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Since 1995 the United States under the
presidency of Bill Clinton has "officially" been
trying to establish Jerusalem as the location of
the U.S. Embassy in Israel by establishing the
United States Jerusalem Embassy Act.
This move is
dependant on Jerusalem officially becoming the
Capital City in Israel. But this declaration,
(even though it's widely held by most Israelites
that Jerusalem has always been the capital.) is
embroiled in the Mideast Peace process. Calling
Jerusalem the capital would mean a full
recognition as Israel being a sovereign state.
I
suspect it wont be much longer (probably under
Obama's watch) that the Israeli leaders will
finally make the stand against the Islamic
influences that have invaded the Jewish culture
to the point of insisting the promises made by
God to Abraham through the blessings given to
his son Isaac was theirs to share. But of course
they are dead wrong and will always be under the
promises given to the illegitimate son of
Abraham, Ishmael. |
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(9)In 1990, the Congress unanimously adopted Senate
Concurrent Resolution 106, which declares that the
Congress "strongly believes that Jerusalem must remain
an undivided city in which the rights of every ethnic
and religious group are protected".
(10)In 1992, the United States Senate and House of
Representatives unanimously adopted Senate Concurrent
Resolution 113 of the One Hundred Second Congress to
commemorate the 25th anniversary of the reunification of
Jerusalem, and reaffirming congressional sentiment that
Jerusalem must remain an undivided city.
(11)The September 13, 1993, Declaration of Principles on
Interim Self-Government Arrangements lays out a
timetable for the resolution of "final status" issues,
including Jerusalem.
(12)The Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area
was signed May 4, 1994, beginning the five-year
transitional period laid out in the Declaration of
Principles.
(13)In March 1995, 93 members of the United States
Senate signed a letter to Secretary of State Warren
Christopher encouraging "planning to begin now" for
relocation of the United States Embassy to the city of
Jerusalem.
(14)In June 1993, 257 members of the United States House
of Representatives signed a letter to the Secretary of
State Warren Christopher stating that the relocation of
the United States Embassy to Jerusalem "should take
place no later than....1999".
(15)The United States maintains its embassy in the
functioning capital of every country except in the case
of our democratic friend and strategic ally, the State
of Israel.
(16)The United States conducts official meetings and
other business in the city of Jerusalem in de facto
recognition of its status as the capital of Israel.
(17)In 1996, the State of Israel will celebrate the
3,000th anniversary of the Jewish presence in Jerusalem
since King David's entry.
SEC. 3. TIMETABLE.
(a) Statement of the Policy of the United States.—
(1) Jerusalem should remain an undivided city in which
the rights of every ethnic and religious group are
protected;
(2) Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the
State of Israel; and
(3) The United States Embassy in Israel should be
established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999.
(b) Opening Determination.—Not more than 50 percent of
the funds appropriated to the Department of State for
fiscal year 1999 for "Acquisition and Maintenance of
Buildings Abroad" may be obligated until the Secretary
of State determines and reports to Congress that the
United States Embassy in Jerusalem has officially
opened.
SEC. 4. FISCAL YEARS 1996 AND 1997 FUNDING.
(a) Fiscal Year 1996.--Of the funds authorized to be
appropriated for "Acquisition and Maintenance of
Buildings Abroad" for the Department of State in fiscal
year 1996, not less than $25,000,000 should be made
available until expended only for construction and other
costs associated with the establishment of the United
States Embassy in Israel in the capital of Jerusalem.
(b) Fiscal Year 1997.—Of the funds authorized to be
appropriated for "Acquisition and Maintenance of
Buildings Abroad" for the Department of State in fiscal
year 1997, not less than $75,000,000 should be made
available until expended only for construction and other
costs associated with the establishment of the United
States Embassy in Israel in the capital of Jerusalem.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION.
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report
to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate detailing
the Department of State's plan to implement this Act.
Such report shall include—
(1) Estimated dates of completion for each phase of the
establishment of the United States Embassy, including
site identification, land acquisition, architectural,
engineering and construction surveys, site preparation,
and construction; and
(2) An estimate of the funding necessary to implement
this Act, including all costs associated with
establishing the United States Embassy in Israel in the
capital of Jerusalem.
SEC. 6. SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS.
At the time of the submission of the President's fiscal
year 1997 budget request, and every six months
thereafter, the Secretary of State shall report to the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate on the
progress made toward opening the United States Embassy
in Jerusalem.
SEC. 7. PRESIDENTIAL WAIVER.
(a) Waiver Authority.—(1) Beginning on October 1, 1998,
the President may suspend the limitation set forth in
section 3(b) for a period of six months if he determines
and reports to Congress in advance that such suspension
is necessary to protect the national security interests
of the United States.
