7 dec 2017
The decision by United States President Donald Trump to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize the city as Israel’s capital is an “obstacle to a just and lasting peace” in the region, the Swiss foreign ministry said on Thursday.
The Swiss reaction, which was communicated directly to the U.S. embassy in Bern on Thursday morning, follows much of the international community in condemning a move widely seen as destabilizing to peace-building efforts between Israelis and Palestinians.
“Switzerland considers that, in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 478, any solution to the conflict in the Middle East must be based on a comprehensive and negotiated agreement on the final status of Jerusalem,” the foreign ministry wrote in a statement.
It also reiterated Swiss backing for a negotiated two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, in which Jerusalem as a disputed city plays a strategic and symbolic role.
Switzerland, in accordance with UN resolutions, does not recognize the authority of Israel over territories captured since 1967, which includes part of the city. No other country has an embassy in Jerusalem. Switzerland clearly stated that it would maintain its embassy in Tel Aviv.
President Trump’s recognition on Wednesday of Jerusalem’s status as Israeli capital reversed decades of U.S. policy in the region and has led to condemnation and heightened tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories and the MENA region.
The Islamist group Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response.
Several states, activists, and international NGOs condemned the U.S. decision, saying it is tantamount to a definitive recognition of an Israeli annexation of Jerusalem.
The Swiss reaction, which was communicated directly to the U.S. embassy in Bern on Thursday morning, follows much of the international community in condemning a move widely seen as destabilizing to peace-building efforts between Israelis and Palestinians.
“Switzerland considers that, in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 478, any solution to the conflict in the Middle East must be based on a comprehensive and negotiated agreement on the final status of Jerusalem,” the foreign ministry wrote in a statement.
It also reiterated Swiss backing for a negotiated two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, in which Jerusalem as a disputed city plays a strategic and symbolic role.
Switzerland, in accordance with UN resolutions, does not recognize the authority of Israel over territories captured since 1967, which includes part of the city. No other country has an embassy in Jerusalem. Switzerland clearly stated that it would maintain its embassy in Tel Aviv.
President Trump’s recognition on Wednesday of Jerusalem’s status as Israeli capital reversed decades of U.S. policy in the region and has led to condemnation and heightened tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories and the MENA region.
The Islamist group Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response.
Several states, activists, and international NGOs condemned the U.S. decision, saying it is tantamount to a definitive recognition of an Israeli annexation of Jerusalem.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is one of the key events in Israel’s history, comparing it to the Balfour Declaration.
“There are major moments in the history of Zionism, the Balfour Declaration, the founding of the state, the liberation of Jerusalem and Trump’s announcement yesterday,” said Netanyahu in a video published on social media.
“I told him: ‘My friend the president, you are going to make history.’ Yesterday, he made history,” he added.
Netanyahu said Trump’s decision was embraced by Israelis of all stripes and quoted a religious verse to invoke the Jewish people’s alleged emotional attachment to the city.
“This is a festive and unifying moment, for the right, the left, religious, secular,” he further claimed. “We are making Jerusalem our chief joy.”
“There are major moments in the history of Zionism, the Balfour Declaration, the founding of the state, the liberation of Jerusalem and Trump’s announcement yesterday,” said Netanyahu in a video published on social media.
“I told him: ‘My friend the president, you are going to make history.’ Yesterday, he made history,” he added.
Netanyahu said Trump’s decision was embraced by Israelis of all stripes and quoted a religious verse to invoke the Jewish people’s alleged emotional attachment to the city.
“This is a festive and unifying moment, for the right, the left, religious, secular,” he further claimed. “We are making Jerusalem our chief joy.”
The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) condemned on Thursday the decision of U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move U.S. embassy to the city.
ISESCO Director General Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri described in a statement this decision as a violation of UN resolutions, which consider Jerusalem as part of occupied Palestinian territories.
He also deemed such a move as a contradiction to the principle of a fair settlement of the Palestinian cause and a threat to peace and security in the region, stressing the status of Jerusalem as an Arab city and a land where Muslim and Christian sanctities outnumber those of any other religion.
In this regard, ISESCO director general urged member states to take resolute actions to address the implications of this serious shift in the U.S. administration's policy towards the Palestinian cause, and its repercussions on Muslim sanctity and the rights of the Palestinian people.
In a Wednesday speech from Washington, Trump said he had decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy to the city.
Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East condemned the U.S. decision, calling it an incendiary move and one that will fuel conflict and increase violence in the entire region.
By recognizing Israel’s claim to Jerusalem, Trump is siding with Israel on the most sensitive issue in the conflict.
International news outlets said Trump’s “deplorable and unacceptable” move signified America’s withdrawal as a sponsor of the peace process.
Thousands rallied Wednesday across Palestine and the world against the announcement, burning U.S. and Israeli flags as well as pictures of Trump and Netanyahu.
The Hamas resistance group warned that Trump had opened “the gates of hell on US interests in the region.”
ISESCO Director General Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri described in a statement this decision as a violation of UN resolutions, which consider Jerusalem as part of occupied Palestinian territories.
He also deemed such a move as a contradiction to the principle of a fair settlement of the Palestinian cause and a threat to peace and security in the region, stressing the status of Jerusalem as an Arab city and a land where Muslim and Christian sanctities outnumber those of any other religion.
In this regard, ISESCO director general urged member states to take resolute actions to address the implications of this serious shift in the U.S. administration's policy towards the Palestinian cause, and its repercussions on Muslim sanctity and the rights of the Palestinian people.
In a Wednesday speech from Washington, Trump said he had decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy to the city.
Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East condemned the U.S. decision, calling it an incendiary move and one that will fuel conflict and increase violence in the entire region.
By recognizing Israel’s claim to Jerusalem, Trump is siding with Israel on the most sensitive issue in the conflict.
International news outlets said Trump’s “deplorable and unacceptable” move signified America’s withdrawal as a sponsor of the peace process.
Thousands rallied Wednesday across Palestine and the world against the announcement, burning U.S. and Israeli flags as well as pictures of Trump and Netanyahu.
The Hamas resistance group warned that Trump had opened “the gates of hell on US interests in the region.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May criticized US President Donald Trump for jeopardizing the "prospects of peace" in the Middle East" by officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said the world is no closer to a lasting peace agreement in the region - adding recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is "in the best interests of the US and the pursuit of peace between Israel and Palestinians."
But the British prime minister has condemned the controversial action as she reiterated the UK's support for continued negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
May said: "We disagree with the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement.
"We believe it is unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region. The British Embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it."
"Our position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states. In line with relevant Security Council Resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories," May added.
She urged the White House to "now bring forward detailed proposals for an Israel-Palestinian settlement".
“To have the best chances of success, the peace process must be conducted in an atmosphere free from violence. We call on all parties to work together to maintain calm,” she added.
Leader of British Labor party Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: “Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, including occupied Palestinian territory, is a reckless threat to peace.
“The British Government must condemn this dangerous act and work for a just and viable settlement of the conflict.”
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said the world is no closer to a lasting peace agreement in the region - adding recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is "in the best interests of the US and the pursuit of peace between Israel and Palestinians."
But the British prime minister has condemned the controversial action as she reiterated the UK's support for continued negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
May said: "We disagree with the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement.
"We believe it is unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region. The British Embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it."
"Our position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states. In line with relevant Security Council Resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories," May added.
She urged the White House to "now bring forward detailed proposals for an Israel-Palestinian settlement".
“To have the best chances of success, the peace process must be conducted in an atmosphere free from violence. We call on all parties to work together to maintain calm,” she added.
Leader of British Labor party Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: “Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, including occupied Palestinian territory, is a reckless threat to peace.
“The British Government must condemn this dangerous act and work for a just and viable settlement of the conflict.”
Angry protests have spread in several Arab and Islamic countries after US President Donald Trump declared occupied Jerusalem the capital of Israel despite an international outcry.
The US president's announcement - which includes moving the US embassy to occupied Jerusalem - was condemned by many Arab and Islamic leaders, saying it would derail peace efforts.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was among the leaders to immediately denounce the decision as he accused the US of 'withdrawing' from the peace process.
US allies including French President Emmanuel Macron and British PM Theresa May also slammed Trump following his decision.
Meanwhile, furious protests have raged in Iraq, where a large demonstration was organized in Baghdad by the Sunni Endowment Center.
Head of the center Abdullatif Al-Humim accused the US administration of "sponsoring terrorism and seeking to divide the region.”
In Jordan, hundreds of students took to the streets protesting Trump’s decision on Jerusalem, chanting slogans against the US administration and Israeli occupation.
Similar protests were organized in Tunisia where hundreds of people demonstrated in Sfax, Sousse, and Tunis calling for a strong and firm Arab and Islamic position.
Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon have also witnessed large demonstrations calling for activating armed resistance against Israeli occupation.
The US president's announcement - which includes moving the US embassy to occupied Jerusalem - was condemned by many Arab and Islamic leaders, saying it would derail peace efforts.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was among the leaders to immediately denounce the decision as he accused the US of 'withdrawing' from the peace process.
US allies including French President Emmanuel Macron and British PM Theresa May also slammed Trump following his decision.
Meanwhile, furious protests have raged in Iraq, where a large demonstration was organized in Baghdad by the Sunni Endowment Center.
Head of the center Abdullatif Al-Humim accused the US administration of "sponsoring terrorism and seeking to divide the region.”
In Jordan, hundreds of students took to the streets protesting Trump’s decision on Jerusalem, chanting slogans against the US administration and Israeli occupation.
Similar protests were organized in Tunisia where hundreds of people demonstrated in Sfax, Sousse, and Tunis calling for a strong and firm Arab and Islamic position.
Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon have also witnessed large demonstrations calling for activating armed resistance against Israeli occupation.
Israel's foreign ministry and its missions abroad have been instructed to put out feelers to see if other countries are willing to follow US president Donald Trump's lead in recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and also move their embassies to it.
At the behest of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, the foreign ministry told embassies to start holding meetings with officials of other friendly countries to sense their positions about the step that was taken by Trump and if their regimes could be ready to follow suit.
After Trump signed his declaration over Occupied Jerusalem, Netanyahu called on other countries to follow suit.
Israeli officials already claimed that Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte and the Czech Republic together with EU member states were likely to follow in Trump’s footsteps.
At the behest of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, the foreign ministry told embassies to start holding meetings with officials of other friendly countries to sense their positions about the step that was taken by Trump and if their regimes could be ready to follow suit.
After Trump signed his declaration over Occupied Jerusalem, Netanyahu called on other countries to follow suit.
Israeli officials already claimed that Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte and the Czech Republic together with EU member states were likely to follow in Trump’s footsteps.
A massive general strike, called for by factions, brought all aspects of daily life in Palestine on Thursday to a halt in protest at US president Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as a capital for the Israeli occupation state.
All stores and institutions, including schools and universities, closed their doors in the Gaza Strip and the occupied territories in response to calls for participating in a general strike following Trump’s declaration.
Major Palestinian factions in Occupied Jerusalem and the Association of Palestinian Scholars also urged the Palestinian people and the Muslim nation to launch popular uprisings protesting the US step.
