Well, that sucks.
If you'd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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His positions on Israel are well known. Lindsay Graham was baiting him to get his positions on record. Which is fine. I say baiting because these are not decisions of the Secretary of Defense, though he's certainly obligated to voice his opinions to the President in context. From the article
"Sir, right now I stick with the US policy," said Mattis, without elaborating further.When asked by Graham whether he would “support moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” Mattis answered merely that he would leave the decision to the State Department.
"I would defer to the nominee of Secretary of State on that, sir."
The proper response. If the President instructs the Secretary of State to move our Embassy to Jerusalem, that doesn't appear to be a problem for General Mattis.
He's known as an active reader of history, but he missed the middle east. David ben Gurion declared Jerusalem of Israel on December 5, 1949. Yes, while the fighting was going on, I believe there was a temporary truce in effect at the time, about a week before armistice talks began, and nearly three weeks before the Knesset met and elected Ben Gurion Prime Minister. An official bill was passed by the Knesset in January, 1950.
Yes, the UN said that's no fair, Jerusalem should be governed by the UN. The US and most countries recognized Israel with no mention of the capital. As one would expect.
What other countries we recognize have capitals we don't recognize? So far as I know, we recognize the country and that's about it, the capital is a local option, as it should be. And we can build our Embassy where we like, or not build one at all
As to his remark that it's the capital because that's where he goes to meet with Israel's military, he knows better. Israel's military headquarters are in Tel Aviv, the government is in Jerusalem. Mattis knows that. I refuse to believe Arlington VA is the capital of the US because the Pentagon is there, I doubt the General believes that either.
It's a "conflict" over nothing.