President Trump: In Spite Of Campaign Promise, U.S. Embassy Will Remain In Tel Aviv
[guest post by Dana]
Back when he was still a candidate, Donald Trump promised to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem:
“We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem”.
His supporters cheered him on. Finally, a sitting president would actually take the bold step. U.S. envoy Jason Greenblatt, who was working with Trump about the move, expressed his whole-hearted belief in Trump’s campaign promise, claiming that “…after the election that the president-elect was “going to do it” because he was “a man who keeps his word.””
Today, President Trump broke his campaign promise to move the embassy:
Statement on the American Embassy in Israel
While President Donald J. Trump signed the waiver under the Jerusalem Embassy Act and delayed moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, no one should consider this step to be in any way a retreat from the President’s strong support for Israel and for the United States-Israel alliance. President Trump made this decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America’s national security interests. But, as he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when.
David French notes that appeasement will not bring peace in the region, and that the president just got played:
To understand the importance of Trump’s action, a bit of history is necessary. Under the original U.N. partition plan, Palestine was to be split into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem placed under international control. The Palestinians and their Arab allies not only rejected this plan, they launched a war of extermination against Israel. They lost. In 1967, Arab armies once again massed to threaten Israel’s existence. Israel struck first, and in the Six-Day War captured all of Jerusalem. The Arab world has since rejected a number of peace proposals that would return the vast majority of captured land back to the Palestinians, including plans that would allow the Palestinians to create a state with a capital located in Palestinian portions of East Jerusalem.
The Palestinian position is rather simple. They believe that they can wage aggressive war without consequence. In other words, they believe they have the right — along with their Arab allies — to attempt to destroy Israel, lose their wars, then appeal to the international community to force the opposing sides to revert to the status quo. They also believe that they have the right to maintain, support, or encourage a permanent terrorist campaign without any consequence to their territorial ambitions. The international community’s decision to functionally acquiescence to these dangerous legal fictions is one of the factors that leads Palestinians to believe that they will ultimately prevail – that their consistent, insistent combination of diplomatic and terrorist pressure will cause Israel to relent.
To the extent there is any hope for peace, it will happen if and only if the Palestinians and their Muslim-world allies understand that Israel has a right to exist — permanently — as a Jewish state with Jerusalem as its capital. If the most powerful nation in the world puts its embassy in the heart of Jerusalem, that sends a clear message that the Palestinians have to adjust their expectations. When the most powerful nation in the world — and Israel’s strongest ally — plays the Palestinian’s game, it tells them to stay their dangerous and deadly course.
Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed disppointment in the decision:
Israel’s consistent position is that the American embassy, like the embassies of all countries with whom we have diplomatic relations, should be in Jerusalem, our eternal capital.
Though Israel is disappointed that the embassy will not move at this time, we appreciate today’s expression of President Trump’s friendship to Israel and his commitment to moving the embassy in the future.
It looks like the Palestinians called it:
Palestinian officials presume Mr. Trump ultimately will follow the course that his predecessors did and leave the issue to final-status negotiations.
“I don’t think he’ll move the embassy, […]” said Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization. “I’m confident we’ll work with President-elect Trump and his administration to achieve peace and to achieve the two-state solution.”
(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)
–Dana
So much for the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, and empty campaign promises. We’ll see what happens in another six months.
Dana (023079) — 6/1/2017 @ 12:54 pmhe’s being a hell of a lot more supportive of Israel than food stamp ever was
happyfeet (a037ad) — 6/1/2017 @ 1:04 pmSo how is giving the Palestinians a veto over his campaign promises being “supportive of Israel,” hatefulfeet?
It’s a broken promise — broken for no new reason, broken out of abject political cowardice.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/1/2017 @ 1:46 pmi think you’re reading too much into it
happyfeet (a037ad) — 6/1/2017 @ 1:47 pmMost of thr refuhgees are refugees from Jordan, all aid to Jordan should be contingent on their taking vack their own people. All aid to any ARab and or Muslim state or entity should be contingent on s strongly worded statement that Israel has fundamental right to exist as a Jewish state, all non-civilized action by any state or entity which refuses to sign such a statement should be considered and acted upon as an act of war. adopt this poliy an let’s see how strong the resolve of those followers of afalse prophet, misogynist, pedaphillic, warmonger really is.
necon_1 (4d97ca) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:04 pmMost of the refugees are refugees only in the sense that UNRWA calls them that. Most of them were born after 1967, after all. The most sensible and therefore least likely solution is to point out that post 1948 Israel absorbed refugees from Arab lands, expelled as a direct result of Arab persecution and violence, that those refugees were roughly equal in number to the Palestinian refugees, and that to even things out the Arab countries pay for resettling Arab refugees,even though they haven’t done that in almost 70 years.
kishnevi (d7d2b1) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:17 pmAnatomy of a sell-out:
Here’s the White House’s effort to spin the betrayal:
Cue Little Orphan Annie, time for another rousing chorus of “Tomorrow”!
