• About Us
  • Who Are We
  • Work With Us
Friday, March 5, 2021
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Globe Post
39 °f
New York
44 ° Fri
46 ° Sat
40 ° Sun
41 ° Mon
No Result
View All Result
The Globe Post
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

Israel to Pay for Trump’s Decision to Recognize Jerusalem as Its Capital

Indre Anskaityte by Indre Anskaityte
12/09/17
in Opinion
Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

President Donald J. Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, as expected, has fueled outrage worldwide.

The U.S. Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act designed to initiate and fund the diplomatic compound’s relocation back in 1995, but every president since then had used their authority to postpone the move by six months.

President Trump has become the first leader of the United States not to delay the step. His decision stands in contrast to the 1993 Oslo peace accords, which suggest that the final status of Jerusalem has to be negotiated in the latter stages of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

It was clear from the begging that the decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem would have another symbolic meaning. By doing so, Donald Trump had to take one step further and recognize Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel.

Minutes after it was announced on Wednesday, the government of Israel welcomed this decision. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a “historic day.” Nevertheless, the international community has its own reservations.

It is not only about the fact that the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has not been agreed on between Israelis and Palestinians but rather imposed by the third party, it is also about the concern about implications this move will have for the whole region.

Ironically, it appears that Donald Trump has ruined his own peace initiative, which he said a few months earlier might be “the best shot ever” at resolving the conflict. His decision is not just another tweet. Even though Mr. Trump’s political image suffers and his foreign policy is considered weak, he still stands as a leader of a superpower, which plays an important role in the Middle East and its stability.

Soon after Mr. Trump’s speech, the leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, called for a new Palestinian Intifada, or uprising. Meanwhile, Israel has strengthened security measures and prepared for protests in Jerusalem. This decision might become a huge step backward in relations between Israelis and Palestinians, which have always been fragile.

The embassy move will definitely bring more instability to the region, and this is the last thing what the Middle East needs today. The controversial step by the United States will have its price, and Israel most certainly will have to pay for it.

Israel has to be concerned not only about security issues. Most of the Arab and Muslim countries have condemned the decision to move the embassy. It will definitely deteriorate Israel’s relations with countries that Israel has diplomatic ties with.

Furthermore, it might doom prospects of better relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Saudi Arabia has warned that the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel might have “dangerous consequences” and it means nothing else but “a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process.”

A few days earlier, a former Israeli defense minister claimed that Saudis are ready to accept almost any kind of peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians. Reports in the media indicated that Saudi Arabia and Israel were interested in allying against Iran and Riyadh sought to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. However, it looks like the Saudi position and the support for Israel have been miscalculated.

Even though the U.S. has recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, this recognition will not change much since the majority of the European Union members have expressed criticism towards this decision. E.U. Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini said the latest decision by the U.S. might “take us back to even darker times.”

On the other hand, Israeli media has reported that the Czech Republic and the Philippines are considering to follow the U.S. example in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. However, in many other cases, the recognition may cause the opposite effect, and prompt the E.U. to level harsher criticisms against Israeli policies, especially activities related to new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Both Palestinians and Israelis claim Jerusalem as their capital. The essence of the conflict is a 0.35 square miles walled area, which makes the Old City. It has the most sacred places to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The Temple Mount or Haram al-Sharif is the very center of the conflict and long-existing violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The Temple Mount is the holiest place for Jewish people. It is believed that the first and the second Temple were built there. Tradition also maintains that it is the site where the third and final Temple will be erected.

The site is also considered the third holiest in Islam, as it is believed that Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from there.

Neither of the sides is willing to give up this holy place, and it is hard to expect that the final peace solution will be reached without an agreement on the control of the Old City of Jerusalem.

If the holy city was only about holiness and peace, Jews, Muslims and Christians would be able to agree on a shared custody of the Old City. However, it looks like Jerusalem lost its real meaning a long time ago — it is all about politics today.

