Despite changing the Democratic Party platform, the Obama administration during a State Department briefing again today refused to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel (via Weekly Standard)

QUESTION: On Israel?

MR. VENTRELL: Yeah.

QUESTION: Which city does the U.S. Government recognize as the capital in the – Israel?

MR. VENTRELL: Well, as you know, longstanding Administration policy, both in this Administration and in previous administrations across both parties, is that the status of Jerusalem is an issue that should be resolved in final status negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. So that’s longstanding Administration policy and continues to be so.

QUESTION: I mean, no city is recognized as a capital by the U.S. Government?

MR. VENTRELL: Again, I just stated our position, and it’s one we’ve said here many times before.

QUESTION: That means Jerusalem is not a part of Israel?

MR. VENTRELL: What it means is that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved in final status negotiations.

QUESTION: But you do have an Embassy in a city which is not Jerusalem.

MR. VENTRELL: Our Embassy is in Tel Aviv, and we have a Consulate General in Jerusalem.

QUESTION: Right. But I mean, if you have an Embassy, usually it’s in the capital; so therefore, it would appear that you believe that Tel Aviv is the capital.

MR. VENTRELL: What we believe is that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in final status negotiations between the two parties. And currently, our Embassy is in Tel Aviv.

QUESTION: Are there any other countries in the world where the U.S. doesn’t know what the capital is or won’t say what the capital of a country is?

QUESTION: What does the U.S. think the capital of Israel is? What do you –

MR. VENTRELL: As I’ve just said, we believe that the status of Jerusalem is an issue that should be resolved in final status –

QUESTION: I’m not asking you that question. I’m asking you what you think the capital is.

MR. VENTRELL: And my response is that Jerusalem is an issue that should be resolved in final status negotiations.

QUESTION: She didn’t ask about Jerusalem, though.

MR. VENTRELL: Look, this is something we’ve been through at this podium. Toria has been through it before. We’ve repeated it many times. You know that the position is. It hasn’t changed for decades.

QUESTION: Wait, I know that. And I don’t want to play the verbal game, I’m just very curious if you actually have a position about a capital of that country. And if you don’t, if – I just would like to hear you say you don’t.

MR. VENTRELL: Well, right now, Nicole –

QUESTION: Yes.

MR. VENTRELL: – the situation is that we have an Embassy in Tel Aviv that represents our interests with the Government of Israel but that the issue of Jerusalem is one that has to be resolved between the two parties. That’s all I can say on this.

Anything else? Thank you.




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45 comments
Sterling
Sterling

Jerusalem is not the Capital of Israel. Now get over it.

Josh
Josh

That was all that was on the TOTUS and that is all that I can say. I will say it three times then ignore any opposition. Done.

kong1967
kong1967

This is pathetic. When was any other President's policy to not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel? That's what Obama is claiming.

First off, they said that they took Jerusalem out of the party platform in order to reflect Obama's policies. Then they said they put it back in to represent Obama's personal views. Now they're back to saying it is not Obama's views or policy.

Yeah, they are such an honest group of people.

sara holy land
sara holy land

Israel became independent on 48.

Since then, no president of the United States accepted and recognized it as our capital.

Jerusalem was our capital more than two thousand years ago, And I ask :

Do we need the "acceptance" of any schmuck in the world ?

kong1967
kong1967

No, you don't need the acceptance of anyone else. It's your capital.

I am stunned by the notion that no President of the United States has every accepted or recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Maybe it's because it's something that is taken as a given and I just never noticed, but as far as I know that have accepted it...other than Obama.

sara holy land
sara holy land

world Problem = Arab oil.

No president (of the greatest nation )could stand up in the front of the Muslim world and say the truth as it is.

sDee
sDee

I hope dhimmie senators McCain and Graham are proud tools of islam and Obama's campaign of islamic supremecy

Syrian General: "Don't they understand that we are the last dam that is holding back the flood of Islamists in Europe? What blindness."

The Assad regime has been thoroughly detestable; however, the coming Islamic supremacist regime will be even worse for the nation's Christians, as has been abundantly established by repeated rebel actions against them, and will ultimately bode even worse for the U.S., Europe and Israel than the Assads.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/09/syrian-general-dont-they-understand-that-we-are-the-last-dam-that-is-holding-back-the-flood-of-islam.html

kong1967
kong1967

Something overlooked by most people. We hear about the oppressed muslims, and Saddam being (in the past) so oppressive. Well, I'm sorry, but you have to fight fire with fire. Those dictators know what awaits if they do not control a very large muslim population. You have to use their own tactics against them. Yeah, it's brutal but hey......I don't like the alternative, either.

