Statement: Rep. Khanna on the President's Decision to Recognize Jerusalem as Capital of Israel, Move Us Embassy

Statement

Today, Rep. Ro Khanna, member of the House Armed Services Committee, strongly disagreed with President Trump's announcement that he will break with longstanding U.S. presidential policy by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and begin the process of moving the U.S. embassy:

"The United States and Israel share similar values of peace, democracy, and entrepreneurship. We should always look for ways to strengthen the relationship and address Israel's legitimate security concerns. The President's decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, however, is misguided and does not advance peace. Going against the advice of Secretaries Mattis and Tillerson, the President's move is counterproductive to a two-state solution and will harm our standing in the Arab world. This decision has already led to violence protests in the region and puts U.S. servicemembers and embassies around the world at risk of attacks. I hope President Trump reconsiders his decision and understands that this issue should be decided during two-state solution negotiations and not unilaterally by the U.S."

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