On Wednesday, in response to President Trump’s announcement that the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and intended to move its embassy there, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi condemned the measure, saying, “In the absence of a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem now may needlessly spark mass protests, fuel tensions, and make it more difficult to reach a durable peace.”
Yet in October 1995, Pelosi voted for the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which required the move of the embassy without precondition of a negotiated settlement, as there was no mention of any settlement. It stated:
Jerusalem should remain an undivided city in which the rights of every ethnic and religious group are protected; Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel; and the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999.
It’s not surprising that Pelosi reacted this way; In March 2017 she read a J-Street backed letter at the annual AIPAC conference. Written by David Price and Gerry Connolly, two Democrats in Congress who have evidenced strong anti-Israel sentiments, the letter urged opposing “unilateral actions by either of the two parties that would push the prospects for peace further out of reach.” That’s a fancy way of saying that Israel declaring Jerusalem its capital was out of bounds.
Price was one of the 54 members of Congress who signed a letter calling for an end to the Israeli embargo on Hamas in Gaza; Connolly defended funding the PA even when it included members of Hamas.
In January 2017, the House of Representatives passed a statement of opposition to a United Nations resolution that condemned Israel for expanding its settlements. Despite the measure passing 342-80 n a largely partisan vote, Pelosi opposed the measure.
Pelosi might want to take note that Jerusalem has been holy to Jews for quite some time: