Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday President Trump is looking at ways to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during a speech at an event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the United Nation vote that helped create the Jewish state.
“President Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” Pence said during a speech hosted by Israel’s Mission to the United Nations in New York.
The move would fulfill a campaign promise Trump has so far failed to fulfill.
In June, Trump signed a waiver that allowed the U.S. embassy to remain in Tel Aviv as American officials worked to revive peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. That waiver bought Trump six months to weigh the logistics and diplomatic implications of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital by placing the U.S. embassy there.
However, White House officials stressed at the time the president still planned to move the embassy to Jerusalem at some point in his presidency.
Pence said Tuesday the Trump administration would support Israel in the UN and on the international stage. Many supporters of Israel had criticized the Obama administration for failing to back the U.S. ally during a key UN Security Council vote at the end of former President Barack Obama’s term.
“America stands with Israel because her cause is our cause, her values are our values and her fight is our fight,” Pence said. “The days of Israel-bashing at the United Nations are over.”
