US President Donald Trump has taken a “courageous” and “historic” step by recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, America’s Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has said.

Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Wedenesday, reversing decades of US and international policy on the holy city, in a major announcement which many Arab leaders warned could trigger an upheaval in the already volatile Middle East.

Indian-American Haley said that for 22 years, there had been an overwhelming bipartisan consensus in favour of moving the US embassy in Israel to its rightful place in the Israeli capital city of Jerusalem.

“Today, the President took a courageous and historic step that was long overdue. Across the globe, America has its embassy in the capital city of the host country. Israel will now be no different. It is the just and right thing to do,” she said.

Noting that the Trump Administration was committed to seeing Israelis and Palestinians come together at peace, Haley said but at the same time it will do what it does in every other country and put the embassy in the capital.

“Courage doesn’t come by doing what everybody else says.

Courage does by coming what you know is right. This is the right thing to do. And what the president is doing is he’s showing leadership,” Haley said.

“This is following members of Congress. This is doing what the American people said. But we are also taking Jerusalem out of the discussion because the two sides have to come together on how they’re going to see Jerusalem, what they’re going to see as their capital,” she said, reports PTI.

Haley said several top American lawmakers have described Trump’s decision as “provocative” and “counterproductive”.