Washington (QNN)- The United States Senate on Thursday voted 97-3 to keep the US Embassy permanently in Jerusalem.
The vote was put forward by Republican Senators Jim Inhofe and Bill Hagerty.
The amendment, as Inhofe tweeted, “would make the US Embassy in Jerusalem permanent, effectively preventing it from being downgraded or moved. It’s an important message that we acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”
Later today, I will be pushing for a vote on my budget resolution amendment that would make the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem permanent, effectively preventing it from being downgraded or moved. It's an important message that we acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
— Sen. Jim Inhofe (@JimInhofe) February 4, 2021
Hagert also tweeted, “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.”
The Trump Admin. kept its promise to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, the eternal and indivisible capital of the Jewish State of Israel & it should remain there. pic.twitter.com/ytVY5manxi
— Senator Bill Hagerty (@SenatorHagerty) February 5, 2021
Only Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Tom Carper have opposed the decision.
In 2018, outgoing President Donald Trump moved the US embassy to ‘Israel’ from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017.
At that time, Biden called Trump’s decision to move the embassy as “short-sighted and frivolous.”
Antony Blinken, Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, said at his Senate confirmation hearing that Biden will keep the US embassy in Jerusalem, but he will seek a state for the Palestinians.
“The only way to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic state and to give the Palestinians a state to which they are entitled is through the so-called two-state solution,” Blinken said.
“I think realistically, it’s hard to see near-term prospects for moving forward on that. What would be important is to make sure that neither party takes steps that make the already difficult process even more challenging,” he continued.
In late April, while on the campaign trail as the Democratic presidential candidate, current US President Joe Biden said the US Embassy in ‘Israel’ would remain in Jerusalem if he was elected.
“I’ve been a proud supporter of a secure, democratic Jewish state of Israel my entire life,” Biden said at the time. But, he added: “My administration will urge both sides to take steps to keep the prospect of a two-state solution alive.”