Brussels, December 11, AFP/BNS–Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Monday recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital “makes peace possible,” although most of the international community criticized the US move.

Several days of protests and demonstrations in the occupied territories and the Islamic world followed US president Trump’s announcement last week the US recognizes Israel’s capital is Jerusalem.

The European Union expressed concern over Trump’s decision which reverses US policy on the disputed city.

The Israeli PM said Trump had simple presented the facts in recognizing Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years and of the state of Israel for 70 years now.

Netanyahu said recognition of reality makes peace possible. He and Trump spoke of a new overture for peace with the Palestinians led by Trump advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Israel took over East Jerusalem with a majority Arab-speaking population in 1967 during the Six Day War and later declared it had annexed the territory to the state of Israel and that Jerusalem as a whole was Israel’s indivisible capital. Peace negotiations with the Palestinians have always held the final status of Jerusalem would be the last obstacle to be solved, along with the right of return of Palestinian refugees.