[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 74 (Monday, June 12, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S5713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATING THE 39TH ANNIVERSARY OF JERUSALEM'S REUNIFICATION

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I am honored to join my colleagues in 
the submittal of S. Res. 98 congratulating the Israeli people on their 
celebration of the 39th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem 
and calling for the United States to relocate its embassy in Israel 
from the city of Tel-Aviv to the recognized capital city of Jerusalem.
  This year, Israel celebrates the 39th anniversary of the 
reunification of Jerusalem. Starting in 1948 Jerusalem was a divided 
city. Under Jordanian rule, many of the holy areas were off limits to 
Israelis of any religion and to Jews of any nationality. In 1967, 
during the Six Day War, Israeli troops reunified the city of Jerusalem. 
Then, people of all religious faiths have been guaranteed full access 
to holy sites within the city, and the rights of all faiths have been 
respected and protected.
  In 1995, the U.S. Congress declared that Jerusalem should remain the 
undivided capital of Israel. I was proud to cosponsor the Jerusalem 
Embassy Act of 1995, and I am proud today to join my colleagues in 
urging the administration to move our Embassy to Israeli's rightful 
capital. The President of Israel, Israel's Parliament and the Israeli 
Supreme Court are all located in Jerusalem. What is not located in 
Jerusalem is the Embassy of the United States. Every sovereign country 
has the right to designate its own capital and the United States 
maintains its Embassy in the functioning capital of every country. The 
one exception is Israel, a great friend and ally to the United States.
  Israel is a steadfast strategic ally of the United States. The United 
States conducts official meetings and other business in the city of 
Jerusalem in de facto recognition of its status as the capital of 
Israel. It is time for the U.S. Embassy to be relocated to Jerusalem, 
the recognized capital of Israel. With this resolution, the Senate 
calls on President Bush to discontinue the waiver contained in the 
Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, relocate the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, 
and reaffirm U.S. policy that Jerusalem must remain the undivided 
capital of Israel.

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