It starts: Cruz, Heller and Rubio introduce bill to move embassy to Jerusalem
The 115th Congress started business today, and here was the first item on the table: Republican Sens.
Ted Cruz (Texas),
Dean Heller (Nev.) and
Marco Rubio (Fla.) introduced the
Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act.
“Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish state of Israel, and
that's where America's embassy belongs,” Rubio said in a statement.
“It's time for Congress and the President-Elect to eliminate the
loophole that has allowed presidents in both parties to ignore U.S. law
and delay our embassy's rightful relocation to Jerusalem for over two
decades.”
A statement from Heller said that some State Department funds would be withheld until the embassy was relocated.
The GOP measure is in line with President-elect Donald Trump's support for moving the embassy. His pick for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, also supports that pledge.
...
“Jerusalem is the eternal and undivided capital of Israel,” Ted Cruz
said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the Obama administration's vendetta
against the Jewish state has been so vicious that to even utter this
simple truth – let alone the reality that Jerusalem is the appropriate
venue for the American embassy in Israel — is shocking in some circles.
And that's the best part: Once this bill makes its way through Congress and lands on the President's desk, the President will be Donald Trump, and not the Jew-hating mamzer who currently occupies the White House.
It's a new morning, America.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, David Friedman, Dean Heller, Donald Trump, Jerusalem Embassy Act, Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz
How badly did Obama and Kerry lie?
At least Israel and Iran can agree on something. Obama and Kerry are unreliable liars.
For the last two weeks, the lame duck Obama administration has been trying to depict itself as
totally passive in allowing UN Security Council Resolution 2334, condemning Israeli 'settlements' in Jerusalem (among other things), to pass.
Last week, Israel Radio reported on an
Egyptian newspaper report that put out a transcript of what was said to be a White House meeting with 'Palestinian negotiators.' Now, MEMRI has
translated that report into English. It's devastating. Among other things not previously reported, the 'Palestinians' asked that Obama cancel the designation of the PLO as a terrorist organization, and insisted that the 'Palestinian leadership' be allowed to move freely in the United States. Look for Obama to issue executive orders on these issues in the next two weeks.
On December 27, the Egyptian daily Al-Youm Al-Sabi',
which is close to Egyptian intelligence services, published an exposé
of the minutes of the secret talks. According to the report, by Ahmed
Gomaa, the Palestinian delegation included PLO Executive Committee
secretary and negotiating team leader Saeb Erekat; Palestinian general
intelligence chief Majid Faraj; Husam Zomlot, strategic affairs advisor
to Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud 'Abbas; Palestinian Foreign
Ministry official Dr. Majed Bamya; Palestinian negotiations department
official Azem Bishara; Palestinian intelligence international relations
department chief Nasser 'Adwa; and head of the PLO delegation to
Washington Ma'an Erekat.
The report gave the details of the
Palestinian delegation's schedule during the visit, noting that "the
Palestinian side began its meetings on December 12, when Saeb Erekat and
Majid Faraj met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The next day,
the two met with National Security Advisor Susan Rice. The entire
delegation met with an American team that included four representatives
of the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, for a six-hour
political-strategic meeting. Majid Faraj concluded his visit with a
lengthy meeting with the CIA chief."
According to the report, the
minutes of the "top secret" meeting of Kerry, Rice, Erekat, and Faraj
reveals U.S.-Palestinian coordination leading up to the UN Security
Council vote on Resolution 2334 regarding Israel's settlements, which
was adopted December 23. It states that the sides "agreed to cooperate
in drafting a resolution on the settlements" and that the U.S.
representative in the Security Council was "empowered" to coordinate
with the Palestinian UN representative on the resolution.
The meeting also, according to the
report, was aimed at coordinating Kerry's attendance at the upcoming
international Paris Conference set for January 15, 2017, in order to
promote a further international move regarding the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. Kerry, it said, offered to propose his ideas for a permanent
arrangement "provided that they are supported by the Palestinian side."
At
the meeting, Rice pointed out the "danger" of the incoming Trump
administration's policies, the report stated, adding that both she and
Kerry had advised President 'Abbas to make no preliminary moves that
might provoke the new administration. Rice even offered to help arrange a
meeting between the Palestinian delegation and a representative from
the Trump team, by enlisting the help of World Jewish Congress president
Ronald Lauder.
