Dec. 27 (UPI) — A new train station set to be built in Jerusalem will be named after President Donald Trump, Israel’s transportation minister said Wednesday.
Transport chief Israel Katz said the station will pay tribute to the 45th U.S. president largely because he officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, earlier this month.
The train station, set to be built within a few years, will be located near the Western Wall in an area that draws about 11 million tourists a year.
“The Western Wall is the holiest place for the Jewish people, and I decided to name the train station that leads to it after president Trump — following his historic and brave decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel,” Katz said.
Katz said the high-speed Tel Aviv-Jerusalem railway will be a top priority. The project, under construction since 2001, has had numerous setbacks and delays.
Trump’s declaration for Jerusalem triggered weeks of protest in Arab and Muslim countries — with at least 12 Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli security forces over the matter.
The United Nations General Assembly, during an emergency session last week, decisively approved a resolution condemning Trump’s decision, which also seeks to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
The train station will be built in the city’s Jewish Quarter. Plans for the railway include a two-mile tunnel to reach inside the Old City’s walls. Building the tunnel could be delayed if any archaeological sites are discovered.
