Political delay? US embassy
Political delay? US embassyDavid Mahpoud, Channel 24

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein related this morning to the delayed transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem.

Edelstein told Army Radio that “It had been the intention of the new administration in Washington to declare the transfer of the embassy at the very beginning of [Trump’s term in office], but for understandable reasons officials here in our area requested that the President wait, go slowly - and that’s what he did.”

Chairman of the Republican party in Israel Marc Zell also hinted that Jerusalem prefers that the embassy remain in Tel Aviv at the moment. “There are still requests from officials in Israel not to announce a transfer of the embassy to Jerusalem,” he said.

In the past, Prime Minister Netanyahu had rejected all claims that Israel was the one delaying the embassy move. “I want to make it absolutely clear that our policy was, and is, that the US embassy needs to be here in Jerusalem,” he had said in January.

“Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and we not only want the US embassy to be here, but the embassies of all countries. I believe that, with time, this will, indeed, happen.”