At 84: The senator who helped change Jerusalem's status in the US dies

Former US Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, a key architect of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, has died at 84 from complications of a neurological disease. Kyl served 18 consecutive years in the Senate and was instrumental in legislation recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move ultimately completed under President Trump.

Former US Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona has passed away at the age of 84 due to complications from a neurological disease. Kyl served 18 consecutive years in the US Senate from 1995 to 2013, and returned briefly in 2018. He was considered one of the main authors and architects of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act. He worked alongside Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole to advance the legislation, which stipulated that Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel and that the US Embassy should be moved there. The act passed the Senate with an exceptional bipartisan majority of 93 votes in favor and five against. For over two decades, US presidents refrained from fully implementing it, until President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017 and moved the US Embassy there in 2018. Chairman Chaim Silberstein of the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP) eulogized Kyl, praising his work for Israel and Jerusalem.