Those who oppose negotiations or accommodation on Jerusalem are in effect calling for Israel to live forever by the sword, since a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – a two-state solution that will guarantee Israel's security and viability as a Jewish, democratic state – is impossible without resolving the conflict over Jerusalem. This is a price Israel cannot afford to pay, especially when other realistic options exist.

Moreover, what happens in Jerusalem does not stay in Jerusalem. It impacts attitudes and events not only in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, but throughout the region and beyond. Indeed, actions that are viewed as seeking to expand Israel’s hold over East Jerusalem and the Old City reverberate throughout the world, undermining the credibility of Palestinian and other Arab moderate leaders, while bolstering extremists who use Jerusalem as a powerful symbol to rally followers.

Alternatively, a negotiated solution in Jerusalem could transform the city into a beacon of tolerance, coexistence, and peace. For the sake of Israel's security and stability, a formula must be found to share Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians, and among Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Pragmatic, creative solutions exist to satisfy competing claims to Jerusalem and its holy sites; what is needed is the leadership, courage, and goodwill to explore them.

Finally, Congress has passed legislation directing that the U.S. embassy in Israel be relocated to Jerusalem, and allowing the President to postpone the move based on national security interests. Preserving this Presidential authority is vital: there is no doubt that the embassy should one day be in Jerusalem, but unilateral U.S. action to move it, outside of the context of a peace agreement that resolves the issue of Jerusalem, would harm the chances of achieving peace, undermine Palestinian moderates, endanger U.S. interests and strategic relationships in the region, and compromise America's position as a mediator in the peace process.

APN recognizes that the future of Jerusalem can be resolved only through negotiations and the achievement of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. In the interim before such an agreement, APN believes the US should reject efforts by any party to block such negotiations, to change the status quo in Jerusalem or to create obstacles to an agreed-upon solution in the city. During this period, we believe that Israel must ensure access to Jerusalem for all religions and respect for the delicate status quo regarding holy sites. Finally, until there is such an agreement, APN rejects any efforts to force the transfer of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.