US President Donald Trump just signed a presidential waiver to delay relocating the US Embassy that is currently in Tel Aviv, Israel to Jerusalem.
– White House said the signed waiver avoids complicating President Trump’s efforts to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Associated Press

President Donald Trump has temporarily waived a law requiring the US to move its embassy in Israel to JerusalemTrump’s move to renew the waiver for six months keeps the US embassy in Tel Aviv for now. Trump has said he’s reviewing whether to fulfill his campaign promise to move it to Jerusalem.

Trump was facing a Thursday deadline to renew the waiver or see the State Department lose half its funding for its overseas facilities. Presidents of both parties have renewed the waiver every six months for years.

The US says its policy on Jerusalem hasn’t changed and that Jerusalem’s status must be negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians.

No one should consider this step to be in any way a retreat from the president’s strong support for Israel and for the United States-Israel alliance. President Trump made this decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer 

In a statement issued by the White House: “while President Donald J. Trump signed the waiver under the Jerusalem Embassy Act and delayed moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, no one should consider this step to be in any way a retreat from the President’s strong support for Israel and for the United States-Israel alliance.

“President Trump made this decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America’s national security interests. But, as he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when.”

View original Ynet publication at:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4970185,00.html