Also at the meeting, Erekat warned
that if the U.S. Embassy was moved to Jerusalem, the Palestinians would
call to expel U.S. Embassies from Arab and Muslim capitals, the report
said.
The report added that Kerry and
Rice had fulsomely praised 'Abbas's policies and how he handled matters,
and harshly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
saying that he "aims to destroy the two-state solution."
...
U.S.
Representative To The Security Council Coordinated With Palestinian UN
Representative On The Issue Of The Resolution Condemning The Settlements
According to the Al-Youm Al-Sabi' report, "the minutes of the
meeting – which was attended by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and
National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and on the Palestinian side by PLO
Executive Committee Secretary and negotiations team leader Saeb Erekat,
and head of Palestinian general intelligence Maj,-Gen. Majid Faraj –
reveals that the sides agreed to collaborate regarding a resolution on
the settlements." According to the report, "during the meeting, the
American side focused on coordination of positions between Washington
and Ramallah regarding the resolution on the settlements, which was
brought to a vote in the Security Council and adopted several days
ago..."
The report stated that "the minutes of the meeting reveal
American-Palestinian coordination regarding the resolution on the
settlements" and that Kerry and Rice stressed that "they were willing to
cooperate with a balanced resolution, and that Washington's UN mission
was authorized to discuss this matter with the Palestinian
representative to the UN, Ambassador Riyad Mansour." It continued: "The
U.S.'s representative to the Security Council coordinated with the
Palestinian ambassador on the issue of the resolution condemning the
settlements."
Coordinating Kerry's Attendance At International Conference In France
The delegation also attempted to coordinate Kerry's attendance at the
Paris Conference, which will take place January 15, 2017, to promote a
further international move for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
according to the report. "As for the French initiative, U.S. Secretary
of State John Kerry said that he could not attend [the conference if it
were to be held] December 21-22, but stressed that he could [attend it
if it were to be held] after January 9. The Palestinian delegation
stressed that 'Abbas had contacted the French side, and that it had
expressed its willingness to postpone the international conference [in
Paris] so that the American secretary of state could attend."
Possibility Of Kerry Presenting His Ideas For Permanent Solution
According to the report, "Kerry raised the
possibility of presenting ideas for a permanent solution, provided that
they are supported by the Palestinian side... and this refers to
principles that have already been raised as part of the Framework
Agreement.[3]
He also proposed that the Palestinian delegation travel to Saudi Arabia
to discuss these points, but according to the minutes, he did not
contact the Saudis on this matter. [Additionally,] according to the
minutes of the meeting, National Security Advisor Susan Rice rejected,
and ridiculed, the offer to propose ideas, arguing that the [incoming]
administration of Republican President Donald Trump will completely
oppose them."
Rice "Stressed The Danger Posed By The Trump Administration"
Rice, the report stated, "stressed the
danger posed by the Trump administration, which could take a position
different from that of all American administrations since 1967 on the
issue of Palestine and Israel. She emphasized that she took seriously
statements about moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and the Trump
administration's view of the settlements."
Kerry and Rice "advised Palestinian
President Mahmoud 'Abbas to not take any preliminary steps that could
provoke the Trump administration, such as dismantling the PA, turning to
the International Criminal Court, or ending security coordination with
Israel," said the report, adding: "They [also] stressed the need to
avoid military action or martyrdom [attacks], as these would greatly
jeopardize the Palestinian position.
"They praised the substantial efforts of
the Palestinian security apparatuses, specifically Palestinian [general]
intelligence, led by Majid Faraj, as part of what they called 'the
struggle against terrorism.' [The two] maintained that
Palestinian-American collaboration in this area is among the closest of
all the coordination between American apparatuses and security forces in
the region."
Rice Offered To Organize Meeting Between Ronald Lauder And Palestinian Delegation
"According to the minutes of the meeting,
Susan Rice asked whether the Palestinian delegation could meet with a
representative from Donald Trump's team. She clarified that she could
request intervention and could organize this by means of World Jewish
Congress President Ronald Lauder. Saeb Erekat responded that he had
already asked but that Lauder could not. He added: 'We were told that
they were still organizing the new administration, and that once they
were done, they would officially meet with the Palestinian side.'"
