Image by Ismael Shammout
For decades the status of Jerusalem has been discussed, debated, fought over. The Israelis claim it to be their Capital. The Palestinians claim it to be theirs. Western nations supportive of Israeli policies in general are torn on the issue… maintaining their embassies in Tel Aviv… therefore giving Capital status to that particular city….
On October 23, 1995, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act into United States law. The Jerusalem Embassy Act states, “Each sovereign nation, under international law and custom, may designate its own capital. Since 1950, the city of Jerusalem has been the capital of the State of Israel… Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel; and the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999.
However, within the Jerusalem Embassy Act there is a provision that enables the President of the United States to issue a presidential waiver, delaying the move of the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, “if he determines and reports to Congress in advance that such suspension is necessary to protect the national security interests of the United States.”
The BBC is not the only one who has recently called into question the status of Jerusalem serving as the capital of the State of Israel.
Recently, a Visa credit card customer noticed that his bill listed items he bought in Jerusalem’s Old City as purchases made outside the country of Israel.
The customer, whom the Hebrew newspaper Ma’ariv identified as “A,” said the credit card company told him that according to its list, the store in the Old City is located in “Palestine” and not in Israel.
A company executive stated, “The firm has no control over definitions in Visa’s international system.”
