Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America commends the introduction, Wednesday, of a bipartisan resolution “relating to the 40th anniversary of the reunification of the City of Jerusalem” by Rep. Tom Lantos, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Member on the Committee. The resolution is expected to be considered by the full House next week. The Orthodox Union urges quick passage.
The House Concurrent Resolution, H.CON.RES.152, “commends Israel for its administration of the undivided city of Jerusalem for the past 40 years, during which Israel has respected the rights of all religious groups,” and calls upon the President to discontinue the waiver contained in the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-45), immediately begin the process of relocating the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; and calls upon the Secretary of State to affirm as United States policy that Jerusalem remain the undivided capital of the State of Israel.
Nathan J. Diament, director of the Union’s Institute for Public Policy stated: “In addition to celebrating this important milestone, H.CON.RES.152 would send a clear message to the Administration that it is time to move the US embassy in Israel to its rightful place in Jerusalem. Just as the United States locates its embassy in the duly designated capitals of other nations, so too it should locate its embassy in Israel’s recognized capital. We thank Reps. Lantos and Ros-Lehtinen, along with the other co-sponsors, for their leadership on this issue and we look forward to its passage in the coming weeks.”
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3 Responses
No President has ever stood up and announced that Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel. They will not note in a passport that a child is born in Jerusalem, Israel, it is not recognized as such.
Every president promises to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the Israel, and, for whatever reasons must come up, continue extending that waiver.
I would give President Bush as much of the benefit of the doubt as Clinton or the others. Kerry would have done the same thing, so I don’t see why this should become a political dig at Mr. Bush.
It’s a nice resolution, but I doubt anything will happen – it’s symbolic enough to make Israel happy, but more than enough to seriously insult the Arab world, which nobody wants nor needs, particularly with more and more US resources and interests throughout Iraq, Afghanistan and the entire Arab world.
So with no material gain for Israel and an insult to the Arabs, I can’t see how this will actually take effect.
What would we do without the OU!