Bush Uses Waiver to Avoid
Moving U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem

(June 12, 2001)

President George W. Bush followed the precedent of his predecessor and invoked a national security waiver to postpone moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The law allowing the waiver requires the issue to be revisited every six months.

By invoking the waiver contained in the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, which called for the embassy to have been moved by May 31, 1999, Bush allows the administration to avoid financial penalties for not complying with the law.

During the 2000 presidential campaign Bush promised to move the embassy after assuming office. While signing the waiver, Bush said he remained committed to doing so.