White House Press Secretary Jay Carney
White House Press Secretary Jay CarneyReuters

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney evaded a question at Thursday’s press briefing regarding which city the U.S. considers to be the capital of Israel.

Carney refused to disclose whether the U.S. officially believes Jerusalem or Tel Aviv to be the capital of Israel.

Persistently questioned for about a minute, an uncomfortable Carney only responded that, “I have not had that question in a while. Our position hasn’t changed.”

During his election campaign, Obama reassured Jewish constituents that Jerusalem will remain the “undivided” capital of Israel. His stance since then has significantly changed.

“Let me be clear, Israel’s security is sacrosanct. It is non-negotiable,” Obama said at the time. “The Palestinians need a state that is contiguous and cohesive and that allows them to prosper. But any agreement with the Palestinian people must preserve Israel’s identity as a Jewish state, with secure, recognized and defensible borders. Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided.”

Obama soon retracted his remarks, saying that the word undivided “was poorly chosen.”