LdyDesign
LdyDesign

This is the Obama game...You vote "present" when you can. You change your position when it works for you. You never admit you were wrong(it's always someone else's fault) And then you lie, lie, and lie about the lies.

sara holy land
sara holy land

He did not lie -maybe, he just changes his mind :-)))))))

like ETCH A SKETCH ???????

kong1967
kong1967

Remember when the libs were so persistent on demanding that Bush admit he made mistakes? It's the same tactic they are using with Romney on his taxes. Push for us to give up something that will give them firepower to beat us down with. Our tactic should be "go f yourself".

They don't take their own advice. They just pile on the lies and finger pointing.

Jasper Silvis
Jasper Silvis

Israel existed as a nation with Jerusalem as its capital before Islam even existed. The whole reason Islam chooses Jerusalem as a holy site for them is because it is a holy site for Jews. If Jews chose Siberia as its holy land then Muslims would choose Siberia as their holy land as well. Jerusalem means nothing to Islam. It only means something to them because Israel claims it as their holy land.

So in short, Israelis claim Jerusalem as its capital. That should be good enough for us.

Palestinians are suffering because of their surrounding Muslims not giving a crap about them and using them for their own gains to get the UN to pressure Israel and as a rallying cry for Muslims against the state of Israel. For any political party in the United States that does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is shameful.

And Joe Biden said Obama's spine is like a ramrod? Really? Can't name Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and he has the spine of a ramrod? Bwwaaahhh

sDee
sDee

"If Jews chose Siberia as its holy land then Muslims would choose Siberia as their holy land"

Good point. Islam is about colonization, domination and cultural jihad. Your example is closer to home we may think. It is not per-chance that Hussein Obama distorted and lied about Jefferson's copy of the Koran. They intend to make a case that muslims were in America before the formation of the United States of America. Just like they fabricated a case for "palestinian's" rights of occupying the land of Israel, existed before the Jews'.

This strategy in the US could be extremely dangerous because it would make muslims not a religious group, but instead an indigenous group like American Indians, with special rights and protections under the law.

Lest you think I am paranoid here, consider the name of the new islamic organization which has aligned itself with the Democratic Party. Bureau of Indigenous Muslim Affairs.

Huh? Indigenous Muslims?!!!??

DNC Joins Hands with Islam

http://www.examiner.com/article/dnc-joins-hands-with-islam-makes-muslims-part-of-their-focus

unclesamnephew
unclesamnephew

sdee, thank you for this link. i have told others that the muslims will be have call to prayer before the DNC. everyone thought that i was a loon. of course none of this made the mainstream news

Sober_Thinking
Sober_Thinking

These liars are simply incredible. Unbelievable. God and Jerusalem get boo'd at the DNC and the Democrats want us to believe that they believe in God, His position in the hierarchy as God (not Government as god), and that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. These so-called beliefs of theirs didn't even last until after the DNC. Imagine how bad it'll get if this monster gets 4 more years.

These people are just indescribable... completely different way of thinking - foreign to main stream American values, beliefs and faith. Sickening.

Michael
Michael

Spin.....but do not tell the Dem Jews in America....Obama will save them....after they are in a CELL IN TEHRAN!! Ignorance abound when the truth stares you down!! Obama hates Israel plain and simple....he wishes they did not exist as well....they will never recognize Jerusalem in this WH!!

3D 81
3D 81

I just dont understand why they just dont clearly state their position on this issue. Its a simple question.

I'm trying to understand the political and tactical game being played here.

If they don't think Jerusalem should not be the capital then just say so and well go on from there. Some might agree with you others wont.

I hate lukewarm diluted answers from this mob. The only thing certain about this administration is free condoms and abortion.

sDee
sDee

It seems to me that Hussein's position is clear. He is fully aligned against Israel, with the isalmists ideologically, strategically and financially. He will not come out and say Jerusalem is Israel's capital because he intends to turn it over to the islamists.

However, the small % of Jewish voters in some key swing states could be crucial. So Hussein is playing both sides to get votes from both Jews and Muslims, and to keep kickback donations flowing from the Brotherhood and ohter foreign islamists.

