The Truth About Trump’s Hesitation to Move the US Embassy to Jerusalem
“To his son I will give one tribe, so that there may be a lamp for My servant David forever before Me in Yerushalayim—the city where I have chosen to establish My name.” (1 Kings 11:36)
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(Breaking Israel News)
As President Donald Trump faces another deadline in the decision over whether to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, outside pressures may be acting to stop him from fulfilling his campaign promise, including from his cabinet, advisors, the UN Security Council, the Palestinians, and even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Increased speculation surrounding Trump’s decision centers around reports that surfaced on Thursday claiming that amid strong Evangelical Christian pressure, the president had notified US embassies around the world that he plans to formally recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel and relocate the embassy.
But just as quickly as reports surfaced, they were deemed ‘premature’ by a White House spokesman, who indicated Trump would again delay the move.
Mixed messages came from within the administration. Vice President Mike Pence, who is to travel to Israel in mid-December, said Tuesday that Trump is “actively considering when and how” to move the embassy. A Trump insider confirmed this, telling Breaking Israel News he believes the move will “be sooner rather than later.”
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“The president has always said it is a matter of when, not if [the embassy will relocate to Jerusalem],” a White House spokesperson said in response to Thursday’s rumors. “The president is still considering options and we have nothing to announce.”
The reports surfaced in the context of the approaching waiver deadline on December 4 to decide whether the administration will again defer its campaign promise to move the embassy. Semi-annual waivers are mandated in compliance with the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 1995, requiring the moving of the US Embassy or clarification of why doing so would undermine US national security interests.
The cause for delay, however, does not originate with Trump, who is eager to make the move. According to a top Republican official, Trump wanted to move the embassy from the first minutes of his presidency, but decided against it out of fear of jeopardizing Israel’s relationship with its Arab neighbors.
According to the Washington Post, when President Trump’s senior national security aides convened at the White House on Monday to discuss the upcoming waiver deadline, Trump pushed strongly for the move and became “agitated and exasperated at what he saw as overly cautious bureaucratic hand-wringing.”
As it appears that the US President is eager to fulfill his campaign promise to move the embassy, below are the forces that may be pressuring him against this decision.
Cabinet and Advisors
Last June, it was reported that Trump “acted reluctantly” on advice from Cabinet heads that moving the embassy could pose security risks for Americans. His Cabinet and advisors also maintained that moving the embassy could prejudice the administration’s efforts to restart Mideast peace talks and negotiate a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, a key goal for the administration. In fact, Trump himself said in October that he wanted to “give peace a shot” before moving the embassy.
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At Monday’s White House meeting, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly argued that moving the embassy could pose danger to American diplomats and troops in the Middle East.
Shortly after the meeting, a classified State Department memo sent to US embassies in the Mideast warned of potential unrest and anti-American protests related to an upcoming announcement concerning the embassy.
The Pentagon has also raised cautions about the security risk associated with any change in the embassy status.
Read more at https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/98758/whats-really-behind-trumps-hesitation-move-embassy-jerusalem/#eOBcXSViB5hFtrke.99
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