Erekat: If U.S. Embassy Is Moved To Jerusalem, We Will Call To Expel U.S. Embassies From Arab And Muslim Countries
"When Susan Rice asked what the
Palestinian response would be if the U.S. Embassy was moved to
Jerusalem, or if a new settlement bloc was annexed, Erekat responded:
'We will directly and immediately join 16 international organizations,
withdraw the PLO's recognition of Israel, and cut back our security,
political, and economic ties with the Israeli occupation regime, and we
will hold it fully responsible for the PA's collapse. Furthermore, we
will [call] on the Arab and Islamic peoples to expel U.S. Embassies from
their capitals.' Rice answered Erekat by saying: 'It seems that future
matters could be very complicated, and we are all apprehensive about
sitting down with Erekat because of his absolute knowledge of these
matters, and because of his memory and his sincerity.' She expressed the
American side's respect and friendship for Erekat, and apologized for
yelling at him in March 2014."
"The Palestinian Delegation Officially Demanded That The Law... Designating The PLO A Terrorist Organization Be Rescinded"
According to the report, "the Palestinian
side officially demanded that the 1987 U.S. law designating the PLO a
terrorist organization be rescinded.
[4]
Furthermore, both sides agreed to establish a bilateral commission to
examine visa requests from Palestinians and entry and movement visas for
Palestinian leadership in the U.S."
Read the whole thing.
Labels: American allies, Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, designated terror organization, Jerusalem Embassy Act, John Kerry, Ron Lauder, Saeb Erekat, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334
'Palestinians' threaten violence if US moves embassy to Jerusalem
One of the first things Donald Trump did after he was elected President was to promise to
move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Now that they realize that Trump is serious (and has named my college classmate Dave Friedman his ambassador to prove it), the 'Palestinians' are responding in the only way they know how. They are threatening violence.
Let's go to the videotape.
JPost reports that
Trump is not backing down.
The Trump team has said that the US president-elect considers moving the embassy a "very big priority."
Throughout
his campaign for the presidency, Trump repeatedly said he would move
the US Embassy if elected – a political promise past US presidents have
frequently made, yet has never been held.
Longstanding US policy
is to treat the status of Jerusalem as an issue to be settled in
final-status negotiations with the Palestinians.
Longstanding US policy has also been to
veto all anti-Israel resolutions in the Security Council, and not to let them pass, let alone
orchestrate their passage. This is the best response of all to Obama's and Kerry's betrayal of Israel.
And if the 'Palestinians' kill each other in response, מה טוב.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, David Friedman, Donald Trump, intifadeh, Jerusalem Embassy Act, John Kerry, Palestinians, US embassy in Tel Aviv
Horror in London: Trump actually intends to move US embassy to Jerusalem
Greetings from Boston where I celebrated the end of the Clinton dynasty last night by staying up way too long.
Al-Guardian is quoting Donald Trump adviser David Friedman (pictured, left) as saying that President Trump really does intend to
move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Israeli government ministers and political figures are pushing the US
president-elect, Donald Trump, to quickly fulfill his campaign promise
to overturn decades of US foreign policy and recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv.
Their calls came as one of Trump advisers on Israel and the Middle East, David Friedman, told the Jerusalem Post that Trump would follow through on his promise.
‘It was a campaign promise and there is every intention to keep it,”
Friedman said. ‘We are going to see a very different relationship
between America and Israel in a positive way.”
Trump has also promised to 'tear up' the nuclear deal with Iran (which I cannot quite see him doing, although I do see him reimposing sanctions if there continues to be evidence that Iran is developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons), and has invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House, calling Israel a close friend.
Netanyahu has reciprocated.
Trump’s election was quickly welcomed by Netanyahu who,
but the Israeli president steered clear of controversial issues, only
congratulating Trump and calling him a “true friend” of Israel while
pledging to work with him on security and peace in the region.
Netanyahu
later released a video on YouTube welcoming Trump’s appointment.
“President-elect Trump is a true friend of the state of Israel,” said
Netanyahu in a statement. “We will work together to advance the
security, stability and peace in our region. The strong connection
between the United States and Israel is based on shared values, shared
interests and a shared destiny.
“I’m certain that President-elect Trump and I will continue to
strengthen the unique alliance between Israel and the United States, and
bring it to new heights,” he added.
Indeed, there are many reasons for Israelis to be pleased by Trump's election.
