Since 1995, three successive administrations have used a presidential waiver to stall moving the U.S. embassy to Israel’s capital city. Not anymore.
Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel, one of America’s most important allies. Despite this, the United States Embassy has been located in the city of Tel Aviv. Since 1995, when the Jerusalem Embassy Act was passed overwhelmingly, three successive administrations have used a presidential waiver to stall moving the U.S. embassy to Israel’s capital city. The President should decline to sign the waver, effectively relocating the embassy to Jerusalem. Here are five reasons why.
1.
Moving the US Embassy recognizes that Israel, like every other sovereign nation, is free to designate its own capital city.
The Jerusalem Embassy Act recognized that, “Each sovereign nation, under international law and custom, may designate its own capital.” To that end, the Act calls for Jerusalem to remain an “undivided city” and for the United States to recognize it as the capital of the State of Israel, which Israel declared in 1949. In addition, the Jerusalem Embassy Act was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, passing in 1995 with 93-5 votes in the Senate and 374-37 in the House.
2.
Moving the US Embassy to Israel’s capital tells the world we support our allies.
Countries which are opposed to Israel have interpreted the U.S. refusal to move the embassy to Jerusalem as a lack of legitimacy for Israel’s claim to the ancient city. The United States must not remain complicit in this gross neglect of our closest ally in the region.
3.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem will not be an “obstacle to peace,” as it will be within Israel under any agreement with the Palestinian Authority.
The proposed site of the embassy is a neighborhood in Western Jerusalem that has been part of Israel since 1948. It is not in a post-1967 disputed area, and will remain a part of Israel under any conceivable future agreement.
4.
Jerusalem is the religious and historical capital of the Jewish people and of the Jewish State of Israel.
It is mentioned over 700 times in the Jewish holy books; by contrast it is not mentioned even once in the Koran, nor is it even mentioned in the PLO Charter. Jews throughout the world pray facing Jerusalem, by contrast all Muslims face Mecca when praying. Jerusalem is the holiest city in the Jewish faith and is the spiritual and political capital of the Jewish people. In addition, Jerusalem has never been the capitol of any other nation except Israel—nor has it ever been a holy city to Muslims. No Arab ruler other than Jordan’s King Hussein ever even visited Jerusalem during the 1948-1967 period of unfettered Jordanian rule over the eastern part of the city.
5.
Jerusalem must remain united under Israeli control, because only Israel will ensure access for all religious faiths.
Under Muslim rule (1948-1967), Jews could not visit or worship in Jerusalem, and over 70% of Jerusalem’s Christians were forced to flee the city because of Arab persecution. Today, religious freedom is granted and guaranteed to all by the State of Israel.