US faces challenges as it moves embassy to Jerusalem

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Hours after US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced that efforts have begun to move the American embassy to the holy city. But he recognizes that the change won't be easy.

"We are not going to be doing that quickly,” said Tillerson, “We have to acquire site, we have to develop building plans, we have to construct the building, so this is not something that will happen overnight."

But the president later signed a waiver to postpone the move, to help bring calm to the storm his decision may cause.

The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 requires that the US embassy be moved to Jerusalem to avoid penalties, such as the loss of half of the funds appropriated for the outpost's acquisition and maintenance. Every six months, however, presidents can sign a waiver on national security grounds.

US Embassy in Tel Aviv /AP Photo

Previous US presidents have promised relocation to Jerusalem, but those pledges were shelved given that both Israelis and Palestinians claim the holy city as their capital. Even with the move now on Trump's agenda, the process is still expected to take at least three to four years.

The Washington Institute outlines four steps that could help the Trump administration carry out its embassy move. It recommends a location for the embassy in Jerusalem that is clearly west of the 1949 armistice line, or 1967 line, a place under undisputed Israeli sovereignty where nothing holy is located.

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