Moving the embassy
The U.S. stands up for Israel by relocating to nation’s capital
ISRAEL — Congress passed a law in 1995 to move the embassy, but the efforts have been halted by each U.S. president since the ruling.
Photo Credit: Sarah Rodriguez
Imagine you’re at a playground and you notice a group of older, bigger children ganging up and picking on your little brother.
Would you go over and stand up to the bullies because you’re bigger and stronger than them, or would you walk away and do nothing?
This is the dilemma that the U.S. is dealing with when considering relations with Israel and the surrounding Middle Eastern countries.
During his campaign, President Donald Trump pledged to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in an attempt to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
However, there has been much disapproval from the Palestinians.
They believe that moving the embassy would be a slap in the face to those who seek peace between the nations of Israel and Palestine, due to the fact that many international politicians believe that East Jerusalem will one day be the capital of the Palestinian state.
“Moving the embassy is the same as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s united capital,” Nabil Shaath, former Palestinian foreign minister, said to Al Jazeera last week.
“It’s a war crime. There’s no way we or the Arab world could accept it. It would mean the end of the U.S. as the broker of the peace process. We would fight back and mobilize the rest of the world against the move.”
In 1995, Congress passed a law that required the U.S. Embassy to move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, unless the president believes the move would cause security concerns.
Every president that has been elected since the law was passed has
delayed the move.
“I would like to clarify unequivocally that our view has always been, and continues to be, that the United States’ embassy should be here in Jerusalem,” Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said in a statement
at his weekly cabinet meeting.
Under Trump’s administration, the relocation could finally become a reality, which Netanyahu believes will set the precedent for other Israeli embassies to move to the capital.
“Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and it is appropriate that not only the American embassy will be here but that all embassies will move here, and I believe that, in due course, most will come here, to Jerusalem,” Netanyahu said.
The U.S. has been an ally of Israel since 1948, when the U.S. was the first country to recognize the state of Israel.
Our government has given financial, military and political aid to a country who has many enemies, while other countries have turned a blind eye to Israel’s plight.
Relocating the American embassy is a dangerous move.
We would lose trade partners, end the peace process between Palestine and Israel and may even incite a war.
However, I believe moving the embassy to Jerusalem is necessary for Israel’s survival.
Israel is a small country with numerous enemies.
We are a large country with amazing military and political power.
If we move the embassy, that is a declaration that we stand with the nation of Israel and will not allow them to be bullied any longer.
America can either choose to stand up for our “little brother” or walk away from the fight.
There is no middle ground.