Trump on Wednesday defied overwhelming global opposition by signing a declaration claiming that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.
All stores and institutions, including schools and universities, closed their doors in the Gaza Strip and the occupied territories in response to calls for participating in a general strike following Trump’s declaration.
Major Palestinian factions in Occupied Jerusalem and the Association of Palestinian Scholars also urged the Palestinian people and the Muslim nation to launch popular uprisings protesting the US step.
Trump on Wednesday defied overwhelming global opposition by signing a declaration claiming that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.
The US House of Representatives voted, on Tuesday, to sharply reduce the annual $300m in US aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA), unless it stops paying families of Palestinian abducted by Israel.
The measure is intended to stop the PA from paying salaries to Palestinian families of which Israeli occupation forces or settlers have imprisoned or killed the breadwinners.
Republican Representative Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claimed, before the vote, that the Palestinians who are paid are rewarded for their brutality against the Israelis.
The committee’s top Democrat, Representative Eliot Engel of New York, described the payments for the families without a source of income as “downright disgusting” and undermine the potential for a two-state solution.
For this measure to become a law, it must be passed by the US Senate and signed by President Donald Trump.
Similar legislation has been passed by two Senate committees, but there was no immediate word on when the Senate might take up the bill.
According to Days of Palestine, Palestinian officials have said they intend to continue the payments, which they see as support for relatives of those imprisoned by Israel for fighting against military occupation, or who have died in connection with that cause.
The measures moving through Congress, now, are not as severe as had been proposed. The legislation passed by the House has previously proposed to stop vaccination of children and abductees of those who were murdered by Israel.
The measure is intended to stop the PA from paying salaries to Palestinian families of which Israeli occupation forces or settlers have imprisoned or killed the breadwinners.
Republican Representative Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claimed, before the vote, that the Palestinians who are paid are rewarded for their brutality against the Israelis.
The committee’s top Democrat, Representative Eliot Engel of New York, described the payments for the families without a source of income as “downright disgusting” and undermine the potential for a two-state solution.
For this measure to become a law, it must be passed by the US Senate and signed by President Donald Trump.
Similar legislation has been passed by two Senate committees, but there was no immediate word on when the Senate might take up the bill.
According to Days of Palestine, Palestinian officials have said they intend to continue the payments, which they see as support for relatives of those imprisoned by Israel for fighting against military occupation, or who have died in connection with that cause.
The measures moving through Congress, now, are not as severe as had been proposed. The legislation passed by the House has previously proposed to stop vaccination of children and abductees of those who were murdered by Israel.
|
|
President Trump will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the American embassy there. Ali Abunimah of the Electronic Intifada says years of US policy set the stage.
Ali Abunimah is co-founder of the award-winning online publication The Electronic Intifada and author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse. His latest book is titled The Battle for Justice in Palestine. Based in Chicago, he has written hundreds of articles on the question of Palestine in major publications including The New York Times, The Guardian and for Al Jazeera. TRNN video & transcript: AARON MATÉ: It’s The Real News. I’m Aaron Maté. After vowing, |
“America First” at home, President Trump continues to push, “Israel First,” in the Middle East. Trump has decided to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the American Embassy there. Trump told regional leaders of his plan today ahead of an expected announcement on Wednesday. Israel’s illegal occupation of east Jerusalem has been a major flashpoint in the Israel-Palestine conflict and Trump’s decision provides a new level of US support. His announcement comes just days after the indictment of Michael Flynn revealed that Trump started doing Israel’s bidding even before he took office.In December 2016, the Trump team tried and failed to undermine President Obama’s decision to allow a U.N. Security Council measure condemning Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. I’m joined now by Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the Electronic Intifada. Ali, welcome. There was just a White House briefing with reporters talking about this move to move the embassy to Jerusalem. A White House official said that this is a recognition of reality that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. Your thoughts on this announcement.
ALI ABUNIMAH: Well, it sounds like it is just an announcement in the sense that the latest says that Trump is not going to actually move the embassy yet and will sign the waiver to delay that move for at least another six months. On the other hand, it’s a recognition of a reality that the United States has helped to create, of Israeli control and occupation and incremental ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem to force the Palestinians out, to cleanse the identity of Jerusalem from its Muslim and Christian aspects and to market Israel as an exclusively Jewish and Israeli city. The US is creating the reality that it claims to be recognizing.
AARON MATÉ: The reaction that we’ve gotten so far, a lot of criticism of the decision. Turkey, for example, the leader there, President Erdoğan called it a red line that the US should not cross. Palestinian factions have called for three days of rage in response, protests over the decision. Referring to this as a red line, as opposed to all the other things that Israel has done, you pointed this out on Twitter that there’s sort of a double standard here in being outraged over symbolic acts but not seeing red lines in the many crimes that Israel’s committed up to this point.
ALI ABUNIMAH: Exactly. I mean, there was a statement today from the Organization of the Islamic Conference, basically 57 Muslim majority states which reaffirm that Jerusalem is occupied and that all of Israel’s measures are illegal and so on. That’s fine and it’s fine for Turkey to take that position. The trouble is that Israel has gotten away with so much for decades, forcing Palestinians out, settling and colonizing east Jerusalem, as well as the rest of the West Bank, that, the lack of international response for so many years, the failure to hold Israel accountable has really opened the way for this.The European Union, for example, is warning against this move by Trump but what have they done for all these years? They surrendered the leadership of the so-called peace process to the United States. They utterly failed to hold Israel accountable themselves. Well, this is the result of putting the United States in charge and refusing to take action yourselves.
