Tillerson: Israelis and Palestinians will determined the final decision on the status of Jerusalem

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem “is not something that is going to happen this year, probably not next year.”

Speaking in Paris with his French counterpart, Tillerson said that President Donald Trump had ordered the State Department to “start the process of making the move” but that it would take time. They still needed to acquire a site, make construction and building plans, ensure necessary authorizations and then build the embassy itself, Tillerson said.

Any final decision on the status of Jerusalem will depend on negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, he added.

He was very clear that the final status, including the borders, would be left to the two parties to negotiate and decide,” Tillerson said.

Trump decision overturning decades of US policy which had left the city’s status to be determined via negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The move has sparked widespread anger in the Arab and Muslim world, while also leading to criticism from European powers and the Vatican, which plays close heed to Christian sites in a city holy to all three monotheistic faiths.