The transportation minister of Israel announced on Wednesday that the railway tunnel to be built underneath Jerusalem’s Old City is to end at the Western Wall, with its station now to be named after President Trump, reports Time.
This announcement stems from Trump’s declaration that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, according to The Hill. Internationally, the city of Tel Aviv is recognized as Israel’s capital, while Israel considers Jerusalem their capital, The Hill states. However, Palestinians claim east-Jerusalem as its future state capital, according to Time, and Trump’s decision has caused even more tension in that region.
Yisrael Katz, the transportation minister, currently has a plan in its initial stages where two underground stations will be built, one beneath downtown Jerusalem and the other under the Old City, according to Time. While Jerusalem has a high-speed rail line set to open between Tel Aviv and the Western Wall, this plan would extend the rail.
“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,” said Katz in a statement. The wall is considered to be one of the holiest sites in Judaism, and many people travel from all over the world to visit the wall, said The Hill.
According to Time, this project is estimated to cost more than $700 million and take at least four years to complete. Many are opposed to the project simply because it could cause irreplaceable damage to the 3,000-year-old city.
Trump was the first sitting U.S. president to visit the wall during his trip to Israel in May, said The Hill. He has not yet made a comment about this recent announcement.