US President Barack Obama delayed for six months moving the US embassy in Israel toJerusalem, the White House said on Friday, a bureaucratic ritual that exemplifies the controversial aspect of the city's status.
Ever since a law was passed in 1995 ordering the transfer of the US embassy from Tel Aviv – where other foreign embassies are located – to Jerusalem, US presidents have routinely delayed the move.
US policy on Jerusalem has not changed: Jerusalem is a final status issue to be resolved in peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, said a White House official speaking on condition of anonymity.
The international community does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the future of the city is a key stumbling block in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want east Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.
On May 21, right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowedthat Jerusalem would remain Israel's capital "forever".