Jerusalem means “the city of peace,” but since the beginning of the renewed confrontation, peace seems as distant as ever.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The Globe Post.
Share1Tweet
Indre Anskaityte

Indre Anskaityte

Related Posts

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) meets with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in Khartoum, last August
Opinion

Sudan’s Normalization With Israel Is a Win for Everyone

by Jon Davis and Erielle Davidson
February 26, 2021
Republican Senator from Missouri Josh Hawley
Opinion

Trump’s Acquittal and Republican Senators: Not Setting the Bar Low Enough

by Stephen J. Lyons
February 22, 2021
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
World

Iran to Host UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief Ahead of Sanctions Deadline

by Staff Writer
February 20, 2021
Israel blocked an initial shipment of Sputnik V from entering Gaza.
Middle East

First Batch of Covid-19 Vaccine Arrives in Gaza After Israel’s Blockage

by Staff Writer
February 17, 2021
The sign of "Camp Justice" at the US Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, April 8, 2014.
National

Biden Wants to Close Prison at Guantanamo Bay: White House

by Staff Writer
February 13, 2021
Former President Donald Trump.
National

Trump Was Riot ‘Inciter-in-Chief,’ Prosecutor Tells Senate Trial

by Staff Writer
February 10, 2021
Next Post
Jordanians Rally Against Trump’s Jerusalem Announcement

Jordanians Rally Against Trump's Jerusalem Announcement

kim jong un, china, missiles, north korea

North Korea Blames US for Tensions in Rare UN Talks

Recommended

Malika Boumendjel, widow of Algerian lawyer Ali Boumendjel, speaks in a 2001 interview about her husband's death during his detention by the French army.

Algeria Welcomes France’s Admission It Killed Independence Figure

March 4, 2021
Jake Angeli speaks to a US Capitol Police officer.

Attempted US Capitol Coup a Security and Existential Crisis

March 3, 2021
Myanmar police fire water cannon at protesters as they continue to demonstrate against the February 1 military coup.

Six Dead as Myanmar Security Forces Fire at Protesters

March 3, 2021
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed on October 2, 2018, while he was inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

Reporters Without Borders Sue Saudi Prince Over Khashoggi Murder

March 2, 2021
Hatice Cengiz delivers a speech addressing the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Capitol Hill, May 16, 2019.

Khashoggi Fiancée Demands Punishment for Saudi Prince

March 1, 2021
People lay flowers in central Moscow at the site where late opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was fatally shot, February 27, 2021.

Russians Mark Sixth Anniversary of Kremlin Critic’s Murder

February 27, 2021

Opinion

Jake Angeli speaks to a US Capitol Police officer.

Attempted US Capitol Coup a Security and Existential Crisis

March 3, 2021
What President Biden Should Do About the Uyghur Genocide

What President Biden Should Do About the Uyghur Genocide

March 1, 2021
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) meets with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in Khartoum, last August

Sudan’s Normalization With Israel Is a Win for Everyone

February 26, 2021
Stolpersteine in Greifswald, Germany.

I Can’t Mark Where My Grandfather Is Buried, but I Want to Mark Where He Lived

February 26, 2021
Republican Senator from Missouri Josh Hawley

Trump’s Acquittal and Republican Senators: Not Setting the Bar Low Enough

February 22, 2021
Why Not Equality for America’s Puerto Rican Men and Women?

Why Not Equality for America’s Puerto Rican Men and Women?

February 19, 2021
Facebook Twitter

Newsletter

Do you like our reporting?
SUBSCRIBE

About Us

The Globe Post

The Globe Post is part of Globe Post Media, a U.S. digital news organization that is publishing the world's best targeted news sites.

submit oped

© 2018 The Globe Post

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • World
  • Business
  • Interviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Democracy at Risk
    • Media Freedom
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Columns
    • Book Reviews
    • Stage
  • Submit Op-ed

© 2018 The Globe Post