Per the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, before extending the waiver of the deadline for moving the embassy, Trump has “determine[d] and report[ed] to Congress in advance of the additional suspension that the additional suspension is necessary to protect the national security interests of the United States.” Got that? Trump’s just put his signature to a declaration that American national security necessarily requires this refreshment and reaffirmation of the veto over American Middle Eastern policy first given by Clinton, then extended by Bush-43 and Obama, to the Palestinians.
In a stroke he has undone all of the “strong horse” imagery he projected during his recent trip to Saudi Arabia and Israel. When it comes to keeping promises, whether made to American voters or to Israel, Trump’s just another gutless politician whose word means nothing.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:27 pmAmbassador Friedman, btw, was Trump’s go-to bankruptcy lawyer and a name partner in Marc Kasowitz’ law firm until a few weeks ago.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:31 pmThere’s the UN to consider. Jerusalem is still a stateless city, apparently, as far as the UN is concerned. We do have a consulate in Jerusalem, and so do nine other countries, including the UK, the Vatican, and Greece. None of those consulates are accredited to Israel, the Palestinian Authority, or any other government.
All embassies accredited to Israel, from all the countries with which Israel has diplomatic relations, are in Tel Aviv. Which begs the question. (It really does, on its haunches with its front paws raised and its tongue hanging out.) Why doesn’t Israel make it a condition of having diplomatic relation with it that the corresponding nation have its embassy in Jerusalem? Why must America do the deed for it?
nk (dbc370) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:36 pmnk, why should Israel have to issue an ultimatum to get the U.S. POTUS to follow a law passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by a previous POTUS?
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:41 pmI think the Cambodians used to have an embassy there, but that would have been in the early 70s (I remember stumbling by it while lost and trying to find my hotel back in 1973.)
I guess Sihanouk was good for something.
It’s a pity this was done the same day as the Accord withdrawal. Now it will get lost in the shuffle (perhaps intentional), but it would have been nice to see the Left confronted with Trump doing something they say they wanted.
kishnevi (d7d2b1) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:44 pmUltimatum is a strong word. A nation has the right to tell another nation where it will recognize its embassy or other diplomatic mission, and anywhere else they’re just tourists. Israel has the right to say “We will recognize your embassy only if it’s in Jerusalem”.
nk (dbc370) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:45 pmNo ACA repeal, no tax reform, no Jerusalem embassy, no wall. Dozens of unfilled judgeships and no noms. Thinking he could manage and massage Comey and sooooo many others in Deep State.
He is the empty shell many of us declared him to be.
He did, however, go to Jared!
Ed from SFV (3400a5) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:49 pmnk, why should Israel have to do or say anything to get a U.S. POTUS to follow U.S. law?
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:57 pmIs Trump breaking U.S. law? Were Clinton, Bush 43 and Obama? I thought the President had been given the authority to “sign the waiver” putting off the move.
Why should the United States become the international pariah, on this issue, by bucking the UN, and not Israel?
nk (dbc370) — 6/1/2017 @ 3:07 pmIf only he had slept in a Holiday Inn Express.
Chuck Bartowski (bc1c71) — 6/1/2017 @ 3:09 pmI don’t like this decision, but conversely you trust tillerson, he was likely among those who cautioned against not signing the waiver, so you can’t have it both ways,
narciso (d1f714) — 6/1/2017 @ 3:10 pmYes, I see the hands of Rex Tillerson and Nikki Haley in this. They did not make any promises to the Apocalyptics (or is it Messianics?) during the campaign.
It can’t be the Russians, because they recognized West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on April 6, 2017. The United States still does not, BTW.
nk (dbc370) — 6/1/2017 @ 3:19 pmI don’t get the payoff in this deal, then again Negroponte probably counseled same, Bolton was probably ignored
narciso (d1f714) — 6/1/2017 @ 3:25 pmI won’t presume to guess either way what SecState Tillerson said to the POTUS on this. Nor would I attribute to him personally, now, statements that he made in his capacity as CEO of Exxon when his principals were Exxon’s board and shareholders rather than the Constitution and Laws of the United States.
Certainly both Bush-41 and Bush-43 waffled on this. I think they viewed the American promise to move the embassy as something of only symbolic importance that could be delayed indefinitely in hopes that in the meantime, the Palestinians might get serious committing to a permanent solution. They deemed themselves temporarily excused from their promises. But “temporary” is now approaching a quarter-century.
Precisely because this is so symbolic, Trump should have kept this promise. Precisely because of the “no more kicking the can down the road” message it would have conveyed when the moving vans shows up in Tel Aviv, Trump should have kept this promise. Trump should have warned, privately, everyone at the conference in Saudi Arabia that he would indeed keep this promise. Indeed, he should have said, “I made my first trip as POTUS to see you, and the symbolism and respect implied in that decision is the countervailing symbolic salve you get for any hard feelings when I keep my promise about the embassy.” That would have been entirely in keeping with all the other themes of his trip.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/1/2017 @ 3:43 pm@ my friend nk, who wrote:
The statute requires a determination by the POTUS that the extension is required for purposes of U.S. national security. I agree that this gives Trump full discretion, subject to review neither by Congress nor the courts, to make that determination even when it’s an obvious lie, as it has been on each of the occasions that Clinton, Bush-43, and Obama made their respective series (every six months) of so declaring.
