Jim Mattis dodges when asked if he supports Trump’s Jerusalem decision

The White House, after months of internal deliberations, confirmed last night President Trump will fulfill a campaign promise by announcing today that the U.S. officially recognizes Jerusalem to be the “political capital” of Israel. But officials attempted to temper the expected blowback from the decision by insisting that the planned move of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv is still years away. “It will take some time to find a site, address security concerns, design a new facility, fund a new facility, and build it — so this is not an instantaneous process,” an official said.

The split-the-baby approach is designed to mute criticism from European and Arab allies who say that moving the American embassy would upend the peace process and anger U.S. allies in the region. No other country has an embassy in Jerusalem.

Briefing reporters last night, administration officials said Trump believes his speech, set for 1 p.m., is simply “a recognition of reality,” and won’t derail peace efforts by his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. The president’s declaration, the officials argued, will stop short of recognizing Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as the capital of a future independent state. “We are leaving space for the Palestinians for this peace process to move forward,” one of the officials said. Meanwhile, Trump will direct the State Department to begin scouting possible locations for an embassy in Jerusalem, while also signing a national security waiver delaying the move for now.

MATTIS MUM: Speaking to reporters as he wrapped up a five-day, four-nation trip, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the president's decision was the subject of spirited discussion last week. “It was an open discussion, went on for some time. As always, my advice to the president I keep confidential,” Mattis told reporters on the plane ride back to Washington from Kuwait. “I gave to the president what I thought. You have to look at the world in different parts and pieces too. So, as you do that, you have to have a lot of information. I collected the information. I made my recommendation, and I'll just leave it at that.”

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert gave a similar response yesterday when a reporter asked whether Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is on board with the president’s decision. “I think the secretary has communicated clearly, as have all the members of the interagency who have a role in making this decision or being a part of the decision, he’s made his positions clear to the White House. I think the Department of Defense has as well. But it’s ultimately the president’s decision to make. He is in charge.”