Israel slams Erdoğan’s remarks on severing ties over Jerusalem

TEL AVIV

Israeli officials on Dec. 5 blasted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks suggesting that Ankara would consider severing ties with the country if the U.S. decides to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital for 3,000 years and the capital of Israel for 70 years, whether [Turkish President] Erdoğan recognizes it as such or not,” Haaretz reported, quoting a senior Israeli official.

Israeli Minister of Intelligence and Transport Israel Katz also reiterated Israel’s position on the ancient city, which is one of a long list of stumbling blocks in years of failed peace talks with the Palestinians.

“We don’t take orders or accept threats from the president of Turkey,” Katz tweeted.

“There would be no more righteous or proper an historical move now than recognizing Jerusalem, the Jewish people’s capital for the past 3,000 years, as the capital of the State of Israel,” he said.