A semi-annual presidential act, signing a waiver that maintains America’s Israel embassy in Tel Aviv, has become a subject of heated speculation and debate, following Donald Trump’s statements of intent – as presidential candidate and as President-elect -- to move the embassy to Jerusalem.

The statements and the speculations ended with President Trump doing exactly what all his predecessors, Democrats and Republicans, did since Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act in 1995. He signed a presidential waiver, stipulating that the embassy will remain in Tel Aviv for six more months.

President Trump acted correctly by resisting the temptation to make good on his past populist statements. Trump says he wishes to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, and the first imperative for an honest broker is “do no harm.” Moving the embassy to Jerusalem now would have significantly harmed prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

APN welcomes Trump’s signing of the Jerusalem Embassy Act’s presidential waiver, and urges him to do so as long as the question of sovereignty over Jerusalem has not been settled in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.