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Mercedes Pierce

Ms. Russell

CAP 10

3 June, 2019

United States Embassy Move to Jerusalem Is Progress for Everyone

Introduction

The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been brought to the forefront in the past

year partly because the United States finally decided to move their embassy to Israel’s capital,

Jerusalem, even though Palestine has tried to claim it as their own. The conflict between the two

countries started in the early 20th century with the formation of Israel. The country was formed

in the order to give Jewish people a country of their own. In doing so, Palestinians were forced to

coexist with this new country. Palestinians Jerusalem has been one of the the main sources of

conflict between the two countries. It is one of the most important places of worship for Jews,

Muslims, and Christians alike and has caused some conflict in the past, but the conflict between

Israel and Palestine is the most prevalent. The Jewish country of Israel and the state of Palestine,

whom the majority is Muslim, border each other. Jerusalem sit right on the border between the

two which has caused a dispute over what country has control over the city. Although Israel

recognizes Jerusalem as its capital, other countries, including the United States, have had their

embassies in Tel Aviv rather than in Jerusalem until this past year. The Jerusalem Embassy Act,

passed in 1995, requires the U.S. to move its embassy to Jerusalem unless the President signs a

waiver to postpone the move. Clinton, Bush and Obama have all signed this waiver every six

months, but Trump decided that he would finally make the move after 22 years, on December 6,
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2017. Some have argued that this change has potential economic repercussions, but these worries

are invalid and are far outweighed by the benefits of the move. President Trump’s decision to

move the United States embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was the right decision given previous U.S.

policy, the importance of the U.S.-Israel alliance, the unfair advantages given to Palestine, and

the lack of progress.

Previous U.S. Policies

The idea of having the American embassy in Jerusalem is not a new one. The United

States has historically been a supporter of Israel, starting in 1948 when the U.S. immediately

recognized Israel as an independent country all the way to when the Jerusalem Embassy Act of

1995 was passed. The only reason the embassy had not been moved in the past is because the

people previously in power did not have the guts to move forward on something that the majority

of the country supported. These politicians wanted to avoid the possibility of criticism so they

took the cowardly approach. Americans are looking for politicians who act for the people instead

of acting to protect themselves. It is important that the President follows the lead of Congress

because “The president may be a more national figure than any single representative or senator,

but the modern presidency is almost certainly a less national institution than the House or Senate

taken as a whole” (Levinson). Although the President has been given the power to delay this

policy, he has to realize that his decision should follow the decision of Congress because they are

the most representative. This is why it is vital that the United States respects the Jerusalem

Embassy Act and takes the last step in recognizing the country of Israel.
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U.S. Recognition of Israel

Israel was formed in 1948 as a refuge for Jews being persecuted in Europe, and

elsewhere, in the early and mid twentieth century. The new State of Israel was officially

proclaimed at midnight on May 14, 1948 and “on that same date, the United States, in the

person of President Truman, recognized the provisional Jewish government as ​de facto ​authority

of the Jewish state (​de jure​ recognition was extended on January 31, 1949)” (“U.S.

Recognition”). The immediate recognition of Israel set the precedent for relations between the

two countries. Through this action, the United States made it clear that they would stand with

Israel through the thick and the thin. Moving the embassy to Jerusalem has further shown the

United States’ respect for Israel, which is important given respect having been an American

value since the creation of the country.

Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995

In 1995, the United States took steps to finally move the embassy from Tel Aviv to

Jerusalem. Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, “urging the federal government to

relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize that that city — and so importantly

— is Israel’s capital” (“Statement by President”). The law requires the government the make

progress towards moving the embassy, and establishes that with a President-signed waiver the

implementation of this policy can be delayed every year for as long as they want. Every year

since the passing of the Jerusalem Embassy Act, the President has signed this waiver.

Considering the act “passed Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan majority and was

reaffirmed by a unanimous vote of the Senate only six months ago” (“Statement by President”),

it seems that each President has chosen to bypass decision of Congress and of people of the
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United States. The representative government of the United States serves to give citizens a voice

in their government, but by refusing to enforce the Jerusalem Embassy Act, the President is

silencing the voices of the American people.

U.S.-Israel Alliance

In general, alliances are important and helpful for any country because they provide

support for each other on the global stage, but the United States’ alliance with Israel is especially

important. Israel is our long time ally who demonstrates the key characteristics of a good ally.

Historian Michael Oren describes an ally as a country that “shares America's values, reflects its

founding spirit, and resonates with its peoples beliefs” (Oren). Israel has the same core

democratic beliefs and goals as the U.S. which makes them a perfect American ally. It is also

very beneficial to the U.S. because the alliance provides leverage in the Middle East and loyal

partner that will stand by the U.S. in any situation. Israel is an important ally to have and if the

United States were to keep their embassy in Tel Aviv, they might hurt this alliance.

