Embassy location ‘part of peace process,’ Ambassador Haley says

Trump issued a waiver delaying a congressional requirement compelling the US State Department to open a Jerusalem embassy.

By MICHAEL WILNER
Updated: JUNE 5, 2017 01:50
Nikki Haley (photo credit: REUTERS)
Nikki Haley
(photo credit: REUTERS)
WASHINGTON – The ultimate location of America’s embassy in Israel will be determined by peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said on Sunday.
Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Haley said that US President Donald Trump chose to defer his campaign promise to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem because he feels momentum toward a new round of negotiations.
The embassy move, she said, “could very much be part of the peace process.”
“They feel like it’s moving forward in a constructive way, and he didn’t want this to get in the way,” Haley said. “He wants to see how the peace process plays out, and handle it accordingly.”
Trump issued a waiver on Thursday that delays a congressional requirement compelling the State Department to open a Jerusalem embassy. That law, passed in 1995, has been routinely waived by presidents of both parties.
Trump, however, had promised throughout his campaign for president that he would relocate the facility with haste. The White House says the move will occur eventually, and that it is simply a matter of timing.