Fox News host Jeanine Pirro has sparked outrage after claiming President Donald Trump "fulfilled biblical prophecy" by moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv, Israel, to the city of Jerusalem.
On her show, Justice With Judge Jeanine, the American TV personality asserted that Trump's decision to formally break from decades of established American policy proved he was more trustworthy than past presidents, including Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, who all signed waivers to delay the embassy move.
She was met with criticism from Palestinian supporters, who insisted that recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital could make the already conflicted region even more volatile.
Comparing Trump to an ancient king, Pirro praised the president's controversial move, saying in her opening statement: “Donald Trump recognized history, he like King Cyrus before him, fulfilled the Biblical prophecy of the God worshipped by Jews, Christians and, yes, Muslims, that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish state and that the Jewish people finally deserve a righteous, free and sovereign Israel.”
She added that it was a "truly historic moment in Israel's history", claiming: "Trump has assured the world that his word is worth more than any former U.S. president. His word is more than any treaty and stronger than any UN resolution."
Her speech was dubbed as a "bizarre riff" by people on social media, who named the host "insane". Twitter user @TheRickyDavila wrote: "The only prophecy deranged beings like Jeanine Pirro refer to is from the Book Of Deplorables which is only available in their heads."
User @FW_Institute agreed, implying that Pirro had gone too far: "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has not been solved. In fact, substantial efforts to launch talks are scarce. A little moderacy about the US Embassy in Jerusalem seems therefore appropriate."
However, Pirro - who is currently in Jerusalem for the opening of the embassy - still had plenty of supporters online who praised her for her opening comments and agreed that President Trump had done the right thing.
@EdKane15 wrote: "Once again President Trump fulfills a campaign promise! Amazing what can happen when you put someone in office who is NOT a politician."
“You nailed it tonight, Judge Jeanine! President Trump had delivered his promise, leadership, strength, and supported the biblical word that Jerusalum [sic] IS the capital of Israel,” wrote user @ChristineHRobi1.
The new US embassy opens today at 4pm local time and will be attended by top US officials, including President Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner. The event is expected to be met with major protests from masses of Palestinians, with thousands of policemen deployed through the city to keep the peace.