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US Senate unanimously passes bill honoring Jerusalem’s reunification

The Senate unanimously voted on a resolution honoring the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification in strong support of Israel’s sovereignty in its capital.

The Senate on Monday unanimously voted on a resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification.

The Senate voted 90-0 in favor of S.Res.176, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), which reaffirms support for “Israel’s commitment to religious freedom and administration of holy sites in Jerusalem” and commends the “mutually beneficial American-Israeli relationship.”

With 45 co-sponsors, the bipartisan resolution proclaims support for Israel’s commitment to religious freedom and administration of holy sites in Jerusalem, continues to support strengthening the “mutually beneficial” American-Israeli relationship and reaffirms the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which states that Jerusalem should remain a united city, recognized as the capital of the State of Israel, and that the US Embassy should be moved there from Tel Aviv no later than May 31, 1999.

The bill was passed just days after President Donald Trump signed a waiver deferring the Congressional mandate to relocate the embassy. Throughout the 2016 presidential election campaign, Trump vowed to move the embassy. According to a White House statement, he postponed the move in order to “maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians.”

“The question is not if that move happens, but only when,” Press Secretary Sean Spicer stated.

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“It is very fitting that the Senate passed this resolution 50 years to the day of the start of the Six Day War,” Schumer stated. “I was proud to sponsor this resolution, which reaffirms the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 that states Jerusalem should remain an undivided city and Israel’s capital – in which the rights of every ethnic and religious group are celebrated, valued and protected.”

He said the semi-centennial of the reunification of Jerusalem is “an important milestone for Israel and Jewish people across the globe, given that Jerusalem has been a focal point of Jewish life for thousands of years.”

“Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel in which the rights of every ethnic and religious group are protected,” the resolution states, underscoring the fact that “there has been a continuous Jewish presence in Jerusalem for three millennia.”

While his resolution is declarative in nature, it sends a powerful message regarding the US stance on Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.

On Wednesday, Israel’s Knesset and the US Congress will hold a joint event in honor of the 50th anniversary of the unification of Jerusalem. It will take place simultaneously in Jerusalem and Washington under the direction of Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer. The hour-long event will be broadcast live.

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By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News