Donald Trump
Donald TrumpReuters

Pressure is mounting inside Washington on President Donald Trump not to follow through on his campaign pledge to relocate the US Embassy in Israel to the Israeli capital of Jerusalem and recognize the city as the united capital of the Jewish state.

Just days before his planned May 22nd visit to Israel, conflicting reports have flooded the news media regarding the president’s plans to either uphold his promise and relocate the embassy or invoke a security clause, deferring relocation of the embassy despite a 1995 law requiring its transfer to Jerusalem.

On Sunday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the president was carefully considering the move, a decision he said hinged on how the White House believes it would affect future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli officials responded to Tillerson’s comments, reaffirming the Israeli government’s long-stated position that the US Embassy – and others – should be moved to the Israeli capital.

While the Palestinian Authority has argued against such a move, senior Washington officials are also reportedly pushing the president to maintain the status quo and leave the embassy in Tel Aviv.

According to a report by CNN, top officials in the US State Department, Defense Department, and intelligence agencies are pressing President Trump to walk back his campaign promise to move the embassy and recognize Jerusalem as the undivided Israeli capital.

Opponents of the move say that recognizing Israel’s capital and moving the embassy could torpedo Trump’s plans for rebooting negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, a claim Israel disputes.

At the same time, some of Trump’s closest advisers have pushed the president to act on his campaign pledge and relocate the US Embassy in Israel, arguing that the president’s trip to Israel next week is the ideal time, two White House officials told CNN.

The White House may have a third option on the table, CNN reported, crafted by opponents of the embassy move to help the Trump administration save face after pledging to relocate the embassy. Alternative moves such as announcing future plans for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, with no immediate changes taken, are reportedly among the options being considered.