A Trump administration will be far more favourable to the Jewish
state, another of the president-elect’s advisers on Israel has said.
Shmuel Rosner, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute,
said a Trump administration is likely to be “much more understanding if
Israel has to use force in order to tamp down Palestinian violence”.
He also said he felt the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be “much
less of a priority, and when it’s not a priority, this means that Israel
in some ways gets off the hook”.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas congratulated Trump and said he
hoped peace could be achieved during his term based on the two-state
solution.
“We are ready to deal with the elected president on the basis of a
two-state solution and to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967
borders,” spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP, referring to the year
when Israel seized the West Bank.
I didn't know that Rosner was advising Trump. That's interesting in itself.
In any event, given how little the Arab world cares for the 'Palestinians,' their position definitely does not improve by Trump's election.
Heh.
Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, David Friedman, Donald Trump, Jerusalem Embassy Act, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, Palestinian state, Shmuel Rosner
Romney says no to Adelson
Mega-donor Sheldon Adelson has been pressing Republican candidate Mitt Romney to pledge to release Jonathan Pollard, pledge to move the United States embassy to Jerusalem, and swear off the 'peace process' as a waste of time. Romney is
resisting Adelson on all three counts.
Romney has rejected the request so far, telling Adelson he would have to review the relevant intelligence material accessible to him as president before granting Pollard clemency, said the sources, who are relaying accounts of conversations from both Adelson and Romney. Romney “could not consider the Pollard situation because he doesn’t have access to the classified information,” one source said.
...
The issue is apparently one of a handful where Romney differs from Adelson on Israel. The billionaire has also asked Romney to state publicly that Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are a waste of time because the Palestinians are unwilling to make peace, according to the sources—and he wants a firmer commitment from Romney to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in what would be a de facto recognition of Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem. For his part, Romney has not said peace talks are a waste of time and has gone only partway on the embassy question, saying he would undertake the move in consultation with the Israeli government—a campaign promise other presidents have made. (Adelson has pressed Romney to pledge to move the embassy without consulting the Israeli government.)
So much for all the people who hoped to portray Romney as a puppet being operated by Adelson.
Labels: Jerusalem Embassy Act, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, Jonathan Pollard, Middle East peace process, Mitt Romney, Sheldon Adelson
Hillary Clinton continues to undermine Israel's existence
This is from a
transcript of Hillary Clinton's remarks to employees of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv and the US Consulate in Jerusalem (almost definitely the one in 'east' Jerusalem - not clear to me whether employees in the 'west' Jerusalem consulate were invited) at the US Consulate in Jerusalem on Monday.
But mostly I wanted to say thank you to all of you for the work that you do every single day here in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv supporting the extraordinarily important ties between the United States and Israel, working with the Palestinian Authority on so many of the issues that are critically important, assisting a huge number of Americans who visit this area, and of course, continuing our commitment as we seek to support a lasting peace. You are working at the forefront of one of our most important and challenging diplomatic efforts. Here in the Consulate General you are assisting with development and security, helping to build the infrastructure for a future Palestinian state. In the Embassy you’re sustaining one of our most important alliances, building the people-to-people connections that are so important to our relationship.
Two quick comments. Forget for a minute that Congress has long since determined that the US Embassy to Israel ought to be in Jerusalem and that this administration has
gone further than any other in
dropping even the pretense of complying with that mandate: Isn't it normal for countries with diplomatic relations to have consulates in cities other than the capital city? Given Clinton's remarks I'm amazed they even let anyone from the '
Israeli side' of Jerusalem (or from Judea or Samaria or other places in the 'Jerusalem corridor') receive
consular services in 'east' Jerusalem. And for those who didn't know it, the 'west' Jerusalem consulate is a farce that
does not provide any consular services.
Perhaps more importantly, is there anyplace else in the world where allies have consular offices in another country (and the US is not the only country with an 'east' Jerusalem consulate) whose raison d'etre is to undermine the very existence of the host country?
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, East Jerusalem US Consulate, Hillary Clinton, Jerusalem Embassy Act, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel
And again: Obama not committed to moving US embassy to Jerusalem
On June 1, President Obama once again
invoked a 'national security' waiver to avoid having to move the United States embassy to Jerusalem as required by a law passed overwhelmingly passed by Congress (Hat Tip:
MFS - The Other Side).
