The transition team for President-elect Donald Trump is already checking into possible locations in Jerusalem for the U.S. Embassy, according to an Israeli news channel.
Channel 2 reported on Dec. 12 that officials from Israel’s Foreign Ministry had begun checking into possible sites on behalf of the Trump team. The news came hours after Kellyanne Conway, a top Trump adviser, told conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt during his show that moving the embassy was a “big priority” for Trump.
“It is something that our friend in Israel, a great friend in the Middle East, would appreciate, and something that a lot of Jewish Americans have expressed their preference for,” Conway said.
Some political and security officials in Israel are expressing concern because of the expected response of the Arab world, Channel 2 reported. The report also said the action is being undertaken without coordination with the State Department, which does not agree with the move.
Congress passed a law mandating the move in 1995 that included a presidential waiver that lapses every six months. Each president since then has exercised the waiver, most recently on Dec. 1. — jta