President Donald Trump affirmed that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and promised to begin the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem.
“I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Trump said from White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room. “After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.”
“President Trump’s affirmation that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel represents a significant and long overdue shift in U.S. policy,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, President of Christians in Defense of Israel, and Founder and Chairman of Covenant Journey.
In every country worldwide, the U.S. respects the choice of the nation state and locates its embassy in the capital. However, the embassy in Israel is in Tel Aviv, despite the fact that Israel designates Jerusalem as its capital and despite the fact that Congress voted to move the embassy to Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 passed the Senate by 93-5 and the House by 374-37 to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by requiring the withholding of State Department funds if was not moved. However, the law was never implemented because of opposition from former Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama.
President Donald Trump has promised to move the embassy to Jerusalem. “President Trump’s affirmation of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a welcome step in the right direction. Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem is a recognition of established facts. Jerusalem has only been the capital of one nation and that nation is Israel,” said Staver.
Last May, approximately 60 Christian leaders, representing 60 million Christians across America, signed a letter that was delivered to President Trump calling on him to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and thus recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
“King David established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel 3,000 years ago. It has been, is and shall remain the capital of Israel. It is time America recognized the obvious. I am pleased with President Trump’s announcement. He is the only president who has kept his word,” said Staver.
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