Why didn’t the US government move the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
On November 8, 1995, the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 became law without then president Clinton’s signature. It states amongst other things that the USA recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that the United States Embassy in Israel should be established there. To enforce the law, this Act has a limitation on funds (your tax money) obligated for `Acquisition and Maintenance of Buildings Abroad’; this means, if the Embassy in Israel does not move to Jerusalem by May 31, 1999, no more than 50% of allocated funds will be paid to US Embassies etc. worldwide, which hits them where it hurts, namely in their pocket.
Somehow, somebody (can you guess who?) managed to have a waiver included in that law that suspends this limitation; this means that the president can allow 100% of the money to be paid to Embassies worldwide even if the deadline has passed and the Embassy in Israel has not moved, as long as the president signs a report every six months stating that it is necessary to pay the funds in order to “protect the national security interests of the United States”. So for the last 13 years all presidents have signed such a report every six months.
The president has managed to make himself look good to people on both sides of this issue. If on the one hand the Embassy is finally moved to Jerusalem, the president can say to Muslims and Europeans “the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 was not signed by me”. And if on the other hand the move to Jerusalem is delayed, the president can say to supporters of Israel “I am not against the move of the Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, I need to pay my Embassies worldwide”.
House Bill 1006 and Senate Bill 1622 seek amongst other things to eliminate the waiver mentioned above which will prevent the president from submitting this report every six months and seeks to pay for the Jerusalem Embassy before paying expenses for any other Embassy in the world. These bills are stuck in congress’ committees and need to be put on the floor of the House and Senate to be voted on.
If you want Jerusalem to be recognized as the capital of Israel and have the US Embassy established there please sign this petition and please contact your two Senators and one House representative asking for these bills to be put on the floor.