Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, through its Institute for Public Affairs, expressed its disappointment with the decision of President Bush to issue a national security waiver and thereby postpone the relocation of the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for six months.
The waiver was issued pursuant to the requirements of the Jerusalem Embassy Relocation Act – a measure strongly supported by the Orthodox Jewish community. Similar waivers have been issued by President Bush and the prior administration each year since the Act’s passage in 1995.
Nathan Diament, director of the Union’s Institute, stated:
The Orthodox Jewish community greatly appreciates President Bush’s actions to date which have been supportive of Israel’s security interests. Nevertheless, we do not believe that the actions of third parties should thwart the right of Israel as a sovereign state to determine its capital and to have the Embassy of the United States located there. We urge the President to undertake steps as soon as possible to demonstrate his Administration’s stated commitment to relocating the United States’ embassy to Jerusalem – the eternal and indivisible capital of Israel.
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4 Responses
A bunch of useless political banter to no practical effect. Nothing is accomplished other then they “feel good” about themselves.
This waiver has been issued every 6 months for the last 12 years. What is news here?
Why is the O-U sticking its nose into President Bush’s decisions? This is not a matter of Jewish security. It is purely a matter of international politics.
This O-U policy is not Kosher!
While nothing has really changed, it’s good to see the OU with its clout making such a statement. It reminds Washington that there are those who care about the issue, and who don’t just look at it as “just one more waiver”. We all need to do what we can to remind the bureaucrats in Washington that Yerushalaim is ours, and any negotiations regarding its sovereignty are off limits.
Every embassy deserves to be in the capital of a country, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Pretty much the beginning and end of the story, kudos to the OU for following this issue, particulary since Bush promised (as many others have in the past) to move the embassy from Telaviv to Jerusalem, do it and ignore the whinnings of the Arab terror league.