U.S. President George W. Bush on June 11 signed a document delaying the transfer of U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Bait-ul-Moqaddas (Jerusalem) for six months in a move that was said to be aimed at protecting the U.S. security interests.

Although Bush said that he would fulfil his commitment to transfer the embassy to Bait-ul-Moqaddas in the future, it is clear that the delay has been prompted by strong protests in the Islamic world against the U.S. decision to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to this city.

Some Islamic groups in the region and elsewhere also threatened that if Washington goes ahead with its decision, the U.S. interests in all parts of the world will be at stake.

The U.S. Congress in 1995 during the first term in office of former president Bill Clinton approved a motion to transfer U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Bait-ul-Moqaddas. However, the Congress ratification was several times postponed by Clinton for security concerns.

The transfer of U.S. Embassy in Israel was one of the main issues raised by Bush during his election campaign. Furthermore, a short time after the new U.S. Administration took office, Secretary of State Colin Powell called Bait-ul-Moqaddas the capital of Zionist entity. But he was forced to retract his words due to the anger of the Islamic and Arab world.

The fact is that Bait-ul-Moqaddas is considered an occupied city in all UN Security Council resolutions, which clearly refer to East Bait-ul-Moqaddas as an occupied region and require the Zionist regime to withdraw from it unconditionally. Thus, the U.S. intention to transfer its embassy to this occupied city openly violates the international law and the UN resolutions.