"'Something will happen when I'm president,' Bush told a Jewish lobbying group a year ago. 'As soon as I take office I will begin the process of moving the U.S. ambassador to the city Israel has chosen as its capital.' The Bush campaign in October slammed Vice President Al Gore for backsliding on the move."
No way!
"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 to protect the national security interests of the United States to suspend for a period of six months the limitations set forth in sections 3(b) and 7(b) of the Act."
--June 11 presidential memorandum delaying the congressionally mandated relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said:
"The failure to recognize Jerusalem is a violation
of U.S. law and a blatant surrender to Arab terrorist threats. At a time
when America is engaged in a life-or-death struggle with terrorists worldwide,
it is especially important to implement U.S. law on Jerusalem and thereby
send a message to terrorists everywhere that America will not capitulate
to their blackmail. It is President Bush's refusal to move the embassy
which could undermine national security because it encourages terrorists
to believe that threats and violence will force the U.S. to change its
policies."
Sources:
June 2001 Slate
December 2001 State Dept. press release, IsraelInsider.com
June 2002, http://japan.usembassy.gov
June 2003, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/
December 2003, http://www.forward.com
June 2004, Zionist Organization of America
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