Senate passes legislation in support of embassy move

(JNS.org) The U.S. Senate urged President Donald Trump to fulfill his campaign promise of relocating the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, unanimously passing legislation in support of the move Monday.

The Senate voted 90-0 in favor of a resolution introduced in May by Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), commemorating the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification and acknowledging Israel’s sovereignty over its capital.

The resolution urges the “president and all United States officials to abide by” the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, which calls on the U.S. to relocate its embassy and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Since the law’s passage, every sitting president has signed successive six-month waivers delaying the move. Most recently, Trump signed the waiver June 1.

Trump “has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said after the president signed the waiver.

McConnell said the Senate resolution’s passage serves “as yet another indication of the United States’ commitment to standing by our Israeli friends.”