The White House is considering having President Donald Trump unveil the plan during a speech at the National Defense University in Washington. | Alex Brandon/AP Trump plans to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel

President Donald Trump and his senior aides are preparing for a Wednesday announcement that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, according to a senior administration official.

The official said the specifics of the announcement are still in flux, adding that the White House is considering having Trump unveil the plan during a speech at the National Defense University in Washington.


The move, coupled with plans under consideration to eventually move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, could complicate efforts by Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner to restart peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Aides have said plans are still in flux and may change. The president had faced a Friday deadline under a 1995 law to issue a waiver allowing the embassy to remain in Tel Aviv, something presidents have routinely done since 1999.

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Trump promised as a candidate to move the embassy, a longstanding concern of some American Jews and evangelical voters. He deferred taking such a step in June, signing a waiver in order to give Kushner time to work on his peace plan.

A White House spokesman said Thursday: “The president has always said it is a matter of when, not if. The president is still considering options and we have nothing to announce.”

