Trump to keep US embassy in Tel Aviv
President holds off on vow to move it to Jerusalem
WASHINGTON // US president Donald Trump yesterday postponed moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, avoiding a provocative decision as he tries to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
On the campaign trail, Mr Trump repeatedly said that he would shift the embassy from Tel Aviv to the city claimed as capital by Israel and its Palestinian neighbours, and he appointed a US ambassador who shares this goal.
But since coming to office in January, Mr Trump has met Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Washington and in a visit to the region last week and committed himself to seeking a final peace deal between them. Congress passed a law in 1995 making it US policy to move the embassy to Jerusalem, symbolically endorsing Israel’s claim on the city as its capital.
But the law contains a clause that has allowed each president since to issue and renew a six-month waiver on carrying out the move.
Yesterday, the waiver came up for renewal for the first time on Mr Trump’s watch, and he followed the example of Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama before him in telling his secretary of state to hold off on the move.
“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. “President Trump made this decision to maximise the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America’s national security interests,” it said. “But, as he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, only when.” On Wednesday, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “disappointed” over Mr Trump’s decision. “Maintaining embassies outside the capital drives peace farther away by helping keep alive the Palestinian fantasy that the Jewish people and the Jewish state have no connection to Jerusalem,” a statement from his office said.
“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.”
Mr Trump’s closest advisers are reported to be divided about the wisdom of quickly making good on the pledge, a move that would delight many Israelis but dismay Palestinians and raise concerns among Israel’s Arab neighbours.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem – including the Old City and its sites holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians – to be the capital of an eventual state.