EXCLUSIVE: White House Officials Currently In Discussion About Moving Embassy To Jerusalem

WASHINGTON – Senior White House sources tell CBN News that President Trump is currently in talks with his National Security Advisor and other high-ranking officials about moving the U.S. Embassy in ISRAEL from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In an exclusive interview with CBN News, Vice President Mike Pence says the president’s “actively” considering it. “It’s one that he’s taking very seriously to heart,” Pence tells CBN’s David Brody. “The President and I believe that the relationship between the American people and the people of Israel is one that is timeless. I mean, literally before the founding of this country there were Americans who prayed for and dreamed of Israel returning to its ancient homeland and through the tragedy and tragic events of World War II and the Holocaust and through strong American leadership at the United Nations, Israel was restored to her homeland.”

Vice President Pence spoke with CBN News Thursday morning from the library at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington DC.  He’ll be traveling to Israel and Egypt later this month to push the Mideast peace process and voice the concern of persecuted Christians overseas. 

When President Trump visited Israel earlier this year, he chose not to move the embassy at that time, citing a willingness to try and strike a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act calls for the embassy to be moved to Jerusalem but the president has the authority to postpone the move every six months by signing a waiver. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have all signed waivers in the past. This White House has signaled a willingness to not sign the waiver.  The next waiver deadline is December 1^st.

Also Wednesday, the Associated Press reported President Trump is considering recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The President’s announcement is expected next week and comes after a series of deliberations that have intensified in recent days.

White House officials, who were permitted to speak publicly on condition of anonymity, said Trump discussed plans to move the embassy in a meeting with his top national security advisers at the White House Monday. Trump was only expected to spend 15 to 20 minutes at the meeting. However, officials say he stayed for at least an hour.

While the officials said President Trump will likely issue the waiver by Monday, the Trump administration insisted the president hasn’t made any official decisions on the embassy.

You can see more of the interview with the Vice President Friday on the 700 Club. 

Full transcription

David Brody: “You’ve talked about it. You used just recently (the word) ‘actively’ looking to move the embassy to Jerusalem – December first, this next six-month deadline on Friday. Where is this White House in the process of that because it’s very important to Evangelicals?”

Vice President Mike Pence: “For the past twenty years, Congress and successive administrations have expressed a willingness to move our American embassy but as I announced earlier this week, President Trump is actively considering moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It’s a very serious matter. It’s one that he’s taking very seriously to heart but the President and I believe that the relationship between the American people and the people of Israel is one that is timeless. I mean, literally before the founding of this country there were Americans who prayed for and dreamed of Israel returning to its ancient homeland and through the tragedy and tragic events of World War II and the Holocaust and through strong American leadership at the United Nations, Israel was restored to her homeland. As the Old Book says, ‘in a day, in a moment,’ and I know the President is reflecting on the decision about our embassy and other policies but it’s all informed by his commitment to the relationship between the United States and Israel and his knowledge that the American people cherish our ally Israel and we always will.”