AARON MATÉ: Do you think that this decision will finally push the Palestinian Authority to stop pretending as if it has a reliable ally in the US? I know it receives US financial support and has relied on that but how can they get away in front of their own people with continuing to cooperate with the US on things like security, “cooperation,” in the west bank when President Trump has handed them this humiliation of moving the embassy to Jerusalem?
ALI ABUNIMAH: Yes, this comes just months after Mahmoud Abbas stood side by side with Donald Trump at the White House and praised the “Wisdom,” of Donald Trump and said, “Mr. President, with you we have hope.” It really is a sort of a, yet, another humiliation for Abbas. Look, I don’t think it will change their approach. I heard PA officials today in media saying how this undermines the position of the United States as an honest broker. I mean, who but the most diluted person could have ever thought the United States was an honest broker and that you only needed this to somehow make the US seem bias? The reality is they have no other strategy.The Palestinian authority is there because of US support and Israeli support and support of the European Union and not by virtue of really having support among Palestinians. Look, back in the summer when Israel made this move to try and tighten its control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The Palestinians in Jerusalem surprised everyone with weeks of non-violent civil disobedience which drove Israel into retreat. That’s where I do see hope, is that despite decades of Israeli efforts to weaken the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, to drive out Palestinian institutions in civil society, the ordinary people of Jerusalem, the ordinary Palestinian people of Jerusalem showed that they’re still determined to defend the city. That really matters.
AARON MATÉ: Ali, on the point you made about the US not being an honest broker in this conflict long before President Trump came along, I want to ask you about this supposed peace plan of Trump. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has reportedly presented it to Mahmoud Abbas and there’s been a lot of criticism of it. There was a piece in the New York Times called, Talk of a Peace Plan That Snubs Palestinians Royals Middle East.What was interesting to me about it, is that the elements of the Saudi-Trump peace plan that people are rightfully saying is not very fair to the Palestinians, sounds exactly like the so-called generous peace plan that Ehud Barak and Bill Clinton offered Yasser Arafat in July 2000 for which Arafat was denounced for rejecting, even though it’s basically the same thing. It’s most of the illegal settlements stay in the west bank, Palestinians don’t have sovereignty over actually east Jerusalem and there’s no right of return for refugees.
ALI ABUNIMAH: You’re exactly right. It’s warmed over, rehashing of the same plans that date back to the 1990s for a Palestinian bantustan, which would be a state and name only. Palestinians living under permanent Israeli occupation apartheid, separated into little bits of territory here and there where they can say we have a stake but in reality they have no control. It even revives this laughable idea from the 1990s, the so-called Abu Dis Plan where the small village of Abu Dis, which is near Jerusalem would be renamed Al-Quds and the Palestinians could declare a capital there, instead of in the actual city of Jerusalem, which would be completely swallowed up by Israel. It really contains nothing new. By the way, Abu Dis currently is a village that a large part of whose land Israel has confiscated to use as an illegal garbage dump. According to the Trump-Jared Kushner-Saudi plan, the Palestinian capital would be essentially in a garbage dump.
AARON MATÉ: If I recall right, that Abu Dis Plan was actually presented as part of this, again, this so-called generous peace officer, peace offer that was given to Yasser Arafat for which again he was roundly condemned in liberal media here in the US by politicians for rejecting. It’s interesting to see that now revived under Trump. Finally, I-
ALI ABUNIMAH: Yeah.
AARON MATÉ: Yeah.
ALI ABUNIMAH: One thing that’s important to note that’s different now is the regional context, where you have this Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, who is pressuring the Palestinians to accept things that even Abbas can’t accept. The motivation there is to liquidate the Palestinian cause and push it aside as an issue that stands in the way of a full consummation of the Saudi-Israeli alliance whose main target is this obsessive enmity that Israel and Saudi Arabia have towards Iran. The Palestinians are the sacrificial lamb in that and in this sense, Jerusalem can be seen as the Saudi dowry or wedding gift to Israel.
AARON MATÉ: We’ll leave it there. Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the Electronic Intifada. Thank you.
ALI ABUNIMAH: Thank you, Aaron.
AARON MATÉ: Thank you for joining us on The Real News.
ALI ABUNIMAH: Well, it sounds like it is just an announcement in the sense that the latest says that Trump is not going to actually move the embassy yet and will sign the waiver to delay that move for at least another six months. On the other hand, it’s a recognition of a reality that the United States has helped to create, of Israeli control and occupation and incremental ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem to force the Palestinians out, to cleanse the identity of Jerusalem from its Muslim and Christian aspects and to market Israel as an exclusively Jewish and Israeli city. The US is creating the reality that it claims to be recognizing.
AARON MATÉ: The reaction that we’ve gotten so far, a lot of criticism of the decision. Turkey, for example, the leader there, President Erdoğan called it a red line that the US should not cross. Palestinian factions have called for three days of rage in response, protests over the decision. Referring to this as a red line, as opposed to all the other things that Israel has done, you pointed this out on Twitter that there’s sort of a double standard here in being outraged over symbolic acts but not seeing red lines in the many crimes that Israel’s committed up to this point.
ALI ABUNIMAH: Exactly. I mean, there was a statement today from the Organization of the Islamic Conference, basically 57 Muslim majority states which reaffirm that Jerusalem is occupied and that all of Israel’s measures are illegal and so on. That’s fine and it’s fine for Turkey to take that position. The trouble is that Israel has gotten away with so much for decades, forcing Palestinians out, settling and colonizing east Jerusalem, as well as the rest of the West Bank, that, the lack of international response for so many years, the failure to hold Israel accountable has really opened the way for this.The European Union, for example, is warning against this move by Trump but what have they done for all these years? They surrendered the leadership of the so-called peace process to the United States. They utterly failed to hold Israel accountable themselves. Well, this is the result of putting the United States in charge and refusing to take action yourselves.
