Jun 1, 2017

Trump delays moving Israel embassy to Jerusalem

Trump escorts Netanyahu into the White House / AP's Evan Vucci

The White House formally announced today that it will delay for six months the decision on whether to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. This is a backtrack on President Trump's promise.

  • Why the waiver?: Presidents have done this every six months since 1995, when Congress passed a law requiring the move.
  • Why the delay?: As a source who has been in the process for multiple presidents told Axios, this is Trump defaulting to the status quo. Bureaucrats brief a new president, show them the doomsday forecast of riots, broken peace deals, new security requirements and other issues, and presidents back off. etc.
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