OTTOWA — The Trudeau government said it would not move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and will keep it in Tel Aviv, stressing it still does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital city.
"Canada's long-standing position is that the status of Jerusalem can be resolved only as part of a general settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute. This has been the policy of consecutive governments, both Liberal and Conservative," press secretary of the Ministry of Canada's Foreign Affairs Adam Austen said in a statement late Tuesday.
"We are strongly committed to the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including the creation of a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel," Austen added.
The Canadian newspaper, Globe and Mail reported that the Canadian government stressed it would not transfer to Jerusalem amid reports U.S President Donald Trump would relocate the American embassy to the holy city of Jerusalem and recognize it as the country's capital.
The move risks fuelling violence in the Middle East and breaks with decades of U.S. foreign policy that Jerusalem's status must be determined in negotiation with the Palestinians, who wants to make East Jerusalem the capital of their future state, the newspaper noted.
It also confirmed that the international community, including Canada, does not recognize Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967.
(Petra)
