US Embassy Jerusalem move postponed

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 16 December 2004 | JANINE ZACHARIA

[SJackson]

If you're talking about the President's promise, he's made it multiple times, including the 2000 platform and the 2004 platform. Nothing has changed since this summer.

[Alouette]

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[Seeing More Clearly Now]

"National security?

Isn't that an abuse of a meaningless trite phrase?

I just wish W could treat us as adults and tell us what the actual reason is; Eight postmonements aren't enough?
Something does not smell right here."

I think it's elemenary, Watson. What stays the same from one administration to the next is the arabist U.S. State Department. That's who advises each and every Secretary of State.

[kingsurfer]

If he has amde a promise and does not intend to keep it then that is stupid but he has just under 4 years so who knows.

I guess he wants to acheive world peace first......

[Alberta's Child]

A capital isn't "disputed" just because a person or group of people says that they have a claim to it. What makes Jerusalem different is that the Israeli govenment itself has given clear indications that it recognizes the difficult situation surrounding the Jerusalem question . . . various so-called "peace accords" signed by Israel in recent decades have explicitly put off a formal resoluton of the Jerusalem question until an unspecified point in the future.

[SJackson]

I just wish W could treat us as adults and tell us what the actual reason is; Eight postmonements aren't enough? Something does not smell right here."

Egypt and Saudi Arabia and no, the administration isn't going to tell you.

[Alouette]

The U.S. has had a long-standing policy of refusing to locate embassies in foreign capitals that are located in disputed territories

Can you name any other foreign capitals that have been affected by this alleged "policy"?

[Alberta's Child]

You're right. The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 was such a compelling piece of legislation that the U.S. embassy was moved to Jerusalem by the middle of 1996. /sarcasm off/

I rest my case.

I bet we'll still be discussing this "moral imperative" in 2040, too.

[SJackson]

If he has amde a promise and does not intend to keep it then that is stupid but he has just under 4 years so who knows.

Then the Republican's made a mistake in their platform. After promising the move in the 2000 platform, then deferring the move for four years, inserting

Immediately upon taking office, the next Republican president will begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel's capital, Jerusalem

doesn't make much sense if he's simply thinking about doing it in the next four years. Immediately upon taking office means something, and the excuse that he didn't have a handle on foreign affairs, or 9/11 changed things, doesn't work.

[anonymoussierra]

Thank you

[Alberta's Child]

Berlin.

The U.S. would never have recognized Berlin as the capital of West Germany. Nor would any other respectable country at the time, which is one of the reasons why the West German government named Bonn as its capital until the country was reunified in the 1990s.

[SJackson]

You're right. The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 was such a compelling piece of legislation that the U.S. embassy was moved to Jerusalem by the middle of 1996. /sarcasm off/

No, it wasn't moved. Bill Clinton lied. GWB could well be walking the same road on this issue. The moral one in your mind I'm sure.

[weenie]

This is not the problem...if you only knew how many Zionist Christians (adopted Jews...if only red-headed stepchildren) plan to move to Jerusalem...

As one of those poor little red-headed stepchildren..."here we come."

We may be as tacky as Miami but we love Israel and we love the Jewish people.

This is a paraphrase from an elderly friend.

[Alouette]

The U.S. would never have recognized Berlin as the capital of West Germany.

Maybe because it wasn't?

Jerusalem was never the capital of any country other than Israel.

[yonif]

Israel has a law in place which says Jerusalem is its capital.

[M. Espinola]

"My administration remains committed to beginning the process of moving our embassy to Jerusalem,"

Then just DO IT! The hell with what the U.N. thinks and the Islamic terrorist world. Take the gloves when it comes to Hamas, Hizballah & other demented jihadists. America need to stand by our ally Israel and step up assistance.>

[SJackson]

It is ironic that this plank was in both platforms largely to please those GWB's batty right wing Christian base. :>)

[Alberta's Child]

The fact that this "law" was passed nearly ten years ago and still has not been acted upon is a pretty good indication to me that just about everyone involved in its original passage and subsequent implementation has been full of sh!t from the get-go.

I'll bet you can find similar "legislation" on the books calling for Social Security reform, a balanced budget, peace on earth, etc.

[Alberta's Child]

And yet Israel didn't even recognize Jerusalem as its OWN capital for how long?

[Alouette]

Israel didn't even recognize Jerusalem as its OWN capital for how long?

Jerusalem has always been the capital of Israel.