• Prime Minister Theresa May tells MPs that she will speak to Donald Trump about Israel.
  • May asked about her position on Trump’s planned recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
  • Labour MP Ben Bradshaw says the decision will do “grave damage” to Middle East peace.

LONDON – Theresa May has said she will challenge Donald Trump over his expected decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The prime minister told MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday that she was “intending to speak to President Trump about this matter but our position has not changed.”

May was responding to a question by Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, who said that the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would do “grave damage” to the peace process in the Middle East.

On Wednesday it was reported that Trump wants to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy to the contested city.

He said: "The recognition by Donald Trump of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will do grave damage to the prospects of a just and lasting peace settlement."

The prime minister replied: "Our position is that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately form a shared capital between the Israeli and Palestinian states."

Watch May say she will speak to Trump about Israel

Another Labour MP, Alan Whitehead, said: "When the PM rings Donald Trump up to express our concern about his moves concerning Jerusalem and the US embassy will she also be informing President Trump that we will be proceeding to recognise the state of Palestine?"

In response, May said: "We want to see a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, we believe that should be based on a two-state solution ... that should be a matter for negotiation between the parties."

This is the latest matter May has clashed with Trump over, following the prime minister saying it was "wrong" for Trump to retweet Islamaphobic videos from a British far-right group.

A spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn said on Wednesday that Trump's decision to recognise Jeresualem as the capital of Israel was a "dangerous and reckless move that will threaten to inflame the situation in the Middle East and make the two state situation much more difficult."