Trump officially recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, orders US embassy move

[Guest shiloh357]

President Trump said Wednesday he is formally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and is ordering the State Department to begin moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” the president said during a speech in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House.

Trump added, “Jerusalem is not just the heart of three great religions, but it is now also the heart of one of the most successful democracies in the world.”

The move fulfills a campaign promise made to religious conservatives. But it could also inflame tensions across the Middle East.

Ahead of the president’s announcement, one administration official described the move as an "honest" acknowledgement of a "seven-decade old fact."

“While President Trump recognizes that the status of Jerusalem is a highly sensitive issue, he does not think it will be resolved by ignoring the simple truth that Jerusalem is home to Israel’s legislature, its Supreme Court, the prime minister and is such the capital of Israel,” the official said.

WHY TRUMP’S PROMISE TO MOVE US EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM IS SO CONTROVERSIAL

The U.S. would be the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem, which is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. Other countries who have diplomatic relations with Israel keep their embassies in Tel Aviv.

But the embassy move would not be immediate and could take at least three or four years.

The U.S. officials said there are currently about 1,000 personnel in the embassy in Tel Aviv. They added that there is no facility in Jerusalem ready to serve as the embassy site, and it will take time to address security, design and cost concerns.

Ahead of the announcement, Trump spoke Tuesday with Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has said he supports the U.S. moving its embassy. But Abbas has warned of the “gravity of consequences” should the move become official for “the peace process and security and stability in the region and world.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that moving the capital was a “red line” for Muslims, and such an action could result in Turkey severing diplomatic ties with Israel.

The controversy surrounding the move of the embassy dates back decades. A law passed in 1995 under the Clinton administration considers Jerusalem the capital, and even mandates the move of the embassy there.

But the law allows for a loophole used by former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama – an option to issue waivers every six months to delay the move from Tel Aviv.

Trump also took advantage of the loophole, which Republicans have long called to be closed. Trump’s first waiver was signed in June, which drew praise from the Palestinians and some disappointment from Israel.

The administration officials said Tuesday that Trump will still sign a waiver to keep from jeopardizing State Department funding while the relocation process begins.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/06/trump-officially-recognizes-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-orders-us-embassy-move.html

[other one]

Why do I get the feeling that God just smiled on us..

 

[Guest shiloh357]

So the Palestinians said that this announcement by Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital would be the kiss of death to the peace process. Uh, okay, when has Israel ever made a gesture toward peace that was not met with violence and bloodshed from the Palestinians? I mean, even when Israel moved out of Gaza in 2005, the result was a 500% increase in rocket and mortar attacks from the Palestinians living in Gaza. Everything Israel does for peace is interpreted as "weakness." Every concession Israel makes, instead of being received as a step toward peace, is interpreted by the Palestinians as proof that terrorism works and so they just ratchet up the terror attacks.

So, this announcement by Trump is not really going to make things worse. They already murder Jews as often as they can, so how does this announcement spell the end of the peace process when there never really was a "peace process" in the first place? The "peace process" was used by the Palestinians to buy time to plan more terror attacks.

[Guest Butero]

Thank you President Trump!  I have never seen any President work so hard to fulfil campaign promises, and this is a huge one.  Many have claimed they wish to move the embassy, but they never follow through.  I would imagine the spin will be to claim this is an awful decision and will lead to more violence and all the usual garbage, but as Shiloh pointed out, the Palestinians don't want peace.  They won't be satisfied till the entire state of Israel is no more.  

God bless you President Trump.  No wonder the devil hates Trump so much, and has stirred up so much animosity towards him.  

[Guest shiloh357]

[Guest shiloh357]

12 minutes ago, Butero said:

Thank you President Trump!  I have never seen any President work so hard to fulfil campaign promises, and this is a huge one.

 

It is not something anyone is used to.  And we were told a year ago that we would be taken for fools and the minute Trump was elected he would suddenly throw all his promises out the window.  And now his enemies have to work overtime to keep him from fulfilling promises, now they see he means to keep them.  It's why they thwarted healthcare reform...  Because they saw in Trump a serious attempt at reforming it.

Trump has spent the last year pretty much proving all of his critics wrong.   

And now that the Pallies can see a president who will do what he says he will do, it will put the US in a stronger position for negotiating peace.   When your enemy doesn't think you will back up your words with actions, words are meaningless to them.  If they think your promises are nothing but campaign rhetoric, then they see no reason to make good on their side of the agreement.

Quote

I would imagine the spin will be to claim this is an awful decision and will lead to more violence and all the usual garbage, but as Shiloh pointed out, the Palestinians don't want peace.

They will do what they always do and make a lot of predictions that won't come true.   The Pallies will rage for a few days, but Israel can handle them.  And if the Muslims want to start trouble over here and try to kill us, there enough armed Americans that won't put up with that crap. 

[hmbld]

A president who keeps campaign promises and can recognize facts. Wow!

[OldSchool2]

2 hours ago, Butero said:

Thank you President Trump!  I have never seen any President work so hard to fulfil campaign promises, and this is a huge one.  Many have claimed they wish to move the embassy, but they never follow through....

Actually, in order to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, all Trump had to do was nothing, which isn't hard work at all.

"American presidents must sign a national security waiver every six months to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv. In June, Mr. Trump deferred a decision to move it to Jerusalem, under pressure from Arab leaders, who warned that it would ignite protests, and from advisers, including his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who worried that it could strangle the administration’s attempt to foster peace in the generations-long dispute.

"With another deadline looming next Monday, Mr. Trump is expected to sign an order keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv. But he will couple that with a statement that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital...."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/01/us/politics/trump-embassy-israel-jerusalem.html

[ayin jade]

He fulfilled a campaign promise. Other past presidents opted for the easy way out and defer the completion of the congressional act to the future. 

But if he had signed it again, there would have been threads bashing him for signing it and not carrying out a campaign promise. 

So really nothing he does or doesnt do satisfies the critics. 

In which case, go trump. Fulfill those promises. 

[Guest shiloh357]

2 hours ago, OldSchool2 said:

Actually, in order to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, all Trump had to do was nothing, which isn't hard work at all.

Moving the embassy and simply recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel are two different things and moving the embassy is actually quite involved and requires a lot of work.   And Trump isn't going to offload that to someone else.

Quote

 

"American presidents must sign a national security waiver every six months to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv. In June, Mr. Trump deferred a decision to move it to Jerusalem, under pressure from Arab leaders, who warned that it would ignite protests, and from advisers, including his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who worried that it could strangle the administration’s attempt to foster peace in the generations-long dispute.

"With another deadline looming next Monday, Mr. Trump is expected to sign an order keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv. But he will couple that with a statement that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital...."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/01/us/politics/trump-embassy-israel-jerusalem.html

 

And today, he announced the beginning of the process of moving the embassy. 

He is keeping yet another promise.   Something his critics said he would not do.