Trump delays relocation of US embassy to Jerusalem

(Photo: The Tower Magazine)

President Trump said the United States was going to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem but he apparently isn't rushing off to do that so soon. On Thursday he signed a waiver postponing the move for at least six months, a move mandated by law.

"While President Donald J. Trump signed the waiver under the Jerusalem Embassy Act and delayed moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, no one should consider this step to be in any way a retreat from the President's strong support for Israel and for the United States-Israel alliance," the White House said in a statement designed to pacify the American public.

"President Trump made this decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America's national security interests. But, as he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when."

It is anticipated the move will take place before hell freezes over.

U.S. law has required the relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem since the Clinton error. In 1995, Congress passed legislation, with strong bipartisan majorities in both houses which requires the American embassy be moved to Jerusalem by May 31, 1999. The president is authorized to waive the order for six month periods and, as you can see, there have been a boat load of delays since the Clinton error. [No, not era.]

Both Bill "The Cigar" Clinton and George W. Bush promised to relocate the embassy while in office and both signed waivers cowardly delaying the move after their election.

Barack Hussein Obama also signed a waiver which expired yesterday.

Israel declared Jerusalem its capital in 1949, shortly after its independence. Its main government offices are there including the executive government offices.

After Trump signed the waiver, in spite of his vow to move the embassy to Jerusalem, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement: "Israel's consistent position is that the American embassy, like the embassies of all countries with whom we have diplomatic relations, should be in Jerusalem, our eternal capital."

He went on: "Though Israel is disappointed that the embassy will not move at this time, we appreciate today's expression of President Trump's friendship to Israel and his commitment to moving the embassy in the future."

Aaron Menenberg wrote in The Tower Magazine (Feb. 2017) that by "using the Jerusalem Embassy Act to move the American embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Israeli sovereignty over the city, America would be making a profound statement that it recognizes the Jewish connection to Jerusalem and believes, based on all the evidence of history, that the world is a better place when the liberal values embraced by Israel govern the city. Such a move would restore America's credibility as a moral leader and signal that it is not interested in cowing to illiberal falsehoods. Put another way, the decision to move America's embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Israeli sovereignty would be the decision of a great and reasonable country seeking a better world for all."

If President Trump is going to be a truly great president, he needs to stop following in the footsteps of his predecessors and forget about future waivers. All talk and inaction don't make for anything more than a politician's lies.

And to really believe that the Palestinians want peace with Israel is simply proof of ignorance regarding Islamic history and scripture.

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