A group of about 60 US Evangelical leaders last week sent President Trump a letter calling on him to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move his embassy there from Tel Aviv, The Daily Caller reported.
The letter, issued by American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI), cites the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ordering the US President to move the Embassy there by May 31, 1999.
Every American president before Trump has opted to sign a waiver twice a year explaining why it has been politically unfeasible to obey this law. Should President Trump choose to avoid the move, he, too, will have to sign such a waiver soon.
The Christian leaders wrote Trump: “Sadly, every US President since then has taken advantage of a provision in the law allowing its requirements to be waived for six months if ‘necessary to protect the national security interests of the United States.’ Such suspensions have been repeated semi-annually for two decades, and it is time to end America’s doublespeak.”
“The Republican National Convention’s official 2016 Platform rightly stated, ‘We recognize Jerusalem as the eternal and indivisible capital of the Jewish state and call for the American embassy to be moved there in fulfillment of US law.’ Moreover, we were honored and grateful that you pledged to specifically uphold this policy in response to a request from the American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI) coalition during your campaign. Many of our constituents cast their vote for you due to this commitment,” the leaders reminded Trump.
According to the website Five Thirty Eight, exit polls in the November 2016 presidential elections showed that white evangelical voters turned out in high numbers – 80% vs. 16% – for candidate Donald Trump, percent. It was their highest vote for a Republican presidential candidate since 2004 (78% vs. 21% for GW Bush). Their unusually high support was very significant in Trump’s ability to capture the Midwestern states and win without a plurality.
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem‘s US director Susan Michael has issued a statement ahead of Trump’s visit to Jerusalem, saying, “Considering the 24 years of attempted peace agreements by three previous presidents, it is not a good idea to continue waiting. Now is the time to honor our friend and fully recognize Jerusalem as the eternal, undivided capital of Israel.”
The letter was signed by, among others, Dr. Jerry Johnson, Dr. John Hagee, Gordon Robertson, and Dr. James Dobson.