White House press secretary Sean Spicer was asked on Tuesday about the comments made by American diplomats, who told representatives of the Prime Minister's Office that the Western Wall is not part of Israel but rather part of the “West Bank”.
Spicer replied by saying the Western Wall was "clearly in Jerusalem" but declined to say whether it was a part of Israel, reported CNN.
He said the topic would be discussed between President Donald Trump and his counterparts during the President’s trip to Israel next week.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump’s national security adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters that questions about the location of the Western Wall "sounds like a policy decision."
Israel’s Channel 2 News first reported the diplomats' comments on Monday, saying that diplomats stationed at the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem refused to hold talks with Israeli officials about arrangements for Trump’s planned visit to the Western Wall.
The diplomats reportedly claimed that the site is located in the “West Bank”, and is disputed territory, and therefore the Israeli government has no authority over it.
Later on Monday, however, the White House disassociated itself from the remarks, saying that “these comments, if true, were not authorized by the White House. They do not reflect the U.S. position, and certainly not the President’s position.”