President Trump will not relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel from secular Tel Aviv to the capital, Jerusalem, at least for now, the White House announced Thursday, reversing a campaign promise dear to some of his most conservative supporters.
The Trump administration is citing the same presidential prerogative to make national security decisions that previous presidents used to defer action on the embassy relocation mandated by Congress in 1995.
The Trump White House departed from the usual stiff and legalistic wording of past public statements issued to note the presidential waiver. While other presidents have also pledged willingness to move the embassy eventually, given the right conditions, Trump pledged that he would definitely do so.
Moving the embassy could upset chances for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, the White House said in a statement.
