Buttigieg wouldn't reverse US embassy move to Jerusalem: 'What's done is done'

[Jose Garcia]

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says if he won he wouldn't reverse President Trump's controversial decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel back to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem.

"I think what's done is done," Buttigieg told "Axios on HBO" in a clip shared Sunday. "We need a big picture strategy on the Middle East, I don't know that we'd gain much by moving it to Tel Aviv."

Trump in late 2017 made the decision to recognize the ancient holy city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and announced plans to relocate the U.S. embassy there. The move drew fire from critics who said it would further strain relations between Israelis and Palestinians, and increase the chances of a potential wide-scale conflict in the Middle East.

Despite saying he wouldn't reverse Trump's actions, Buttigieg said that "doesn't mean he did the right thing."

More: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/448826-buttigieg-wouldnt-reverse-us-embassy-move-to-jerusalem-whats-done-is-done?amp&__twitter_impression=true

[emmaverybo]

1. Much of what Trump did needs to be undone. This is yet another. If it is wrong, it is wrong.

Doesn’t solve the problems in the Mideast, but makes a statement about the U.S. as fair peace brokers.

[rpannier]

3. Agreed

On all points

[Jake Stern]

2. What else of Trump's will he not reverse in the name of "What's done is done"?

This is exactly why I have written Buttigieg off - he lacks the courage to make the big steps to rid us of Trump's bullshit.

The first damn thing an incoming Dem president needs to do is put the brakes on the move, return staffers to Tel Aviv and tell Bibi Nut-and-Yahoo to go pound sand.

[Celerity]

18. Just for starters..Pete Buttigieg Promises To Immediately Scrub Any Trace Of Trumpism From The DOJ

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287152394

[Jake Stern]

26. Every candidate supports scrubbing Trumpism from the DOJ.

BFD. How about righting a wrong and showing the Palestinians that we can be an honest broker?

[Celerity]

28. What are the positions on this from the other top tier candidates?

I already said I disagreed with Buttigieg on this issue, but I will not buy into false framing that attempts to imply post hoc ergo propter hoc he therefore will not do a great deal to help roll back Trumpism. That is faulty logic and slanting to make such a leap.

[thesquanderer]

21. This is why you have written Buttigieg off? What if Biden says the same thing?

Biden did vote for the original resolution to move the embassy to Jerusalem in the first place.

[Cary]

29. Posts like the one you respond to are unhelpful at best

We don't need ideological purity. We need discipline.

[denvine]

4. I must admit, I am disappointed.

I really like Mayor Pete but this needs to be undone!

[Big Blue Marble]

5. I guess he can use that argument with any of Trump's "changes."

Deregulation, Paris Accords, Iran Treaty, DOJ policies, kids in cages, and on and on.

Where is his courage?

[Celerity]

20. he is completely against all those Trump positions/policies

LOL at

'where is his courage'

Pete Buttigieg Promises To Immediately Scrub Any Trace Of Trumpism From The DOJ

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287152394

[thesquanderer]

22. Yes, I'm sure he's going to put kids in cages. {sarcasm}

It's ridiculous to say that, if he won't change one policy, he won't change any. Each decision has its own unique parameters, and consequences. Maybe the courage is in being able to make those distinctions.

[Tikki]

6. We need someone who can not only undo the damage, but can

be the figure behind the fight to undo the damage.
Someone with experience.

Just because we will have a Democratic President doesn't mean
the deplorables won't fight like mad to keep even scraps of what they have.

Tikki

[mikewv]

7. Trump was wrong (Period) but...

I will keep an open mind to all possible Trump Presidential Opponents and their positions. Most every candidate is better than Trump. I will listen to all positions and decide later who I vote for to oppose Trump.

[Jake Stern]

9. What else is he going to not change citing "What's done is done"?

That's called a cop out and definitely not something that makes me more likely to vote for a candidate.

[trev]

11. Yeah, but

I was disappointed when Obama let Bush and Cheney walk away scot-free, too.

This is a bad position for Pete to take. I disagree totally with it. I think I'll write to him and ask him to change his mind.

[George II]

8. This isn't a good position, or as they say about some candidates, "not a good look".

[thesquanderer]

23. please see post #21

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287153175#post21]

[MustLoveBeagles]

10. I really like Pete Buttigieg but he's wrong on this

This needs to reversed.

[JI7]

12. Pete needs more experience. he needs to run for Congress or something

[TeamPooka]

13. Okay, I guess we don't need to re-unite all those kids separated from their families at the border

because "what's done is done."
Thanks Mayor Pete.

[thesquanderer]

24. Please see post #22

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287153175#post22]

[samnsara]

30. amen..this is my priority too..the kids are being hurt NOW..

..lets end the policies now that are causing immediate death and injury..

[JI7]

14. he does say he doesn't want to go back to the past

[Bhkylib]

15. If the European and Asian allies still have their embassies in Tel Aviv, we should as well

So yes, the decision should be reversed.

[Celerity]

16. As a Buttigieg supporter, I totally disagree with this. He needs to rethink this stance. nt

[Honeycombe8]

17. He may be right. If he'd move it, then the next Repub Prez would move it back,....

then the next Dem Prez would move it, and so on. The embassy would become a mobile embassy.

The damage has been done. Moving it won't fix that. Even if it did, it would be only temporary, I guess.

[Jake Stern]

25. Let's not do the right thing because a Repub might switch it back?

Screw that. Move it back to Tel Aviv and if the GOP wants to play musical embassies then that's on them.

[Honeycombe8]

32. "Might"? Try "would." Then the Dem "might" move it back. If he did, the Repub "would" move it back.

And so on.

As I said, he MIGHT be right. There is no single absolutely 100% correct answer.

[treestar]

19. I recall Orange Thief saying he would "erase the Obama Presidency"

and he deserves no less.

[samnsara]

27. we all have our pet projects for the new prez to do FIRST THING...

..i for one would like to see the family separation policy immediately ceased and replaced with a well thought out compassionate fair immigration plan...of course this is all done after Prez he/she has to have trump arrested for trespassing when he refuses to pack up and leave.

[tritsofme]

31. Good. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, regardless of how committed some are to pretending

otherwise.

[thesquanderer]

34. I think Pete hit the mark, that the real problem was doing it for nothing. Master negotiator??

This is something Israel wanted, and could have been part of a plan that also extracted some concession to help move the peace process along. Instead, Trump did what one side wanted, while getting nothing back from that side in return.