Recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel and Relocating the United States Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem, 58331-58332 [2017-26832]

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• Executive Office of the President

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 236 (Monday, December 11, 2017)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 58331-58332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26832]



[[Page 58329]]

Vol. 82

Monday,

No. 236

December 11, 2017

Part III





The President





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Proclamation 9683--Recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of 
Israel and Relocating the United States Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 236 / Monday, December 11, 2017 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 58331]]

                Proclamation 9683 of December 6, 2017

                
Recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of the State 
                of Israel and Relocating the United States Embassy to 
                Israel to Jerusalem

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The foreign policy of the United States is grounded in 
                principled realism, which begins with an honest 
                acknowledgment of plain facts. With respect to the 
                State of Israel, that requires officially recognizing 
                Jerusalem as its capital and relocating the United 
                States Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem as soon as 
                practicable.

                The Congress, since the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 
                (Public Law 104-45) (the ``Act''), has urged the United 
                States to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and 
                to relocate our Embassy to Israel to that city. The 
                United States Senate reaffirmed the Act in a unanimous 
                vote on June 5, 2017.

                Now, 22 years after the Act's passage, I have 
                determined that it is time for the United States to 
                officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of 
                Israel. This long overdue recognition of reality is in 
                the best interests of both the United States and the 
                pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

                Seventy years ago, the United States, under President 
                Truman, recognized the State of Israel. Since then, the 
                State of Israel has made its capital in Jerusalem--the 
                capital the Jewish people established in ancient times. 
                Today, Jerusalem is the seat of Israel's government--
                the home of Israel's parliament, the Knesset; its 
                Supreme Court; the residences of its Prime Minister and 
                President; and the headquarters of many of its 
                government ministries. Jerusalem is where officials of 
                the United States, including the President, meet their 
                Israeli counterparts. It is therefore appropriate for 
                the United States to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's 
                capital.

                I have also determined that the United States will 
                relocate our Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to 
                Jerusalem. This action is consistent with the will of 
                the Congress, as expressed in the Act.

                Today's actions--recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's 
                capital and announcing the relocation of our embassy--
                do not reflect a departure from the strong commitment 
                of the United States to facilitating a lasting peace 
                agreement. The United States continues to take no 
                position on any final status issues. The specific 
                boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem are 
                subject to final status negotiations between the 
                parties. The United States is not taking a position on 
                boundaries or borders.

                Above all, our greatest hope is for peace, including 
                through a two-state solution, if agreed to by both 
                sides. Peace is never beyond the grasp of those who are 
                willing to reach for it. In the meantime, the United 
                States continues to support the status quo at 
                Jerusalem's holy sites, including at the Temple Mount, 
                also known as Haram al Sharif. Jerusalem is today--and 
                must remain--a place where Jews pray at the Western 
                Wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross, 
                and where Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

[[Page 58332]]

                With today's decision, my Administration reaffirms its 
                longstanding commitment to building a future of peace 
                and security in the Middle East. It is time for all 
                civilized nations and people to respond to disagreement 
                with reasoned debate--not senseless violence--and for 
                young and moderate voices across the Middle East to 
                claim for themselves a bright and beautiful future. 
                Today, let us rededicate ourselves to a path of mutual 
                understanding and respect, rethinking old assumptions 
                and opening our hearts and minds to new possibilities. 
                I ask the leaders of the Middle East--political and 
                religious; Israeli and Palestinian; and Jewish, 
                Christian, and Muslim--to join us in this noble quest 
                for lasting peace.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim that the United 
                States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of the State 
                of Israel and that the United States Embassy to Israel 
                will be relocated to Jerusalem as soon as practicable.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                second.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2017-26832
Filed 12-8-17; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F8-P