I’d rather the POTUS not put the Executive’s imprimatur to lies, as a general matter.
As for why we should become the international pariah, that issue was debated, and resolved conclusively, when Congress passed the statute and Clinton signed it.
That’s a question that the United State Government, acting through the E
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/1/2017 @ 3:50 pm(sorry, that last sentence fragment ought to have been omitted)
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/1/2017 @ 3:51 pmtel aviv’s only about an hour away from Jerusalem anyways depending on traffic so if you plan ahead you can have lunch in Jerusalem and easily be back in tel aviv for dinner
a lot of people in america would be very happy to get their commute down to an hour
therefore President Trump is doing so good
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/1/2017 @ 5:03 pmSerious question, aroused by the Paris Agreement discussion. Is the Embassy Act even Constitutional? Doesn’t it infringe on the President’s and Senate’s treaty powers?
nk (dbc370) — 6/1/2017 @ 5:13 pmI don’t see anything about Jerusalem in Two Corinthians.
Jerusa-lame.
Pinandpuller (fa8b73) — 6/1/2017 @ 5:30 pmbelouis some did a song about jerusalem it was called “jerusalem”
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/1/2017 @ 5:36 pmlink
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/1/2017 @ 5:37 pmHe’s a coward. End of story. My God, another agreement w/Belljar.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/1/2017 @ 5:39 pmit’s an intriguing question, it became law without a signature, if it was ever implemented there would likely be a challenge, because we can’t have good things,
narciso (d1f714) — 6/1/2017 @ 5:39 pm@ nk: Yes, I think it’s constitutional. It’s not purporting to direct the POTUS as such, but rather it’s exercising (via section 4) Congressional power of the purse by refusing appropriations except on particular terms. As for the findings and policy, I don’t think that’s constitutionally binding upon either other branch of government or even on future Congresses.
Kind of an academic question, since other than this fiscal provision, it has no other teeth, and even those teeth are false teeth, as Trump has again demonstrated.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/1/2017 @ 5:44 pmI see. Thank you, Beldar.
I’ll tell you, I don’t envy diplomats. The more I read about international relations, the more I understand why we are divided into nations.
nk (dbc370) — 6/1/2017 @ 6:15 pmtell that to Daniel drezner, because he doesn’t understand that simple fact,
narciso (d1f714) — 6/1/2017 @ 6:26 pmstting yourself inside a bear trap isn’t leadership. ymmv
https://twitter.com/Doranimated/status/870391595086041088
narciso (d1f714) — 6/1/2017 @ 6:30 pm11, kishnevi (d7d2b1) — 6/1/2017 @ 2:44 pm
In 1973, it was Lon Nol. Sihanoul was in exile in China.
Sihanouk was out since the spring of 1970. After Sihanouk was overthrown, in considerable part because he was letting North Vietnam occupy a part of his country, North Vietnam started to move in (which brought on American intervention by Nixon to keep some pressure on) and then organzied a Communist army, but they let Red China take much of the responsibility for it, and the Chinese stole the Khmer Rouge from the North Vietnamese, although Hanoi didn’t discover that until after or about the fall of Saigon in 1975. The Khmer Rouge were somewaht hastily educated and trained and only learned how to rule in the country not in the city, so when they captuired Phompeh they sent everybody into the country. They also killed people with glasses or other intelletuals and didn’t teach people the rules but punished them as if they knew. The Khmer ARouge were very aggresive and Thailand was going to invade in 1977, but KJimmy Carter stopped them. Later, they got intoo fghts with Vietnam ansd Voetnam invaded and this was condemened – a policy contnued by Ronald Reagam. Pol Pot maintained an enclave for years and we had a war fought for the sake of a vote in the United Nations for about ten years. Pol Pot had alleged allies and supposedly we were supporting the allies.
(By the way, Trump saw the Prime Minister of Vietnam, which has recently gotten a little bit more repressive, on Wednesday. He sees it as acounterweigt to China, partiularly in the South China Sea.)
A good number of small countries had embassies in Jerusalem,. I think Costa Rica did. They be all gone now, or maybe a few are left.
Sammy Finkelman (9fe80b) — 6/1/2017 @ 8:14 pmI don’t think Trump is going to reverse this easily, any more than he will send an ambassador to Taiwan.
Sammy Finkelman (9fe80b) — 6/1/2017 @ 8:16 pmsaloth sar, aka pol pot, was French educated, as the late Spaulding gray, he wanted to implement pure Maoism in Kampuchea, and he got it, now the Chinese govt was their sponsor under sihanouk’s umbrellas, but without the us pullout year zero wouldn’t have happened,
narciso (d1f714) — 6/1/2017 @ 8:18 pmDisappointed in Trump for not showing more gumption on this issue. Screw the fanatical Arab states till they renounce terror.
NJRob (0586eb) — 6/1/2017 @ 8:52 pmi don’t have a dog in this fight
i don’t even have a dog
i have two turtles
happyfeet (a037ad) — 6/2/2017 @ 8:18 am