President Donald Trump signed a six month waiver to delay moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, despite his campaign promise to do so.
In a statement, the White House said Trump was still committed to to his promise, but made the decision to delay the move of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for the sake of peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
“As he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when,” the statement from the White House read.
Trump’s decision follows the precedent set by former presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama who all signed a six month waiver of the 1995 law.
The delay will disappoint supporters of the president who hoped for bold action, separated from years of tired political rhetoric on the issue.
“[N]o one should consider this step to be in any way a retreat from the President’s strong support for Israel and for the United States-Israel alliance,” read the statement.