Israel to officially name train stop in Jerusalem for Trump next week

A top Israeli official says that the country will officially name a train station in Jerusalem after President Trump next week during the country’s annual Independence Day celebrations.

Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz, who also serves as transportation minister, tweeted Tuesday that the station located near the city’s historic Western Wall and Temple Mount would be “named after @realDonaldTrump.”

{mosads}”Here, in the Old City of Jerusalem, we will build the Western Wall & Temple Mount train station,” Katz wrote. “It will be named after @realDonaldTrump, who made history and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The official announcement will take place on Israel’s Independence Day.”

Here, in the Old City of Jerusalem, we will build the Western Wall & Temple Mount train station. It will be named after @realDonaldTrump, who made history and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The official announcement will take place on Israel’s Independence Day. pic.twitter.com/0b40afUngj

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) April 30, 2019

The Israeli government first announced plans in late 2017 for a train station to be named after Trump, a move that spurred scrutiny in Israel.{mosads}

Trump has maintained a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and broke with previous U.S. administrations to recognize Jerusalem as the country’s official capital in late 2017.

The U.S. followed Trump’s declaration by announcing plans to move the U.S. Embassy, historically in Tel Aviv, to the country’s newly recognized capital.

Israel’s Independence Day marks the declaration of the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 by David Ben-Gurion, who would go on to become the country’s prime minister.