Trump WON’T relocate U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem yet as he signs order keeping it in Tel Aviv for now – but Sean Spicer says the move will happen eventually
A 1995 law threatened State Dept. funding if the embassy remains in Tel Aviv, but Clinton, Bush and Obama sidestepped the requirement with a built-in waiver
Now Trump has followed suit, extending their actions by another six months
President has signaled that he wants to move the embassy to Jerusalem
For now, however, he’s holding off in the interest of not angering Palestinians while he’s trying to foster a peace deal
White House press secretary says Trump ‘has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy’ so ‘the question is not if that move happens, but only when’
By David Martosko, US Political Editor
DailyMail.com
1 June 2017
President Donald Trump has temporarily waived a law requiring the U.S. to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Trump’s move to renew the waiver for six months effectively keeps the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv for now. Trump has said he’s reviewing whether to fulfill his campaign promise to move it to Jerusalem.
White House press secretary sean Spicer said in a statement that since the president ‘has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when.’
Trump was facing a Thursday deadline to renew the waiver or see the State Department lose half its funding for its overseas facilities under a provision of The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995.
Israelis consider Jerusalem their ‘eternal capital,’ but neither the U.S. nor the United Nations recognizes that declaration.
The Palestinian Authority claims east Jerusalem for the capital of a future state.
The U.S. says its policy on Jerusalem hasn’t changed and that Jerusalem’s status must be negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians.
Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas and Dean Heller of Nevada introduced the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act in January, which would rescind presidents’ power to trigger waivers like the one Trump signed Thursday.
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