His obfuscation is intended let gullible liberal Jewish democrats rationalize away his hatred of Israel, while at teh same time, the Muslims know he is simply using taqiyya (lying for the cause of islam).

B-Funk
B-Funk

I guess one could ask why they don't clearly state their position on much of anything. Notwithstanding 'popular' social issues and how evil the RNC is...

Libertyship46
Libertyship46

That thud you just heard was Israel being thrown under the bus. Obama will never, ever, confront Iran over it's nuclear weapons and the Muslims know it. If they're not going to support Israel over Jerusalem, do you really think Obama will allow Israel to attack Iran? That puts Israel in a very, very, dangerous position. I hope the Israelis can hang on until Romney is elected. It's going to be close.

warpmine
warpmine

No, that thud you heard was Obamakov's bus motor throwing a rod.

AmericanborninCanada
AmericanborninCanada

So what this putz is saying is that dear leader believes the status of Jerusalem, the City of DAVID, which is mentioned countless times in the Old Testament alone, should be negotiated between the Nation of Israel, whom are God's Chosen people, who live in the Land GOD Almighty gave them, and a non exsisting nation of muslim arabs? Well, just so we're clear.

las1
las1

Negotiations! What negotiations?

Negotiations ended June 7, 1967. Only then it wasn't called a negotiation, but a reunification.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith

Dems are dishonest

warpmine
warpmine

Since when? DWS is certainly honest all the time, right?

Clinton's never lie.

Your rights come from whatever the government say they are.

Chris Dodd was a stand up guy who never gained favors from the mortgage industry.

Maxine Waters always speaks truth......

sjmom
sjmom

Obama is not on Israel's side and if people don't know it by now then they haven't been listening or watching his administration. The only reason God was put back into the platform is because so many delegates complained and they don't want to look like what they are: the anti God party.

stage9
stage9

OH JUST SHUUUUT....UP!

Just say it you gutless radical! YOU DO NOT OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITOL OF ISRAEL!

If you can't answer that friggin question then you shouldn't be representing us because it suggests that you're too stupid to know.

bjohnson55
bjohnson55

Mombo dog fish in a banna patch. Next!!

Salvatore Anello
Salvatore Anello

Notice that the original question didn't even mention Jerusalem as a choice. Just what is the capital. The administration's anti semitism is clear.

toongoon
toongoon

I think more than that, in their failure to acknowledge a capitol they are refusing to acknowledge Israel as a state.

CalCoolidge
CalCoolidge

It's simple. With an election two months away, Obama "personally" believes it's the capital. After the election, he'll have a lot more flexibility.

HopeHeFails
HopeHeFails

My brain is trying to calculate how Obama is going to have any of the Jewish vote after these stunts.

PovrlaChasse
PovrlaChasse

Jews are weird that way. They frequently vote against their own self interest and the interest of the public at large for who knows what reason. I think it is some kind of Jewish self-hate? God - hate? World - hate? Who knows.

I'm voting for the Black Panthers and the Muslim Brotherhood and I want more Gay and Transgendered folks to teach my children. Nothing is wrong with getting gay guys near my children. Is there? Yeaaaaaaah!

I'm going to vote for the Party that makes me pay the most in taxation! Yeaaaa!

I'm going to vote for the people who want to erase God, Jews, Christians, the Bible, and Israel from the Earth! But, they seem to love all things Muslim. Yeah! I'm going to vote for the people who want to kill me to show how 'enlightened' I am! Yaaaaaah!

I'm going to vote for the most America/Israel hating people I can find! Yaaaaa!

Why? Because I'm Jewish, and I am a freaking self destructive dumbass! Yeaaaaa!

It really is a mystery? I will never be able to comprehend how Jews think or why they do the things they do and support the things they support.

conservative61
conservative61

Jews tend to be liberal democrats. As such, they vote their politics, never paying more than lip service to the safety of Israel. With friends like that, Israel surely doesn't need more enemies. The attitude of Jewish voters is certainly puzzling. They mourn the murder of six million of their people at the hands of the Nazis. Yet they support a US regime that favors those very countries that have stated categorically they wish to destroy Israel and every Jew on earth. Go figure,

911Infidel
911Infidel

Hey stupid listen up:

“In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. (Joel 3:1-2)

Jerusalem is God's throne on earth. He gave it to the Jews in perpetuity. Get use to it dipstick.