Israel Matzav

Ros-Lehtinen: 'Where does the State Department think Jerusalem is? On Mars?'

Too bad House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fl) isn't running for President, because she is the first in with a reaction to Wednesday's circus at the State Department.

NEWS

House Foreign Affairs Committee

U.S. House of Representatives

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman

CONTACT: Brad Goehner and Andeliz Castillo, (202) 225-5021

Alex Cruz (South Florida press), (202) 225-8200

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov

For IMMEDIATE Release – March 28, 2012

Ros-Lehtinen: ‘Where Does Administration Think Jerusalem Is? On Mars?’

Urges Administration to Enforce U.S. Law, Move Embassy to Jerusalem

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today called on the Administration to publically recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel. During today’s Department of State press briefing, the Department’s spokesperson refused to answer whether Jerusalem is located in Israel and whether it is the capital of Israel. The questions were related to a press release issued Monday by the Department that noted ongoing travel by a Department official to “Algeria, Qatar, Jordan, Jerusalem, and Israel,” implying that Jerusalem and Israel are two distinct entities. State later issued a release noting the official’s travel to “Algiers, Doha, Amman, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv.” Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“For more than three years, the Obama Administration has followed in the flawed footsteps of its predecessors by refusing to fully implement U.S. law and move our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

“Now, the Administration has gone even further. A mistake on a press release is understandable, but today the Administration doubled down on its determination to treat Jerusalem as separate from Israel. Where does the Administration think Jerusalem is? On Mars?

“Legitimizing the myth that Jerusalem isn’t part of Israel undermines our ally Israel’s sovereign right to designate its own capital, and lends credibility to efforts by Palestinian leaders and extremists who continue to deny the connection of the Jewish people to their historic capital, Jerusalem.

“The Administration needs to face reality, recognize publicly that Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel, and fully enforce U.S. law by moving our embassy to Jerusalem.”

Indeed.

Let's hear it for 10-year old Menachem Binyamin Zivotofsky (and his parents), whose Supreme Court win on Monday is a major cause for the Obama administration's 'Jerusalem problem.'

Heh.

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:15 AM