TEXT: CLINTON MEMORANDUM AGAINST MOVE OF U.S. EMBASSY IN ISRAEL TO JERUSALEM
(White House says move would complicate peace process)Cologne -- President William Clinton has decided not to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem now as mandated by a 1995 law.
However, the law also gave the president the authority to overrule the May 1999 deadline for moving the embassy if it was in the national interest.
In a memorandum issued June 18 from Cologne, Germany, the president suspended action on the move for six months.
"Israelis and Palestinians have agreed to include Jerusalem among the issues to be covered in their permanent status negotiations," the White House said in a statement issued with the memorandum. "At a time when there is real potential for movement on the peace process, and as we look forward to the start of those crucial negotiations, the United States should not be taking steps of its own that prejudge those negotiations and make them more difficult."
Following are the texts of the presidential memorandum and an explanatory statement issued from the Office of the Press Secretary:
(begin texts)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary (Cologne, Germany) June 18, 1999
June 17, 1999
Presidential Determination No.
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SUBJECT: Suspension of Limitation Under the Jerusalem Embassy Act
Pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 7(a) of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-45) (the "Act"), I hereby determine that it is necessary to protect the national security interests of the United States to suspend for a period of 6 Months the limitation set forth in section 3(b) of the Act.
You are hereby authorized and directed to transmit this determination to the Congress, accompanied by a report in accordance with section 7(a) of the Act, and to publish the determination in the Federal Register.
This suspension shall take effect after transmission of this determination and report to the Congress.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary (Cologne, Germany)
June 18, 1999
STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY
Jerusalem Embassy Act Waiver
Today, the President exercised his waiver authority provided under the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995. The President made this decision in order to protect our critical national security interests, most crucially in preserving the prospects for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors. The President took this action at this time because, absent the waiver, the Act would have denied the Department of State further access to funds necessary to protect our personnel and missions worldwide so they can continue to pursue vital U.S. objectives.
The pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace has been a consistent, objective of the United States under Republican and Democratic Administrations. Israelis and Palestinians have agreed to include Jerusalem among the issues to be covered in their permanent status negotiations. At a time when there is real potential for movement on the peace process, and as we look forward to the start of those crucial negotiations, the United States should not be taking steps of its own that prejudge those negotiations and make them more difficult. The differences that remain between Israelis and Palestinians can only be resolved through direct negotiations and the United States should do everything it possibly can to facilitate their success.
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