The Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Senator Joseph Lieberman, has said he favours moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but not at this delicate stage. Appearing on CNN's Larry King Live, Mr Lieberman rejected suggestions that his Jewish religion would influence his policies regarding Israel and the Middle East. "My first and primary loyalty is, of course, to the United States of America."
On Jerusalem, he said that while he had long supported moving the US embassy there, he knew it was a "complicated" matter. "Right now, I think it would not be a good idea because there is still the flame of hope burning about . . . Camp David," referring to the failed peace talks there several weeks ago. "I think they made tremendous progress at Camp David, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of President Clinton and I think they can still bring an agreement home before the end of the year."
He said that it would be wise to wait until the end of the year before deciding on any change in the embassy location.
President Clinton said in a recent interview with Israeli television that he supported moving the embassy to Jerusalem and would make a decision on that before he leaves office at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Germany's future ambassador to Israel tried yesterday to temper his remarks that Jerusalem should be placed under international administration.
In a newspaper interview published on Tuesday, Mr Rudolf Dressler, who takes up his post on September 1st, had said he was very sympathetic to a controversial Vatican call for an "international guarantee" for Jerusalem's holy sites.
Mr Dressler, a long-serving member of Chancellor Gerhard Schoeder's Social Democrats, said he wanted to go even further and establish an international administration for the city, which is holy to three religions.
His remarks, however, sparked a storm of criticism in Germany. "Should this diplomatic dilettante really represent Germany?" the Bild newspaper wrote in its editorial.
Mr Friedrich Merz, parliamentary head of the opposition Christian Democrats called Dressler's remarks a "political scandal" and said he should not even take up the ambassador's post.
Yesterday Mr Dressler's office issued a statement clarifying his position.
"To the question as to whether I would express myself as ambassador on the status of Jerusalem, I replied no, this is not a matter for an ambassador," he said.
"As head of the Israel working group of the SPD in parliament, I had already expressed a great deal of sympathy for the Vatican proposal. Regarding the question of the administration of the city, I spoke of international [control] to which both sides must agree."
The Vatican yesterday reaffirmed its support for the rights of the Palestinian people and renewed its call for international guarantees for sacred places in the Holy Land.