Leverage in the Middle East

By being an ally to Israel the United States ensures some diplomatic and military

leverage in the Middle East. The diplomatic benefits of having Israel as an ally help the U.S.

dramatically when it comes to the conflict with Iran. Oren says, “The United States and Israel

have promoted international sanctions designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear

weapons, while keeping all options on the table. Americans know that, at a time of

transformation in the Middle East balance of power, Israel remains the region's only credible foil

to Iran” (Oren). Israel holds a considerable amount of power amongst other Middle Eastern

countries and by being an ally, the U.S. can leech off of that power and therefore have the
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upperhand when making deals such as these. The United States also gains military power from

their alliances with Israel. The U.S. has maintained a military base in Israel since 2017 which

allows for the U.S. to present as more of a threat to surrounding countries. In an article covering

the opening of the military base published by an Israeli newspaper, the reporter writes,​“in

addition to the establishment of the US base on Monday, Israel’s collaboration with the

Americans on air defense would again be seen in a few months” (Gross). An alliance with Israel

allows the United States to maintain military forces in the country as well as reap the benefits of

the collaboration between the two militaries.

A Loyal Partner

It is not only important for the United States to keep the power that they obtain from the

alliance, but the friendship as well. The United States knows that Israel will always stand by

them and it important that it stays that way. Former Secretary of State, Colin Powell said, ​“From

the very moment of Harry Truman's historic decision, in war and peace, the United States has

stood proudly at Israel's side. Our two nations and peoples are bound together by our common

democratic values and traditions. So it has been for over 50 years. So it will always be” (“Colin

Powell’s”) showing the ride-or-die relationship between the United States and Israel. It should be

the priority of the U.S. to keep Israel close because, one day, when the U.S. needs support on the

world stage, Israel will be the first to back them up. By respecting Israel’s decision to declare

Jerusalem as its capital even when other countries do not support it, the United States is showing

that they will be the first to back them up as well.

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Unfairly Favoring Palestine

In the past, Presidents have justified their reluctance to move the American embassy to

Jerusalem by saying that it was better to stay neutral in the Israel-Palestine conflict. This is both

not what the United States did and not a good reason. First of all, no matter how much politicians

have urged the importance of the United States’ neutrality, the U.S. has been far from neutral. In

fact, “The U.S. embassy in Israel is located in Tel Aviv, but much less well known is that the

U.S. consulate-general sits in Jerusalem, just around the corner from the Prime Minister’s

residence—and it handles diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority” (Aslan-Levy).

Although the U.S. has refused to locate their Israeli embassy in Jerusalem, the Palestinian

equivalent is in Jerusalem. Even though it is not an embassy, the U.S. consulate serves as

Palestine’s diplomatic connection to the U.S.. The United States has given this undeserved

advantage to Palestine even when Palestinians have terrorized Israel. According to the Israeli

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in between May 4 and 6, 2019 “690 rockets were launched at Israel

from the Gaza Strip… Four people were killed, 141 were wounded, and 522 buildings were

damaged” ​(“Wave of Terror”). United States should not favor Palestinians as they are

responsible for the death and destruction of their allies. The least the U.S. could do is give

equivalent recognition to Israel that they give to Palestine.

Lack of Progress

Again and again, politicians have expressed their worries about the possible

repercussions of moving the embassy and, invariably, they argue that we risk undoing the

progress that has already been made. What they should really be asking themselves is whether or

not progress has been made by choosing the cowardly approach and keeping the embassy where
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it is. One of the President’s who continuously signed the waiver delaying the implementation of

the Jerusalem Embassy Act was George W. Bush. In a speech, his Secretary of State, Colin

Powell said, ​“We are all striving for the day when Israeli parents can send their children to

school without fear, when they can travel without trepidation, and when they can enjoy the

bounty of a booming economy” (“Colin Powell’s”). It is evident when looking at statistics, such

as those previously mentioned, or from opening any newspaper, that Israel has not reached this

day. There continued to be fighting and violence between Palestine and Israel even when the

embassy was in Tel Aviv. It would be hard headed to believe that continuing the same way

would incite any new progress. This sentiment was communicated in President Donald Trump’s

speech announcing the decision to finally move the embassy as he said, ​“After more than two

decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the

Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now

produce a different or better result” (“Statement by President”). The lack of progress in the 24

years since the Jerusalem Embassy Act was originally passed is proof that a new approach is

needed in the conflict between Israel and Jerusalem and moving the embassy will be it.

