Washington, D.C.- Today, Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), and CPC Peace and Security Taskforce Chair Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), reacted to President Trump’s decision to have the United States recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, triggering domestic and international concerns for future peace negotiations in the region.
“As with many of his foreign policy decisions, Trump’s call to formally declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel fails to take into consideration the serious and delicate nature of the situation,” said Rep. Grijalva. “This approach is opposite of moving towards a solution for peace between Israel and Palestine, and only serves as an act of provocation, fueling an already dangerous situation in the Middle East. It will become a huge roadblock for a two-state solution and any hope of a real peace process. His decision harms decades of work to make Israel and the region more secure and should be immediately reversed.”
“After visiting the region twice in the last several years, it is clear to me that President Trump’s actions are a bad idea given that there is not a peace process in place that has produced a two-state solution. Administrations from both parties have waived this requirement for the last twenty years due to the delicate status and location of the ancient city,” said Rep. Pocan. “President Trump’s decision to declare U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, before reaching a finalized peace deal or two-state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians, hurts future agreements and will create unnecessary tensions and violence in the region. We need an administration to be smart about this region, not knee-jerk in its actions, causing problems for years to come.”
“President Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem undermines decades of bipartisan work toward a two-state solution and unnecessarily escalates tensions in the Middle East. Make no mistake: this decision sabotages our diplomatic efforts and makes it even harder to achieve peace,” said Rep. Lee. “The United States should be laying the groundwork for negotiations of a permanent and peaceful resolution to the conflict– not inflaming tensions in the region.”
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is the largest caucus within the House Democratic Caucus, with over 70 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and promote civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, a $15 national minimum wage, fair trade, gun violence reform, debt-free college, and making the federal government a Model Employer.
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