Obama’s waiver, issued June 1, follows in the footsteps of predecessors Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, who also extended the waiver every six months since a law was passed in 1995 mandating moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Presidents are permitted to delay the move on national security grounds.
Yes, every President since Bill Clinton has issued those waivers every six months.
But if Obama's waiver this time was true to form, it's a bit different from the waivers issued by Clinton and Bush.
While this waiver was given every six months by the Clinton and Bush administrations, James Robbins points out in the Corner that the Obama administration did something slightly different. Nearly identical memos like this have been issued every six months for a decade. Standard procedure, no big deal, right? Well in the Bush years the memo contained the sentence, "My Administration remains committed to beginning the process of moving our embassy to Jerusalem." The Obama team edited that passage out.
And in fact, Obama
continues to omit the sentence that reflects a commitment to move the embassy to Jerusalem.
I hereby determine that it is necessary, in order to protect the national security interests of the United States, to suspend for a period of 6 months the limitations set forth in sections 3(b) and 7(b) of the Act. You are authorized and directed to transmit this determination to the Congress, accompanied by a report in accordance with section 7(a) of the Act, and to publish the determination in the Federal Register. This suspension shall take effect after the transmission of this determination and report to the Congress. BARACK OBAMA
So unlike Bush (and maybe even Clinton), Obama has no commitment to move the embassy to Jerusalem.
At least he's consistent. Consistently wrong.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Jerusalem Embassy Act, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel
I'm onto something
Remember my post about
calling Obama's bluff about Jerusalem? Well, it seems I'm onto something. I just got the following email.
Hi Carl -
I noticed your recent post on your blog about moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem. There actually already is legislation - with no "national security" excuse in it - to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem in Congress. In fact there are multiple pieces of legislation that have either included this or where this is the main topic. I have attached the House and Senate bills.
I completely agree with you that now is the time to move this legislation along. We have started up a campaign for this exact cause: Recognize Jerusalem - where people can write their Congressmen about this. Please feel free to send this to as many people as possible. This bill was a presidential election issue once in 1995, and was an issue in the latest NY-9th election as well, I think it can be an issue again to really prove where Obama stands on Israel.
Shalom,
Jordanna
| Recognize Jerusalem | www.recognizejerusalem.com |
I want you all to check out the
Recognize Jerusalem site, and then I want you to bounce/Tweet/Facebook this post and really make it go viral. And then contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to support H.R.1006 / S.1622, which would "remove the Presidential waiver power and begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem."
I'm going to upload the bills onto my
ScribD feed.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Jerusalem Embassy Act, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel
Time to call Obama's bluff on Israel
This past week, the Obama administration was forced to cut off funding to UNESCO because of a clear US statute, which was passed during the administration of George H.W. Bush (not exactly a friend of Israel) and amended during the Clinton administration, which requires the United States to cut off funding to any United Nations agency that recognizes a state of 'Palestine' except as a result of negotiations. Obama wanted to get out of it. He wanted to continue funding UNESCO. But under American law, he can't, and with the Republicans in control of the House, there is no way he can get that law changed. The UN law has no out for 'national security.'
On the other hand, every six months, Obama uses the national security excuse to avoid moving the US embassy to Jerusalem. Clinton and George W. Bush both did the same thing, but Obama removed from the statement issued every six months the phrase that says that the administration remains
committed to moving the embassy to Jerusalem.
Yet, Obama, as he stands for reelection, tries to convince us all that he is committed to Israel. It is time to call him on his 'commitment.'
It is time to introduce a bill in Congress to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. Simple and straightforward.
NO NATIONAL SECURITY OUT. You have one year to move the embassy to Jerusalem. Period. The House, which is dominated by Republicans, will vote in favor. The Senate, which has a whole bunch of Democrats who are up for reelection, will fear for its political life and vote in favor. Will Obama veto the bill? In 2012 when he is up for reelection?
This is an issue on which nearly all Israelis and most American Jews agree. And lots of American Christians agree too.
I'm serious about this. I know there are some people on Capitol Hill who follow me, and I'd love to hear your reactions. But this strikes me as a golden opportunity to either get the US to take a stand on Jerusalem, and/or to expose the fraud named Barack
Hussein Obama.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Campaign 2012, Jerusalem Embassy Act, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel
Romney: Obama threw Israel under the bus
An interview with Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was published in
Yisrael HaYom on Friday. Here are some highlights.
