Julian Castro
Julian CastroReuters

Democratic Presidential candidate Julian Castro said on Thursday that if elected, he would keep the US embassy in Israel in Jerusalem, JNS reported.

President Donald Trump relocated the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018, a decision that was criticized by many due to the fact that the Palestinian Arabs demand Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state.

“The actions of this president when it comes to Israel and Palestinians in the Middle East has been counterproductive in helping ensure a two-state solution,” Castro told JNS on a conference call for members of the media.

“I believe that he made a mistake in moving the embassy to Jerusalem without making that part of a larger, negotiated peace agreement and a two-state solution,” he continued.

“However,” said Castro, “I also don’t believe that it would be productive to go backwards at this point.”

Castro joins several other Democratic candidates who have indicated they would not reverse Trump’s decision to relocate the embassy if elected.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar said in July that as president, she would keep the American embassy in Israel in Jerusalem, though she acknowledged that “I think it would have been better if that was done as part of a negotiation for a two-state solution. I think it’s unfortunate it was done the way it was done but I wouldn’t reverse it.”

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg similarly said in June he would not relocate the embassy if elected.

“I think what’s done is done…Look, we need a big-picture strategy on the Middle East. I don’t know that we’d gain much by moving it to Tel Aviv,” he said at the time.

Joe Sestak, meanwhile, said in July that he would move the US embassy out of Jerusalem if he was elected. Sestak, however, dropped out of the presidential race this week.