WASHINGTON — President Trump
signed an order keeping the American Embassy in Tel Aviv rather than moving it to Jerusalem as he promised during last year’s campaign, aides said Thursday, disappointing many Israel supporters in hopes of preserving his chances of negotiating a peace settlement.
Aides said the decision was just a delay and that he still planned to move the embassy to Jerusalem
when conditions were right, although past presidents have said the same without ever acting. In a statement issued by the White House, officials said that Mr. Trump’s move should not be considered “a retreat from the president’s strong support for Israel” and its alliance with the United States.
“President Trump made this decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America’s national security interest,” the statement said. “But, as he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that happens, but only when.”
Mr. Trump made no mention of his pending decision during a visit to Jerusalem just last week and
waited to announce it until almost the last minute he could under law, demonstrating the deep political sensitivity of a city claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. The order waives for six months a congressional edict requiring the embassy be located in Jerusalem, meaning he will have to consider the matter again by Dec. 1.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who has nurtured a close relationship with Mr. Trump, offered only modest regret for the decision publicly. “Though Israel is disappointed that the embassy will not move at this time, we appreciate today’s expression of President Trump’s friendship to Israel and his commitment to moving the embassy in the future,” his office said in a statement.
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian Authority representative in the United States, welcomed the decision, saying it cleared away one obstacle to negotiations. “This is in line with the long held U.S. policy and the international consensus and it gives peace a chance,” he said.
The decision is Mr. Trump’s latest shift away from campaign positions upending traditional foreign policy as the president spends more time in office and learns more about the trade-offs involved. He has reversed himself on declaring China a currency manipulator, backed off plans to lift sanctions against Russia, declared that NATO was not “obsolete” after all, opted for now not to rip up President Barack Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran and ordered a punitive strike against Syria that he previously opposed in similar circumstances.
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