Netanyahu sees Europeans following Trump on Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) gestures during a breakfast meeting with EU foreign ministers at the EU Council building in Brussels on December 11, 2017 - AFP

Brussels (Reuters): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting the European Union, praised US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as his country’s capital on Monday and said he expected Europeans to follow suit.

Ahead of a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Netanyahu said Trump’s move, condemned by the Palestinians and by European governments, would contribute to peace in the Middle East. He called on the Palestinians to recognise Israel as a Jewish state and to accept that Jerusalem was its capital.

Moments earlier, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters as she greeted Netanyahu on the first visit to the EU by an Israeli premier in 22 years, that the bloc would continue to recognise the “international consensus” on Jerusalem.