Will The U.S. Move It's Israel Embassy To Jerusalem? Not So Fast.

President Trump is expected to announce Wednesday that he will instruct the State Department to begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, according to U.S. officials, fulfilling one of his campaign promises.

Under the new plan, the U.S. also would officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. But the president is expected to acknowledge that the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city are subject to final status negotiation.


However, both Sunni and Shia Muslim groups and nations have expressed concern over the possible recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.  Sunni Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that moving the capital is a “red line” for Muslims and such an action would result in Turkey severing its diplomatic ties with Israel.

There are also many Christian Groups especially Middle Eastern Christians that are opposed to this move.  They too feel this is nothing more than a further land grab but those who are not of true middle eastern descent.  

When Israel was created in 1948, the lands were not vacant. Tens of thousands of families that owned and occupied the lands for generations were kicked off their property without any compensation.  These were Christians, Muslims and even native Jewish people that were forced to move off their land for European Jews. 

In the meantime, Trump will reportedly sign, and will continue to sign, the 6-month waiver to the Jerusalem Embassy Act. That act essentially allows presidents to sign continuous waivers to stall the relocation of the embassy and will prevent significant cuts to State Department funding.  This has been done since the act was created in 1995. 

The international community, including the U.S., does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as it is claimed by both Palestinians and Israelis. Like other countries, the U.S. keeps its embassy in Tel Aviv, approximately an hour away.

Should the U.S. move the embassy, it could cause significant harm to the U.S. credibility as a mediator for peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. The move would likely undermine confidence from Palestinians and Arab countries that the U.S. would remain an impartial negotiator in efforts to create peace in the Middle East. 

Both former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush also pledged to move the embassy — only to abandon the idea once in the White House.


Congress approved in 1995 the funding and relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem by 1999. But the law included a stipulation, allowing for presidents to sign continuous waivers to stall the relocation of the embassy. Every president since has used the waiver in an effort to avoid conflict with the peace negotiations.

Should Trump follow through on moving the embassy, the United States could become a bullseye for Wahabbi terrorism and the world as a whole will be a much more dangerous place. 

Jerusalem is a sacred place to all religions, in a perfect world it would remain independent with shared governance of Jews, Christians and Muslims.   However reality states this will never likely happen.