There was an amazing exchange today at the State Department press briefing when the press secretary refused to say that Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Israel. “We are not going to prejudge the outcome of those negotiations, including the final status of Jerusalem,” State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said in response the question.
When pressed further, Nuland stood her ground. “Our policy with regard to Jerusalem is that it has to be solved through negotiations. That’s all I have to say on this issue,” said Nuland.
Later, an apparently irritated spokesman again repeated her commitment not to answer the simple question. “I don’t have anything further to what I’ve said 17 times on that subject,” said Nuland. “OK?”
The questions were regarding this Washington Free Beacon story that highlighted the State Department’s refusal to list Jerusalem as part of Israel.
Here’s video of the exchange:
[Click HERE to watch this video from a mobile device]
And here’s the transcript of the exchange:
Q: Yesterday there was a bit of a kerfuffle over an announcement that was made by the department about the travel of your boss. Is it the State Department’s position that Jerusalem is not part of Israel?
MS. NULAND: Well, you know that our position on Jerusalem has not changed. The first media note was issued in error, without appropriate clearances. We reissued the note to make clear that undersecretary, acting undersecretary for — our — Kathy Stevens will be travelling to Algiers, Doha, Amman, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. With regard to our Jerusalem policy, it’s a permanent-status issue. It’s got to be resolved through the negotiations between the parties.
Q: Is it the view of the — of the United States that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, notwithstanding the question about the embassy — the location of the U.S. embassy?
MS. NULAND: We are not going to prejudge the outcome of those negotiations, including the final status of Jerusalem.
Q: Does that — does that mean that you do not regard Jerusalem as the capital of Israel?
MS. NULAND: Jerusalem is a permanent-status issue. It’s got to be resolved through negotiations.
Q: That seems to suggest that you do not regard Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Is that correct or not?
MS. NULAND: I have just spoken to this issue —
Q: (Inaudible.)
MS. NULAND: — and I have nothing further to say on it.
Q: You’ve spoken to the issue —
MS. NULAND: Yeah.
Q: — but (haven’t answered ?) the question. And I think there’s a lot of people out there who are interested in hearing a real answer and not saying — and not trying to duck and say that this has got to be resolved by negotiations between the two sides.
MS. NULAND: That is our —
Q: What is the capital of Israel?
MS. NULAND: Our policy with regard to Jerusalem is that it has to be solved through negotiations. That’s all I have to say on this issue.
Q: What is the capital of Israel according —
MS. NULAND: Our embassy, as you know, is located in Tel Aviv.
Q: So does that mean you regard Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel?
MS. NULAND: The issue on Jerusalem has to be settled through negotiations.
….
Q: I just want to go back to — I want to clarify something, perhaps give you an “out” on your Jerusalem answer. Is it your — is it your position that all of Jerusalem is a final-status issue, or do you think — or is it just East Jerusalem?
MS. NULAND: Matt, I don’t have anything further to what I’ve said 17 times on that subject. OK?
Q: All right. So hold on. So I just want to make sure. You’re saying that all of Jerusalem, not just East Jerusalem, is a final-status issue.
MS. NULAND: Matt, I don’t have anything further on Jerusalem to what I’ve already said.
(Source: Weekly Standard)
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7 Responses
““We are not going to prejudge the outcome of those negotiations,”
what negotiations??? the one with the PA? what does this idiot think, Israel is going away and going to the PA???
how do these idiots get into these positions?? I really want to know. I can be just as stupid as their are and get over paid in he process!!!! the Peter Principle in action
If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Ein Lonu LiHeeshoyain…..
This nonsense doesn’t bother me.
Actually I don’t think HKB”H has made a final status decision on the United States, – not only regarding what it’s capitol is, but whether He recognizes it as a seperate country from the British Empire. That war back in 1776 means nothing, we all know that fighting never solves anything, the parties must sit down and work out status agreements. Perhaps the British might agree that everything west of the Mississippi is the U.S. and the original 13 colonies remain part of the U.K.
That seems reasonable to me! 🙂
The U.S. State Department has been a hot-bed of anti-semitism since, at least, WW2. Nothing has changed.
1. If you believe in a strong President (similar to the philosophy of John Yoo, but supported by Obama), the US doesn’t recognize Jerusalem as part of Israel.
2. If you believe in a strong Congress (similar to Ron Paul and the Tea Party), the US has recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
3. If the US doesn’t recognize even West Jerusalem as part of Israel, it suggests the US doesn’t officially recognize anything that wasn’t included in the 1947 partition plan (accepted by the Israelis, rejected by the Arabs).
This is a surprise? The U.S. government had refused to recognize Jerusalem as the capital since the beginning. It’s not just the State Department (which is part of the Executive Branch, and thus under the direct control of the President). No President since Truman has said that Jerusalem is the capital. Otherwise, the U.S. embassy would be there. According to Wikipedia, there are currently no embassies in Jerusalem.
The embassy location has nothing to do with recognition. For all the years that East Germany existed, nobody recognised Berlin as part of it, and yet all the embassies were there.