Pompeo: “The UK should move its embassy to Jerusalem”

Mike Pompeo has spoken out in support of the UK moving its embassy to Jerusalem, saying its the right thing to do. The former US Secretary of State tweeted his backing after Britain’s Prime Minister, Liz Truss, told the Israeli PM last week that she is considering moving the embassy.

Pompeo, who was part of the US administration under President Trump when America famously opened its embassy in Israel’s capital,  explained why America’s action in 2018 has ‘proven the hysterics wrong’.

“The UK should move its embassy to Israel’s undivided capital Jerusalem,” Pompeo wrote.

“We did it, it’s the right thing to do, and we proved the hysterics wrong.”

The UK should move its embassy to Israel’s undivided capital Jerusalem.

We did it, it’s the right thing to do, and we proved the hysterics wrong.

— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) September 23, 2022

Downing Street last week confirmed that Liz Truss has informed Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid “about her review of the current location of the British embassy in Israel.”

The comments were made in discussions between the two leaders in New York during their visit to the UN General Assembly.

It reaffirmed Liz Truss’ leadership campaign promise to review the embassies’ location. 

CUFI recently announced the UK Pledge for Jerusalem, through which CUFI is asking supporters to sign, calling for Liz Truss to move the embassy to Jerusalem.

 CUFI UK Executive Director, Des Starritt, said, “Next year marks 75 years since the re-establishment of the State of Israel. What better way to mark this important milestone, than the United Kingdom reversing decades of misguided foreign policy by moving the UK embassy to Jerusalem.”

“We were heartened when Liz Truss pledged to review this important matter,” he continued. “It is the furthest any leading politician has gone regarding the status of the British embassy and could signal a possible shift in the UK’s foreign policy towards Israel. We really hope that she will ignore the scaremongers and have the courage to keep her commitment.”

Speculation surrounding a possible move followed her letter to Conservative Friends of Israel members in August. While stopping short of committing to the move, Truss gave a strong indication that it is on the table, saying she understood the “importance and sensitivity” over where it was located and had discussed the issue several times with her “good friend” Yair Lapid, now the Israeli Prime Minister.

“The reasons for not moving the embassy historically have been based on weak foreign policy, discrimination and hypocrisy,” Starritt explains, “with Britain locating embassies in other countries’ capitals, except Israel’s, whilst having a consulate in Jerusalem only for Palestinians and not Israelis. Whilst we understand the hurdles to overcome, we’ve attempted to persuade previous governments to take confidence that a move is viable and that it is right and just.”

Starritt adds, “We now have an opportunity like never before to present our case and encourage Liz Truss to demonstrate her true friendship towards Israel and make history by doing something no predecessor has done before – move the embassy to Jerusalem.”