JERUSALEM EMBASSY ACT Meaning and
Definition
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The Jerusalem Embassy Act refers to a piece of legislation passed by the United States Congress in 1995, which had a profound impact on U.S. foreign policy concerning the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. This act declared the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and required the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The act sought to acknowledge Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel by the U.S. government.
The Jerusalem Embassy Act was seen as a landmark legislation that aimed to implement longstanding U.S. foreign policy goals regarding the status of Jerusalem. It reaffirmed the strong alliance between the United States and Israel and demonstrated political support for Israel's claim to Jerusalem as its capital. The act reflected the concern of many members of Congress that previous U.S. administrations had not fully recognized Jerusalem as part of Israel and had avoided moving the embassy due to fears of disrupting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
However, the passage of the Jerusalem Embassy Act did not automatically lead to the immediate relocation of the U.S. Embassy. The act included a provision allowing the President to waive implementation every six months in the interest of national security. Since the act was passed, each U.S. President has exercised this waiver, postponing the relocation. It was not until December 2017, during the Trump administration, that the U.S. officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moved the embassy to the city.
