Jerusalem, Capital of Israel

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
By PMA

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Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), a long-time friend of Israel, introduced a bill along with six other senators (none of them Democrats) that would abolish the “security” waiver that American presidents have used to prevent implementing a 1995 law declaring that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, saying, “it is long overdue for America to recognize the sovereign right of Israel to choose Jerusalem as its capital city.”

I’m not entirely hopeful of this bill ever taking root because, after all, if they couldn’t get anything done during the presidency of Bush, Israel’s greatest friend in a long time, there’s no way in hell they’re going to get anything done with Obama at the helm, Israel’s greatest enemy in a long time.

But, whether it will happen or not, I still have to give the proper recognition to Senator Brownback for his continued support of Israel and for his strong display of moral support in demanding that Jerusalem be treated the way any other country’s capital is.

Arutz Sheva has the details:

The proposed Jerusalem Embassy Relocation Act law, number S. 2737, is “a bill to relocate to Jerusalem the United States Embassy in Israel” and has six co-sponsors–five Republicans, from Kentucky, Texas, Arizona, and Louisiana and Independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

It would remove the current waiver, which gives the president authority to delay recognition of Jerusalem as the capital on the premise that doing so would endanger the security of the United States. Previous presidents, including George W. Bush, vowed during their election campaigns they would recognize Jerusalem as the Jewish State’s capital but they have failed out to carry out their election promise.

The senators introduced the bill following last week’s visit to the United States by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, who said, “I believe moving the American embassy to Jerusalem will the first step towards other embassies moving to the capital, as in every other country in the world.”

U.S. policy regards eastern Jerusalem, restored to Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967, as “occupied territory” and wants the status of the city to be part of an agreement to establish the Palestinian Authority as a new Arab state on all of the land in eastern Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

The Democratic party has a majority in the Congress but includes legislators who support Israeli sovereignty over all of the capital. The certain opposition of the Obama administration to Senator Brownback’s bill may prevent its passage, but the proposal will bring the status of the city to center stage.

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