President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a waiver that delays moving the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem — kicking the can down the road in the hopes that the delay will give him momentum to broker peace in the Middle East.

On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to move the embassy to Jerusalem — a priority for the Republican evangelical base as well as many of his Jewish supporters — on Day One of his administration. A senior administration official said Thursday that Trump is still committed to moving the embassy but that he could not squander what he sees as a “hopeful moment for peace.”

Press secretary Sean Spicer reiterated in a statement that the president is still committed in his support for Israel and to the eventual embassy move. “The question is not if that move happens, but only when,” Spicer said.

Trump, according to sources familiar with his thinking, was influenced in his decision by many Arab leaders he heard from during his recent trip to the Middle East. The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and King Abdullah of Jordan, in particular, pressed on Trump that moving the embassy right now would imperil any potential for peace talks and for Trump’s “ultimate deal.”

(AP)