President Donald Trump is reportedly going back on a campaign promise by deciding to not move the US embassy in Israel, according to various media reports.
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Trump is going back on a big Israel campaign promise
In accordance with a 1995 law passed by Congress, the president is required to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake during then visit to the Israel museum in Jerusalem, Tuesday, May 23, 2017.
In accordance with a 1995 law passed by Congress, the president is required to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
All of Trump's predecessors impacted by this law have signed six-month waivers to delay the move, the last of which expired June 1. It appears Trump is also going down this path, as the New York Times reports the president signed a new waiver Thursday.
White House officials cautioned that this is a postponement and Trump still intends to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The president is reportedly holding off now because of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, according to Bloomberg.
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"It's a matter of when, not if," one senior administration official told the Jerusalem Post.
Trump promised during the campaign to move the embassy to Jerusalem if elected president. This rhetoric has tempered since he took office, though, and Trump did not give Israelis a public endorsement of the move during his recent trip overseas.
Moving the embassy would likely indicate a change in US policy toward recognizing Israel's claim to a united Jerusalem. Current US policy is that the city's status should be determined by Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
Although Trump reportedly signed a waiver, he could still move the embassy after six months, or issue an executive order overriding the waiver before it expires.
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