My view is that he threw Israel under the bus by laying out his view of the policies he thought Israel should adopt in the piece process. I believe that the role of an ally is to stand behind your friends and let them speak for themselves, rather than be spoken for by the United States of America. I believe our relationship with Israel, a nation which shares our values and is our best friend in the Middle East, should be of support and confidence rather than criticism and blame. The president got off on the wrong foot by speaking before the United Nations and criticizing Israel for building settlements and saying nothing about the Palestinians launching thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel, as well as calling on Israel to accept the 1967 borders, which are unquestionably indefensible. This was an act not befitting a friend and ally.
...
The actions that I will take will be actions recommended and supported by Israeli leaders. I don’t seek to take actions independent of what our allies think is best, and if Israel’s leaders thought that a move of that nature would be helpful to their efforts, then that’s something I’ll be inclined to do. But again, that’s a decision which I would look to the Israeli leadership to help guide. I don’t think America should play the role of the leader of the peace process, instead we should stand by our ally. Again, my inclination is to follow the guidance of our ally Israel, as to where our facilities and embassies would exist.
...
The right course is for the president to declare that a nuclear Iran is unacceptable to America, and to punctuate that commitment. I have called for us to deploy two aircraft carrier task forces, one to the gulf, one to the Mediterranean to communicate our resolve in that regard.
The Leftists over at Think Progress were
unhappy about Romney's views (Hat Tip:
Memeorandum).
The policy that the American Embassy reside in Tel Aviv and not Jerusalem pre-dates the current administration. In fact, as Lara Friedman notes at Americans for Peace Now, the U.S. “does not recognize the sovereignty of any party in any part of Jerusalem (East or West)” and it’s “a policy that dates back to pre-1948, and has been followed by every U.S. Administration since, regardless of the President or party in the White House.”
In 1995, Congress passed a law allowing funding for the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, but the law includes an executive waiver allowing the president to invoke national security interests to block such a move. Every U.S. president since the law passed, Clinton, Obama and Bush, has invoked that waiver.
And you thought Bush came before Obama, didn't you?
In other words, the 'progressives' want to continue the policy that only one country in the world - Israel - should not be allowed to designate its own capital.
They also mischaracterize the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995. The Act, which was
passed 93-5 in the Senate and 374-27 in the House, finds that "[E]ach sovereign nation, under international law and custom, may designate its own capital," and that Jerusalem has been Israel's capital since 1950. It then goes on to say
this.
(15)The United States maintains its embassy in the functioning capital of every country exceptin the case of our democratic friend and strategic ally, the State of Israel.
(16)The United States conducts official meetings and other business in the city of Jerusalem in de facto recognition of its status as the capital of Israel.
(17)In 1996, the State of Israel will celebrate the 3,000th anniversary of the Jewish presence in Jerusalem since King David's entry.
And then the Act continues from Section 3(b):
(b)Opening Determination.—Not more than 50 percent of the funds appropriated to the Department of State for fiscal year 1999 for "Acquisition and Maintenance of Buildings Abroad" may be obligated until the Secretary of State determines and reports to Congress that the United States Embassy in Jerusalem has officially opened.
SEC. 4. FISCAL YEARS 1996 AND 1997 FUNDING.
(a)Fiscal Year 1996.--Of the funds authorized to be appropriated for "Acquisition and Maintenance of Buildings Abroad" for the Department of State in fiscal year 1996, not less than $25,000,000 should be made available until expended only for construction and other costs associated with the establishment of the United States Embassy in Israel in the capital of Jerusalem.
(b)Fiscal Year 1997.—Of the funds authorized to be appropriated for "Acquisition and Maintenance of Buildings Abroad" for the Department of State in fiscal year 1997, not less than $75,000,000 should be made available until expended only for construction and other costs associated with the establishment of the United States Embassy in Israel in the capital of Jerusalem.
So what happened? What happened was Section 7, one of those national security waivers that allow Presidents to sign bills they have no intention of implementing. Those waivers have been issued every six months since the Clinton administration. But until Obama took office, they always included a statement that the administration remains committed to moving the embassy to Jerusalem. In Obama's statements there is
no such commitment.
Romney's right. The Obama administration has thrown Israel under the bus.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Jerusalem Embassy Act, Mitt Romney