(2) The President may suspend such limitation for an
additional six month period at the end of any period
during which the suspension is in effect under this
subsection if the President determines and reports to
Congress in advance of the additional suspension that
the additional suspension is necessary to protect the
national security interests of the United States.
(3) A report under paragraph (1) or (2)shall include—
(A) A statement of the interests affected by the
limitation that the President seeks to suspend; and
(B) A discussion of the manner in which the limitation
affects the interests.
(b) Applicability of Waiver to Availability of Funds.—If
the President exercises the authority set forth in
subsection (a) in a fiscal year, the limitation set
forth in section 3(b) shall apply to funds appropriated
in the following fiscal year for the purpose set forth
in section 3(b)except to the extent that the limitation
is suspended in such following fiscal year by reason of
the exercise of the authority in subsection (a).
SEC. 8. DEFINITION.
As used in this Act, the term "United States Embassy"
means the offices of the United States diplomatic
mission and the residence of the United States chief of
mission. |
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The
United States Jerusalem Embassy Act
Passed by Congress on October 23, 1995 , states that
"Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the
State of Israel; and the United States Embassy in Israel
should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31,
1999".
Background
On December 5, 1949, the Israeli Cabinet meeting in Tel
Aviv declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and the
Knesset proclaimed on January 23, 1950 that "Jerusalem
was, and had always been, the capital of Israel."
Because the status of Jerusalem had been the subject of
UN resolutions calling for internationalization of the
city and remained especially controversial in Arab
countries, the United States did not recognize the move,
although US diplomats since 1950 have regularly traveled
to Jerusalem from the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to conduct
business with Israeli officials. Moving the US
Embassy to Jerusalem would be a coup for Israel but,
even today, would be controversial because the final
status of Jerusalem has not been agreed in the Peace
process.
Details
The act asserts that every country has a right to
designate the capital of its choice, and that Israel has
designated Jerusalem. Jerusalem is defined as the
spiritual center of Judaism. Furthermore, it stipulates
that since the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967,
religious freedom has been guaranteed to all.
The Act was adopted by the Senate (93-5) and the House
(374-37).
The Senate and House votes preceded visits by then
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Jerusalem Mayor
Ehud Olmert to Washington to celebrate the 3000th
anniversary of King David's declaration of Jerusalem as
the capital of the Jews.
Since 1995, the relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv
has been suspended by the President semi-annually.
Between 1995 and 2006 all memoranda suspending the act
included the wording "[the] Administration remains
committed to beginning the process of moving our embassy
to Jerusalem"; this ended in 2009. As a result of the
Embassy Act, official U.S. documents and web sites refer
to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Full text
Section 214 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act,
2003 states:
"The Congress maintains its commitment to relocating the
United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and urges
the President to immediately begin the process of
relocating the United States Embassy in Israel to
Jerusalem".
However, U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton
have argued that Congressional resolutions regarding the
status of Jerusalem are merely "advisory", stating that
it "impermissibly interferes with the President's
constitutional authority". The U.S. Constitution
reserves the conduct of foreign policy to the President
and resolutions of Congress which make foreign policy
are arguably invalid for that reason. The U.S. Congress,
however, has the "power of the purse", and could
prohibit the expenditure of funds on any embassy located
outside Jerusalem. The U.S. Congress has not taken this
step.
A potential site for a future US Embassy office building
has been demarcated by Israel and the US, and is
maintained in the neighborhood of Talpiot. Currently,
the United States has two diplomatic office facilities
in Jerusalem: a Consulate on Agron Road in West
Jerusalem, and a consular annex on Nablus road in East
Jerusalem. The U.S. State Department is in the process
of building a new office annex in the West Jerusalem
neighborhood of Arnona to replace the aging consular
section in East Jerusalem.
Full text of the act
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the "Jerusalem Embassy Act of
1995."
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1)Each sovereign nation, under international law and
custom, may designate its own capital.
(2)Since 1950, the city of Jerusalem has been the
capital of the State of Israel.
(3)The city of Jerusalem is the seat of Israel's
President, Parliament, and Supreme Court, and the site
of numerous government ministries and social and
cultural institutions.
(4)The city of Jerusalem is the spiritual center of
Judaism, and is also considered a holy city by the
members of other religious faiths.
(5)From 1948-1967, Jerusalem was a divided city and
Israeli citizens of all faiths as well as Jewish
citizens of all states were denied access to holy sites
in the area controlled by Jordan.
(6)In 1967, the city of Jerusalem was reunited during
the conflict known as the Six Day War.
(7)Since 1967, Jerusalem has been a united city
administered by Israel, and persons of all religious
faiths have been guaranteed full access to holy sites
within the city.
(8)This year marks the 28th consecutive year that
Jerusalem has been administered as a unified city in
which the rights of all faiths have been respected and
protected.
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