AARON MATÉ: Do you think that this decision will finally push the Palestinian Authority to stop pretending as if it has a reliable ally in the US? I know it receives US financial support and has relied on that but how can they get away in front of their own people with continuing to cooperate with the US on things like security, “cooperation,” in the west bank when President Trump has handed them this humiliation of moving the embassy to Jerusalem?
ALI ABUNIMAH: Yes, this comes just months after Mahmoud Abbas stood side by side with Donald Trump at the White House and praised the “Wisdom,” of Donald Trump and said, “Mr. President, with you we have hope.” It really is a sort of a, yet, another humiliation for Abbas. Look, I don’t think it will change their approach. I heard PA officials today in media saying how this undermines the position of the United States as an honest broker. I mean, who but the most diluted person could have ever thought the United States was an honest broker and that you only needed this to somehow make the US seem bias? The reality is they have no other strategy.The Palestinian authority is there because of US support and Israeli support and support of the European Union and not by virtue of really having support among Palestinians. Look, back in the summer when Israel made this move to try and tighten its control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The Palestinians in Jerusalem surprised everyone with weeks of non-violent civil disobedience which drove Israel into retreat. That’s where I do see hope, is that despite decades of Israeli efforts to weaken the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, to drive out Palestinian institutions in civil society, the ordinary people of Jerusalem, the ordinary Palestinian people of Jerusalem showed that they’re still determined to defend the city. That really matters.
AARON MATÉ: Ali, on the point you made about the US not being an honest broker in this conflict long before President Trump came along, I want to ask you about this supposed peace plan of Trump. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has reportedly presented it to Mahmoud Abbas and there’s been a lot of criticism of it. There was a piece in the New York Times called, Talk of a Peace Plan That Snubs Palestinians Royals Middle East.What was interesting to me about it, is that the elements of the Saudi-Trump peace plan that people are rightfully saying is not very fair to the Palestinians, sounds exactly like the so-called generous peace plan that Ehud Barak and Bill Clinton offered Yasser Arafat in July 2000 for which Arafat was denounced for rejecting, even though it’s basically the same thing. It’s most of the illegal settlements stay in the west bank, Palestinians don’t have sovereignty over actually east Jerusalem and there’s no right of return for refugees.
ALI ABUNIMAH: You’re exactly right. It’s warmed over, rehashing of the same plans that date back to the 1990s for a Palestinian bantustan, which would be a state and name only. Palestinians living under permanent Israeli occupation apartheid, separated into little bits of territory here and there where they can say we have a stake but in reality they have no control. It even revives this laughable idea from the 1990s, the so-called Abu Dis Plan where the small village of Abu Dis, which is near Jerusalem would be renamed Al-Quds and the Palestinians could declare a capital there, instead of in the actual city of Jerusalem, which would be completely swallowed up by Israel. It really contains nothing new. By the way, Abu Dis currently is a village that a large part of whose land Israel has confiscated to use as an illegal garbage dump. According to the Trump-Jared Kushner-Saudi plan, the Palestinian capital would be essentially in a garbage dump.
AARON MATÉ: If I recall right, that Abu Dis Plan was actually presented as part of this, again, this so-called generous peace officer, peace offer that was given to Yasser Arafat for which again he was roundly condemned in liberal media here in the US by politicians for rejecting. It’s interesting to see that now revived under Trump. Finally, I-
ALI ABUNIMAH: Yeah.
AARON MATÉ: Yeah.
ALI ABUNIMAH: One thing that’s important to note that’s different now is the regional context, where you have this Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, who is pressuring the Palestinians to accept things that even Abbas can’t accept. The motivation there is to liquidate the Palestinian cause and push it aside as an issue that stands in the way of a full consummation of the Saudi-Israeli alliance whose main target is this obsessive enmity that Israel and Saudi Arabia have towards Iran. The Palestinians are the sacrificial lamb in that and in this sense, Jerusalem can be seen as the Saudi dowry or wedding gift to Israel.
AARON MATÉ: We’ll leave it there. Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the Electronic Intifada. Thank you.
ALI ABUNIMAH: Thank you, Aaron.
AARON MATÉ: Thank you for joining us on The Real News.
Just days after the Christmas tree lighting in the birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem, the lights on the giant Christmas tree were turned off at the request of local officials, to protest the US claim that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.
The ‘Christmas blackout’ protest also included the Christmas tree in Beit Sahour and the one in Ramallah set up next to the burial site of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
This was a decision made by local officials, whose leadership is majority Christian.
Palestinian Christian leaders have joined with Muslim leaders to condemn the U.S. President’s statement about Jerusalem, which was an unprecedented policy shift by a U.S. administration.
The spokesperson for the city of Bethlehem, Fady Ghattas, “The Christmas tree was switched off on the order of the mayor today in protest at Trump’s decision.”
The city spokesman said they may keep the blackout in place through Christmas. The annual month-long Christmas celebration was subdued in the past decade due to the Israeli occupation. But the last couple of years have been more festive, and this year was the largest Christmas tree lighting since before the second intifada began in 2000.
Protesters marched through the streets of Bethlehem Wednesday after Trump made his speech declaring Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, effectively annulling the rights of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians that live in the city of Jerusalem, and denying the rights of Christians and Muslims to the city.
The ‘Christmas blackout’ protest also included the Christmas tree in Beit Sahour and the one in Ramallah set up next to the burial site of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
This was a decision made by local officials, whose leadership is majority Christian.
