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Right Wing Circus in Congress Over Moving Embassy to Jerusalem

(WASHINGTON, D.C. 11/8/2017) – Today in Congress, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing to discuss moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The panelists who testified today represented various shades of the pro-Israel extreme right. Once again, the Israeli government and its agents within the United States have embarked on a farcical campaign to convince the Trump administration that moving the embassy to Jerusalem would be, in fact, "good for peace" and would not undermine our national interests and national security.  

We must always be unequivocally clear on this: Jerusalem is occupied territory. Since Israel unilaterally annexed the eastern half of Jerusalem in 1967, the international community has considered it to be occupied territory, a legal position just reaffirmed this past December through United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334. Over the last several decades, Israel has implemented policies intended to push Palestinian Jerusalemites out of the city through forcible transfer. Moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem will further cement the United States’ complicity in Israel’s occupation, Israel’s discrimination, and Israel’s incitement in Jerusalem. Furthermore, this will signal a green light to the Israeli government and their plans for annexation. Moving the embassy would be yet another step towards sanctioning the current one-state apartheid reality Israel has created.

One can guess the kind of Zionist propaganda panelists spouted at the hearing. But to illustrate the absurdity, when one panelist merely suggested holding off the move for six months, Rep. Ron DeSantis [R-FL-6] referred to him as “the skunk at party,” which was met with uproarious laughter. Only Republican representatives attended the hearing and they took turns criticizing the Obama administration and acting perplexed over why the embassy had not been moved already. While the hearing’s intent was to give the semblance of impartiality, it was, in fact, a circus put on by pro-Israel extremists who came in with pre-determined views on this issue.

Due to a law passed in 1995 that mandates the US embassy reside in Jerusalem, every six months the president is required to sign a waiver to keep it in Tel Aviv. Since then, and only because they understood the serious ramifications of moving the embassy to Jerusalem, every president, both Democrat and Republican, has signed the waiver every six months without fail. December 1 is the expiration date on the current presidential waiver, last signed by the president in June. By then, Trump will have to decide whether to renew the order or refrain from signing it, which would launch implementation of the law.

The international community recognizes this as a reckless act that would inflame tensions in the Middle East. Furthermore, the embassies of all international partners reside in Tel Aviv. Moving the U.S. embassy not only contravenes more than 50 years of U.S policy, it would give tacit approval to Israel's occupation of Palestine. It would weaken American credibility in the global community and threaten our national security.

Moving the embassy, in effect, tells Palestinians the United States does not care about their self-determination and liberty.

Stay tuned for further updates on this issue. We will keep you informed should actions be needed.

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