The US Senate passed a vote on Thursday night, passing a bill presented by Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) by a vote of 97-3.
Pleased the Senate overwhelmingly passed the amendment @SenatorHagerty and I introduced to make sure the U.S. Embassy to Israel remains located in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. https://t.co/muXtApn8Gm
— Sen. Jim Inhofe (@JimInhofe) February 5, 2021
The three votes against keeping the US Embassy in Jerusalem were cast by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Tom Carper (D-DE).
“Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and I am proud to introduce legislation to protect the U.S. Embassy from relocation or being downgraded,” Inhofe said in a statement. “It was an honor to see the U.S. Embassy moved to its rightful location in Jerusalem in 2018 after over 20 years of bipartisan effort and Sen. Hagerty and I are clear in our efforts to ensure it stays there.”
“[The] amendment should not be controversial to anyone. It has been our position in the US for 25 years,” Inhofe said. “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and we should have our embassy in Jerusalem …Now, our allies there will know we stand with them,” he added.
“The Trump administration kept its promise to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, the eternal and indivisible capital of the Jewish State of Israel, and it should remain there,” Senator Hagerty said. “As former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, I know how important it is to recognize the core concerns of our allies, and it was a travesty that our government ignored U.S. law and declined to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital for so many decades.”
“Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and I am proud to introduce legislation to protect the U.S. Embassy from relocation or being downgraded,” said Senator Inhofe. “It was an honor to see the U.S. Embassy moved to its rightful location in Jerusalem in 2018 after over 20 years of bipartisan effort and Sen. Hagerty and I are clear in our efforts to ensure it stays there. Israel is a true friend to the United States and I look forward to many more years of friendship.”
Even though President Biden voted in favor of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, he was critical of President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital and the subsequent move of the embassy. He has since stated that he does not intend to move it back to Tel Aviv. In order to do so, Biden would need to pass new legislation as the move was legislated in the Jerusalem Embassy Act.
Senator Ted Cruz asked Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at his confirmation hearings, “Do you agree that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and do you commit that the United States will keep our embassy in Jerusalem?” Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) asked Blinken. “Yes and yes,” Blinken answered.