Palestinian Christian leaders have joined with Muslim leaders to condemn the U.S. President’s statement about Jerusalem, which was an unprecedented policy shift by a U.S. administration.
The spokesperson for the city of Bethlehem, Fady Ghattas, “The Christmas tree was switched off on the order of the mayor today in protest at Trump’s decision.”
The city spokesman said they may keep the blackout in place through Christmas. The annual month-long Christmas celebration was subdued in the past decade due to the Israeli occupation. But the last couple of years have been more festive, and this year was the largest Christmas tree lighting since before the second intifada began in 2000.
Protesters marched through the streets of Bethlehem Wednesday after Trump made his speech declaring Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, effectively annulling the rights of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians that live in the city of Jerusalem, and denying the rights of Christians and Muslims to the city.
Head of Hamas’s political bureau Ismail Haneyya has said that the Palestinian people will start a fresh intifada (uprising) in response to US president Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
In a speech, Haneyya affirmed that the Palestinian people would rise up against the Israeli occupation and defend their Jerusalem.
“As we are facing this new equation and such defining political turn resulting from this decision (of Trump), we are demanded to take decisions, formulate policies and develop strategies to confront this new conspiracy against Jerusalem and Palestine,” Haneyya stated.
“In view of such blatant and blind bias from the US administration and this diabolical alliance that allows itself to decide the fate of Jerusalem and its status, we must be as clear as the sun and state our position unequivocally and unambiguously,” Haneyya said.
“Jerusalem is united with no east or west. It is a Palestinian, Arab and Islamic city and the capital of the State of Palestine,” he emphasized.
“I say today that Palestine is also a one contiguous and united land extending from the sea to the river and cannot be divided into two states or entities. Palestine and Jerusalem are ours and we do not recognize any legitimacy conferred upon the occupation.”
“There is no Israel on the land of Palestine in order for it to have a capital,” the Hamas official underlined.
In a speech, Haneyya affirmed that the Palestinian people would rise up against the Israeli occupation and defend their Jerusalem.
“As we are facing this new equation and such defining political turn resulting from this decision (of Trump), we are demanded to take decisions, formulate policies and develop strategies to confront this new conspiracy against Jerusalem and Palestine,” Haneyya stated.
“In view of such blatant and blind bias from the US administration and this diabolical alliance that allows itself to decide the fate of Jerusalem and its status, we must be as clear as the sun and state our position unequivocally and unambiguously,” Haneyya said.
“Jerusalem is united with no east or west. It is a Palestinian, Arab and Islamic city and the capital of the State of Palestine,” he emphasized.
“I say today that Palestine is also a one contiguous and united land extending from the sea to the river and cannot be divided into two states or entities. Palestine and Jerusalem are ours and we do not recognize any legitimacy conferred upon the occupation.”
“There is no Israel on the land of Palestine in order for it to have a capital,” the Hamas official underlined.
The American president's announcement of his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital will have very severe repercussions in Palestine, the Arab world and the Islamic arena, Dr. Maher Salah, head of Hamas Movement in the diaspora, said on Thursday.
Salah, who is currently heading a Hamas delegation on a visit to Malaysia, said in a press statement, “This is an illegitimate and ill-advised decision, which contradicts international laws and resolutions, and violates the sanctity of the holy city of Jerusalem.”
He empathized that the decision is refused and will be resisted by all the Palestinian, Arab, Muslim and free peoples of the world.
“Jerusalem (Bait Al-Maqdes) is a sacred city for both Muslims and Christians. It is the united capital of Palestine. It has been, and will always be the first qibla, and the third most sacred mosque. It is a verse (ayah) in the Quran (the Book of Allah).”
Salah affirmed that Jerusalem will always be a Palestinian, an Arab and an Islamic city.
“We, in Hamas, call upon the Arab and Muslim Ummah and the free peoples of the world to stand firm and united against this dangerous decision and support the Palestinians in their continuous struggle to liberate their homeland and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” he added.
He concluded by saying, “This American move serves as a blatant reminder and a loud wake-up call to all Arab and Muslim countries and leaders that their true and only enemy is the illegitimate Zionist occupation. All their efforts and means should be directed towards uprooting this occupation, freeing Palestine and returning the Palestinian refugees to their homeland.”
Salah, who is currently heading a Hamas delegation on a visit to Malaysia, said in a press statement, “This is an illegitimate and ill-advised decision, which contradicts international laws and resolutions, and violates the sanctity of the holy city of Jerusalem.”
He empathized that the decision is refused and will be resisted by all the Palestinian, Arab, Muslim and free peoples of the world.
“Jerusalem (Bait Al-Maqdes) is a sacred city for both Muslims and Christians. It is the united capital of Palestine. It has been, and will always be the first qibla, and the third most sacred mosque. It is a verse (ayah) in the Quran (the Book of Allah).”
Salah affirmed that Jerusalem will always be a Palestinian, an Arab and an Islamic city.
“We, in Hamas, call upon the Arab and Muslim Ummah and the free peoples of the world to stand firm and united against this dangerous decision and support the Palestinians in their continuous struggle to liberate their homeland and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” he added.
He concluded by saying, “This American move serves as a blatant reminder and a loud wake-up call to all Arab and Muslim countries and leaders that their true and only enemy is the illegitimate Zionist occupation. All their efforts and means should be directed towards uprooting this occupation, freeing Palestine and returning the Palestinian refugees to their homeland.”
The Palestinian education ministry announced a general strike on Thursday to protest the U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The ministry said in a statement that the strike dovetails similar moves announced across the occupied Palestinian territories shortly after Trump’s decision was formally read out.
