Vice President Mike Pence's office said Sunday it was “unfortunate” that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas canceled plans to meet with Pence in the West Bank this month because President Trump announced the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “The President has asked Vice President Pence to go to the region to reaffirm our commitment to work with partners throughout the Middle East to defeat radicalism that threatens the hopes and dreams of future generations. President Trump also said last week the U.S. Embassy would ultimately move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Abbas had viewed close ties with Washington as strategically important because of the U.S. role as Mideast broker. The snub of Pence signaled a sharp deterioration in relations.

Source: Fox News December 11, 2017 00:55 UTC