Video: White House Rejects Romney Naming Israel’s Capital

The White House criticized Romney for seeking  a position on Jerusalem that is contrary to previous administrations.

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

 

The White House criticized Mitt Romney on Monday for adopting a policy on Jerusalem that is different from previous administrations’.

White House press conference
Photo: YouTube screenshot

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee declared in Jerusalem that the city is the capital of Israel, while the Obama administration and predecessors have refused to do because it includes areas of the city unrecognized by the United States.

Josh Earnest, White House spokesman, responded at a press conference to a reporter’s question on Romney’s remarks and criticized the Republican candidate for disagreeing with previously stated policies.

“Some people are scratching their heads a bit” over his comments, Earnest said. “The capital is something that should be determined in final status negotiations between the parties.” He added that the Obama position on Jerusalem is the same “that’s been held by previous administrations, both Democratic and Republican. So if Mr. Romney disagrees with that position, he’s also disagreeing with the position that was taken by Presidents like Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan.”

Congress passed a law in 1995 declaring that Jerusalem is the capital and that the United States shall move its embassy there from Tel Aviv. However, the law included a waiver that allows the president to postpone the move every six months if he cites issues of “national security.”

 

View original Arutz Sheva publication at: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/158442#.UBd9XKOZXuZ