The ministry called on teachers and students to take part in expected mass demonstrations and marches in the West Bank, Occupied Jerusalem and the blockaded Gaza Strip.
In a speech in Washington, Trump said he had decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy to the city. Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East condemned the U.S. decision, calling it an incendiary move and one that will fuel conflict and increase violence in the entire region.
By recognizing Israel’s claim to Jerusalem, Trump is siding with Israel on the most sensitive issue in the conflict.
International news outlets said Trump’s “deplorable and unacceptable” move signified America’s withdrawal as a sponsor of the peace process.
Thousands rallied Wednesday across Palestine and the world against the announcement, burning U.S. and Israeli flags as well as pictures of Trump and Netanyahu.
The Hamas resistance group warned that Trump had opened “the gates of hell on US interests in the region.”
The ministry said in a statement that the strike dovetails similar moves announced across the occupied Palestinian territories shortly after Trump’s decision was formally read out.
The ministry called on teachers and students to take part in expected mass demonstrations and marches in the West Bank, Occupied Jerusalem and the blockaded Gaza Strip.
In a speech in Washington, Trump said he had decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy to the city. Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East condemned the U.S. decision, calling it an incendiary move and one that will fuel conflict and increase violence in the entire region.
By recognizing Israel’s claim to Jerusalem, Trump is siding with Israel on the most sensitive issue in the conflict.
International news outlets said Trump’s “deplorable and unacceptable” move signified America’s withdrawal as a sponsor of the peace process.
Thousands rallied Wednesday across Palestine and the world against the announcement, burning U.S. and Israeli flags as well as pictures of Trump and Netanyahu.
The Hamas resistance group warned that Trump had opened “the gates of hell on US interests in the region.”
Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the future Palestinian state and the Palestinians will leave no stone unturned to protect their holy city, political bureau member of Hamas Ezzet Resheq said on Wednesday evening.
In comments released shortly after the U.S. President Donald Trump declared Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of the self-proclaimed Israeli state, Resheq said: “No force on earth, no matter how powerful it is, can impose a new fait accompli on Occupied Jerusalem. We have all means to respond to the recent declaration.”
Resheq dubbed Trump’s declaration “an aggression on the Arab and Islamic nations along with the world’s free people.”
“What has been built upon illegitimate foundations is just illegitimate. Israel will perish soon and Jerusalem will remain Palestine’s and Muslims’ eternal capital,” he added.
The Hamas leader said protest moves will be staged across the occupied Palestinian territories and the region in response to Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
On Wednesday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump has formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying during his speech at the White House that he will move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite calls from the world leaders to backtrack on the move.
In comments released shortly after the U.S. President Donald Trump declared Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of the self-proclaimed Israeli state, Resheq said: “No force on earth, no matter how powerful it is, can impose a new fait accompli on Occupied Jerusalem. We have all means to respond to the recent declaration.”
Resheq dubbed Trump’s declaration “an aggression on the Arab and Islamic nations along with the world’s free people.”
“What has been built upon illegitimate foundations is just illegitimate. Israel will perish soon and Jerusalem will remain Palestine’s and Muslims’ eternal capital,” he added.
The Hamas leader said protest moves will be staged across the occupied Palestinian territories and the region in response to Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
On Wednesday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump has formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying during his speech at the White House that he will move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite calls from the world leaders to backtrack on the move.
A mass rally was staged in Qalqilya overnight Wednesday to protest Trump’s recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of the self-proclaimed Israeli state.
Hundreds of Palestinians took to Qalqilya streets to speak up against Trump’s declaration, which they said manifests of the U.S. racist agenda and biased position.
“Occupied Jerusalem will forever remain the rock that will smash all conspiracies,” yelled one of the rally-goers.
“Occupied Jerusalem has been and will forever remain exclusive to Arabs, Muslims, and Christians,” said another.
Activists and local organizations announced a general strike on Thursday in response to what they called an intolerable transgression of all red lines by the Trump administration.
On Wednesday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump has formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying during his speech at the White House that he will move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite calls from the world leaders to backtrack on the move.
Hundreds of Palestinians took to Qalqilya streets to speak up against Trump’s declaration, which they said manifests of the U.S. racist agenda and biased position.
“Occupied Jerusalem will forever remain the rock that will smash all conspiracies,” yelled one of the rally-goers.
“Occupied Jerusalem has been and will forever remain exclusive to Arabs, Muslims, and Christians,” said another.
Activists and local organizations announced a general strike on Thursday in response to what they called an intolerable transgression of all red lines by the Trump administration.
On Wednesday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump has formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying during his speech at the White House that he will move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite calls from the world leaders to backtrack on the move.
All Palestinian national and Islamic forces and factions have declared Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to be days of total popular rage throughout Palestine and outside, calling on the masses of the Palestinian people to gather and sit-in in front of the Israeli embassies and consulates around the world.
Forces and factions called, in a press release, upon the people of Palestine, at home and abroad, for wide popular actions to spurn the attempts of the Trump administration to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem. or to recognize it as “Israel’s” capital.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, they underlined the people and nation’s rights to use all legal and diplomatic means at the level of the international legal institutions, including the International Court of Justice and other judicial venues.
Meanwhile, Islamic resistance movement Hamas called upon the people of Palestine and the youth of Intifada to make next Friday a day of rage in the face of the Israeli occupation, in refusal of the move.
Hamas emphasized, in a press release, the necessity of heading towards all possible points of friction with the Israeli occupation, following the Friday prayer, to have the voice of the Palestinian people heard that any infringement of the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem will blow up in the face of the Israeli occupation.
