Exclusive: Secrets of the U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem
The authors of 'Because It's Just And Right' reveal untold anecdotes of how the embassy was moved and its impact on Israel-U.S. relations
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How and why was the U.S. Embassy moved from Tel Aviv to the Israeli capital of Jerusalem in 2018? Farley Weiss and Leonard Grunstein's new book ‘Because It's Just And Right: The Untold Back-Story of the U.S. Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel and Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem' sheds light on the different aspects of the major event that changed the course of history forever.
On the occasion of the book’s publication, i24NEWS had the privilege of interviewing Weiss and Grunstein, during which they recalled the negotiations and adoption of the law to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem on a bipartisan basis.
Their book also reveals behind-the-scenes anecdotes and secrets of how the embassy was moved, including the origin of the bill, the biblical reasoning for its justification, the decision of then-U.S. president Donald Trump, and its impact on Israeli-U.S. relations.
The book also offers unpublished testimonies from several personalities, including Governor Mike Huckabee, former senator Joe Lieberman, and Professor Alan Dershowitz.
"In my book, I tell what happened during the making of this law, from its biblical origins to the present day, through public law and the political struggle for Jerusalem," Weiss told i24NEWS.
“The Jerusalem Embassy Law… recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel, asks that the city remain indivisible, and provided funds to move the American embassy there," he noted.
Weiss advised U.S. Senator Jon Kyl on the creation of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, was personally involved in the embassy’s move, and was present at its opening in 2018.
"We started to bring up the idea for this book in 2020 with Farley because we had a common interest in Israel, history, and politics, and we wanted to bring it all together in a common project," Grunstein, a retired lawyer and philanthropist, told i24NEWS.
"Jon Kyl is not a Jew and yet he passed a law in favor of Israel. It was very important to him, so we tried to show as clearly as possible why this law was crucial and what was the process that led to its passage."
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Moving the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was a campaign promise of Trump, but the decision to transfer it actually dates back over 20 years. The process took two decades because former U.S. President Bill Clinton was opposed to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving the embassy so as not to "hinder the chances of achieving an Israeli-Palestinian peace," Weiss said.
Turning point in Israeli history
"The transfer of the embassy to Jerusalem is an extraordinary event in history. When you have one of the most powerful countries in the world recognize the Jewish right to the land of Jerusalem, move its embassy after 2,000 years of exile, and win all the political fights to achieve it in order to be the first country to recognize Jerusalem as its capital, it is necessarily satisfying," Weiss added.
"It was therefore particularly important to us to put this historic moment on paper."
During the inauguration of the embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018, Weiss realized that he had to collect in a book all the elements of the memorable day. "It was so moving, I remember we even did the [afternoon prayer] on the spot."
'Peace will come from Jerusalem'
"(Then-U.S.) ambassador (to Israel) David Friedman had assured that peace would come from Jerusalem. This law was, therefore, the beginning of a certain rapprochement between the two nations in favor of peace initiatives, which are developing more today thanks to the Abraham Accords," said Grunstein.
According to Friedman, who testifies in the book, it represents "essential reading for a full understanding of why Jerusalem is, and must always remain, the undivided capital and eternal Jewish state."
“It should also be understood that the indestructible bond that unites Israel and the United States is beneficial for the whole world, especially with the threat of the Iranian regime and terrorism," Grunstein continued.
"Relations between the Jewish state and the United States should be even more strengthened, the vast majority of Americans are pro-Israel, even today under a Democratic administration."
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Weiss and Grunstein are very optimistic about the future of Israeli-American relations, despite the recent opposition of the Biden government to certain policies of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, specifically concerning the controversial judicial overhaul.
"We believe that this new book can really contribute to the future of relations between Israel and the United States because it restores the truth about historical facts, and proves useful in the fight against anti-Semitism," concluded Weiss.
"It is also an important tool that sheds a comprehensive light on understanding the issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; it should be present on American campuses in order to reduce the lies conveyed about the history of Israel."