Russian embassy in Israel holds annual event in Jerusalem, instead of Tel Aviv, for the first time ever.

The Russian embassy in Israel will host a reception for its national day in Jerusalem for the first time on Thursday, instead of Tel Aviv, a Russian official said.

It comes in the wake of US President Donald Trump's transfer of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May, after he recognized the disputed city as capital of Israel.

Before that decision the Russian government last year said it views "west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel". The same statement also recognized "east Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state".

Dmitry Alushkin, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv, said Thursday's event is consistent with his country's April 2017 remarks.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is scheduled to attend the reception at the Russian-owned Saint Sergius Mission, in Jerusalem.

In December, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, vowing to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv.

His move broke with decades of precedent by both Republican and Democratic presidents, who used a security waiver to push off implementation of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act.