WASHINGTON, D.C. (SDJW)—With expressions of warmth and friendship, the United States has dispatched aid to Israel to help that nation fight what has been described as the worst wildfire in its history.
At the same time, in cold, formalistic words, President Barack Obama announced on Friday what his predecessors also have announced every six months since the enactment of a bill in 1995 recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and requiring that the U.S. embassy be moved to that city from Tel Aviv.
In a notification to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Obama repeated the formal words saying that he did not consider it in the national interest to follow the congressional mandate, nor to allow a penalty for not following the law to go into effect. The penalty, which the president may waive, would withhold half the funds the U.S. uses to acquire and maintain embassies and consulates until a new embassy in Jerusalem is built.
On Friday, Obama sent this notification to Secretary Clinton:
“Pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 7(a) of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-45) (the “Act”), I hereby determine that it is necessary, in order to protect the national security interests of the United States, to suspend for a period of 6 months the limitations set forth in sections 3(b) and 7(b) of the Act.
“You are hereby authorized and directed to transmit this determination to the Congress, accompanied by a report in accordance with section 7(a) of the Act, and to publish the determination in the Federal Register.
“This suspension shall take effect after transmission of this determination and report to the Congress.”
The United States maintains a consulate in Jerusalem, but its mission is described as being a representative of the United States in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza – in other words to areas considered to be Palestinian territories.
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Preceding was a San Diego Jewish World report