No Major Economic Consequences

One popular argument against moving the embassy is that the backlash from other arab

countries may cause economic damage to the U.S., but there should be no worry of this. Now,

about a year and a half after President Trump’s announcement that the embassy is being moved,

there is substantial proof that the decision did not affect the American economy. One of the

countries that would be most worrisome is Saudi Arabia because they are strong Palestinian

supporters, like most arab countries, and they contribute to the U.S. economy more than other
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Middle Eastern countries. Many thought that countries such as Saudi Arabia would implement

trade restrictions against the U.S. as punishment for moving the embassy. Even though this

worry was eminent, no such thing happened. A month after the move ws announced in

December, when the imports/exports balance with Saudi Arabia was at -446 million dollars, the

balance was at -413 million dollars (​Seasonally Adjusted​). This microscopic change proves that

the move did not influence U.S. trade with the wealthiest Middle Eastern country. Even if

Palestine’s biggest allies had fired back against the U.S., the impact would not have been strong

enough to be felt by everyday Americans. The Office of the United States Trade Representative

says, “The [Middle East/North Africa] countries, together, would rank 5th as the largest supplier

of imports to the United States in 2008” (“Middle East/North Africa”). This means that all 19

countries that make MENA only rank 5th for imports, if they were to implement economic

consequences on the U.S., it would not have enough impact to actually make a difference.

Palestine’s allies, most of which are arab countries in the Middle East, would have a hard time

substantially impacting the U.S. given none of them are of the United States’ top 15 trading

partners (“Top Trading Partners”). Any argument that paints the embassy move as a bad

economic decision for the United States is incorrect and has proven to be so in the past year and

a half.

Conclusion

Many Democrats have mentioned that they plan to reverse the decision to move the

embassy to Jerusalem when they win office, but this is clearly not the right thing to do. The

United States is a powerful force on the world stage and it is their job to incite the change that

will lead to progress. By following through on moving their embassy, the U.S. will create
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momentum that will propel these countries toward peace. By sitting around and watching this

conflict go on without doing anything different politicians are giving in to the idea that the

Israel-Palestine conflict is beyond the threshold of a peaceful solution, they are giving in to the

idea that it is their job to sit idly by while their allies are being killed, they are giving in to the

idea that no action is better than taking a small risk. Moving the United States embassy to

Jerusalem is the best choice and the time is now to take this step towards progress.
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Works Cited

Aslan-Levy, Eylon. "Jerusalem Already Has Plenty of Embassies—Just Not to Israel." ​The

Tower​, Mar. 2017,

www.thetower.org/article/jerusalem-already-has-plenty-of-embassies-just-not-to-israel/.

Accessed 21 May 2019.

"Colin Powell's Speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee." ​The Guardian​. ​The

Guardian,​ www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/31/israel.iraq. Accessed 26 May 2019.

Gould, Kate, and Danielle Pletka. "Pro-Con: Did Trump Make a Mistake by Designating

Jerusalem the Capital of Israel?" ​Tri-City Herald,​ 22 Dec. 2017. ​Tri-City Herald​,

www.tri-cityherald.com/opinion/editorials/article191086259.html . Accessed 13 May

2019.

Gross, Juda Ari. "In First, US Establishes Permanent Military Base in Israel." ​The Times of

Israel​, 18 Sept. 2017. ​The Times of Israel​,

www.timesofisrael.com/in-first-us-establishes-permanent-military-base-in-israel/.

Accessed 27 May 2019.

Levinson, Sanford. “Against the Veto.” ​The New Republic, ​9 Oct. 2006,

https://newrepublic.com/article/64983/against-the-veto. Accessed 2 June 2019.

"Middle East/North Africa (MENA)." Office of the United States Trade Representative,

https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/europe-middle-east/middle-east/north-africa. Accessed

14 May 2019.
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Oren, Michael. "THE ULTIMATE ALLY."​ Foreign Policy​, no. 186, May, 2011, pp. 44-51,10​.

ProQuest​, https://search.proquest.com/docview/867919449?accountid=1151.

Seasonally Adjusted - Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods by Selected Countries and Areas -

Census Basis.​ PDF file. Table.

"Statement by President Trump on Jerusalem." ​White House​, 6 Dec. 2017,

www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-trump-jerusalem/ .

Accessed 15 Mar. 2018.

"Top Trading Partners - March 2019." ​United States Census Bureau,​

www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/top/top1903cm.html. Accessed 15

May 2019.

"U.S. Recognition of the State of Israel." ​National Archives,​

www.archives.gov/education/lessons/us-israel. Accessed 15 May 2019.

"Wave of Terror 2015-2019." ​Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs,​ 16 May 2019,

mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Palestinian/Pages/Wave-of-terror-October-205

.aspx. Accessed 26 May 2019.