On Wednesday, December 6th, President Trump proclaimed that the U.S. would formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and make plans to eventually move the U.S. embassy there.
This action is a break with the long history of U.S.-Israeli relations. The U.S., like every other nation that has diplomatic ties with Israel, has always maintained their embassy in Tel Aviv. The move should not come as a surprise to anyone however as this was one of Trump’s many campaign promises, and he has made a point of keeping most of his promises.
Tensions over Jerusalem have run high since Israel’s creation in 1946. The holiest city on the planet, with Christians, Muslims, and Jews all holding reverence for it, it is also the most contended. When the Jews moved back to Palestine to remake Israel in 1946, there were already people living there. The Palestinians, an Arab Muslim group, were pushed out to the peripheries of Jerusalem and Israel. Many wars and conflicts were fought between Israel and coalitions of Arab nations in the 20th century.
All the while the delicate balance of a hopeful two-state solution has been upheld. Negotiations have been non-stop. Palestinians still claim and occupy the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. They claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state of Palestine.
The decision of Trump’s to formally recognize the whole of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will inevitably have repercussions. While the capital of Israel has been Tel Aviv, Jerusalem has always been the obvious de facto capital to most Jews and Christians worldwide. Muslims, especially Arabs, have always opposed this. Besides the location of the capital, many Arab nations have outright opposed Israel’s right to existence. The move to recognize Jerusalem has been seen by many as just pouring gas on the fire.
Personally, I view it as a break from the appeasement policy that has plagued negotiations and relations surrounds the two-state issue. Jerusalem should obviously be the capital of Israel, I don’t think there is any question about it. One city cannot be the capital for two nations. A two-state solution could still very much be a solution to the problem, but Palestine’s capital must be placed elsewhere. Negotiations have been tried for over 60 years now, and nothing has come of them.
The state of negotiations is very similar to the North Korean issue.
Trump has been mixing up the status quo of world politics. This has had many world leaders understandably on edge. The leaders of Jordan and Saudi Arabia, the foreign minister of China, many leaders within the European Union, and even the Pope have all condemned the move. I do not think anything will change because of these warnings and condemnations, the plan will most likely move along. Israel obviously wholeheartedly supports the move, and is prepared (like always) for any violent retaliation from Palestinians or Arab nations bordering them that may come their way.