Trump delays U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem

President Donald Trump on Thursday temporarily waived a law that requires the U.S. move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, maintaining the long-held status quo. The waiver delays the move for another six months, after which Trump can consider the matter again. The U.S. Embassy now operates in Tel Aviv. Trump promised during his campaign to move it to Jerusalem shortly after taking office but held back over concerns the move would anger the Palestinians and other Arab governments. The White House said the delay would maximize the chances of a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians. Israel declared Jerusalem its capital after the 1967 Middle East War, but the Palestinians also claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. To avoid inflaming regional tensions, all of Trump’s White House predecessors have opted to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv. But press secretary Sean Spicer said Trump still intends to move the embassy: “The question is not if that move happens, but only when.”