WorldJERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a step back on Thursday from comments, challenged by U.S. President Donald Trump, that envisioned a one-year timeframe for the planned relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. An official in Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister recognized that construction of a new embassy will take years but believes Washington is considering “interim measures that could result in an embassy opening much faster”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the India-Israel Business Summit in Mumbai, India January 18, 2018. REUTERS/Danish SiddiquiThe official, who declined to be named, did not define those steps or mention any dates for a Jerusalem embassy to begin operating. That’s no.”The Israeli official, responding to Trump’s remarks, said: “The president and the prime minister are not saying anything different”.

Source: Sunday Times January 18, 2018 08:37 UTC