Netanyahu Says All Embassies Should Move to Jerusalem, Believes Most Will

Plans to move the United States embassy in Israel to Jerusalem look to be on hold for now, but that doesn’t change Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conviction that it should still happen. In fact, the Israeli leader said Sunday he not only thinks the U.S. embassy should move, but all embassies should come to the Jewish capital—and that someday most will.

“I would like to take this opportunity to make it unequivocally clear that our position has always been, and will always be, that the US embassy needs to be here, in Jerusalem,” said Netanyahu in comments released by his office. “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and it is proper that not only should the American embassy be here, but all embassies should come here, and I believe that over time most of them will indeed come here, to Jerusalem.” The Prime Minister’s words come just days after U.S. President Donald Trump said, “it’s too early” to talk about the embassy move.

Trump had promised to move the top American diplomatic base in Israel to Jerusalem from it’s current home in Tel Aviv, but in an interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity last week, Trump was asked about the move and said that “I don’t want to talk about it yet.”

Despite that, Trump is convinced the ties with Israel are fixed after the rocky years under the Obama Administration. Trump, referencing his inauguration as President, said the relationship with the Jewish state, “got repaired as soon as I took the oath.”

Said Trump, “Israel’s been treated very badly, we have a good relationship with them.”

And despite what is at least a delay in announcing the embassy move, Netanyahu feels similarly about the current bond with America. “I would like to note again that our fundamental alliance is with the United States,” said the Israeli leader on Sunday. “There is no substitute for this alliance. Our relations are tight and getting tighter.”

(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, January 29, 2017)