January 22, 2018 13:12 UTC