Forces and factions called, in a press release, upon the people of Palestine, at home and abroad, for wide popular actions to spurn the attempts of the Trump administration to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem. or to recognize it as “Israel’s” capital.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, they underlined the people and nation’s rights to use all legal and diplomatic means at the level of the international legal institutions, including the International Court of Justice and other judicial venues.
Meanwhile, Islamic resistance movement Hamas called upon the people of Palestine and the youth of Intifada to make next Friday a day of rage in the face of the Israeli occupation, in refusal of the move.
Hamas emphasized, in a press release, the necessity of heading towards all possible points of friction with the Israeli occupation, following the Friday prayer, to have the voice of the Palestinian people heard that any infringement of the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem will blow up in the face of the Israeli occupation.
6 dec 2017
In comparison to the focus on opposition to the move and its possible ramifications, relatively little has been said about why Donald Trump’s administration has decided to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and signal its intent to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv.
For example, one widely-shared piece of analysis does not really answer the question in its title, namely, “Why is Trump undoing decades of US policy on Jerusalem?”
I believe there are three main reasons, none of which are mutually exclusive.
First, US domestic politics. Today’s announcement plays well with Trump’s base amongst right-wing Christian evangelicals, as well as with the likes of influential individuals like Sheldon Adelson. “Hallelujah!” proclaims alt-right site Breitbart’s main splash today, welcoming the news.
The fact that such constituencies are already committed to Trump does not rule out the fact that policy steps can be taken as a gift to the converted; Trump-ism has never been about building wide coalitions, or reaching out across various divides, but about energising and mobilising a base.
Don’t forget, of course, that a pledge to move the US embassy to Jerusalem was part of Trump’s election campaign; for a president who has struggled to fulfil his promises, a win is a win.
Second, Benjamin Netanyahu, along with other senior Israeli officials, might well have done a good job in persuading the Trump administration to make such a move – something that the likes of Jared Kushner, Jason Greenblatt and US envoy to Israel David Friedman would be personally amenable to anyway.
For Netanyahu – and this is already evident in remarks made this morning – such a shift in American policy fits nicely with his narrative about a confident, nationalistic Israel expanding its diplomatic ties, the warnings of international isolation from his political enemies shown to be hollow threats.
Whether Trump’s decision on Jerusalem is actually in the best interests of Netanyahu, or his coalition, is a separate matter; but misguided or otherwise, Netanyahu would appear to have been urging the Trump administration to take such a step.
Third – and this is perhaps where many commentators are missing a trick – the Trump administration might well envisage, and justify, the Jerusalem shift in the context of its much-heralded efforts at securing the “deal of the century”.
At first glance this can seem counter-intuitive, since everyone from Jordan to the European Union has criticised the Jerusalem announcement as detrimental to efforts at advancing so-called Israeli-Palestinian “peace” and a “two-state solution”.
In fact, the Trump administration is more likely to view, and present, the Jerusalem move as a gesture to Israel that will create the expectancy or pressure for a corresponding “gesture” in return, such as economic-focused measures in the occupied West Bank.
Whether or not this calculation quite adds up, is another question – though Mahmoud Abbas and his team have, over the years, demonstrated a notable capacity for giving US efforts “one more chance”.
In other words, rather than being an inexplicable spanner in the works of the Trump administration’s wider efforts at birthing the “ultimate deal”, the White House – and perhaps Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman too – may well see the move as part and parcel of that very project (hence the weak response, thus far, from Riyadh).
On the ground, meanwhile, the reality for Palestinian residents of what is an apartheid city remains unchanged: home demolitions, municipal discrimination, brutal raids, and settler-driven displacement. This is Jerusalem’s grim reality that, by their long-standing inaction, Israel’s allies have played a crucial role in facilitating. Trump thus joins a crowded field of the complicit.
- Ben White is a British journalist and activist who primarily writes about the Israel-Palestine conflict in MEMO.
For example, one widely-shared piece of analysis does not really answer the question in its title, namely, “Why is Trump undoing decades of US policy on Jerusalem?”
I believe there are three main reasons, none of which are mutually exclusive.
First, US domestic politics. Today’s announcement plays well with Trump’s base amongst right-wing Christian evangelicals, as well as with the likes of influential individuals like Sheldon Adelson. “Hallelujah!” proclaims alt-right site Breitbart’s main splash today, welcoming the news.
The fact that such constituencies are already committed to Trump does not rule out the fact that policy steps can be taken as a gift to the converted; Trump-ism has never been about building wide coalitions, or reaching out across various divides, but about energising and mobilising a base.
Don’t forget, of course, that a pledge to move the US embassy to Jerusalem was part of Trump’s election campaign; for a president who has struggled to fulfil his promises, a win is a win.
Second, Benjamin Netanyahu, along with other senior Israeli officials, might well have done a good job in persuading the Trump administration to make such a move – something that the likes of Jared Kushner, Jason Greenblatt and US envoy to Israel David Friedman would be personally amenable to anyway.
For Netanyahu – and this is already evident in remarks made this morning – such a shift in American policy fits nicely with his narrative about a confident, nationalistic Israel expanding its diplomatic ties, the warnings of international isolation from his political enemies shown to be hollow threats.
Whether Trump’s decision on Jerusalem is actually in the best interests of Netanyahu, or his coalition, is a separate matter; but misguided or otherwise, Netanyahu would appear to have been urging the Trump administration to take such a step.
Third – and this is perhaps where many commentators are missing a trick – the Trump administration might well envisage, and justify, the Jerusalem shift in the context of its much-heralded efforts at securing the “deal of the century”.
At first glance this can seem counter-intuitive, since everyone from Jordan to the European Union has criticised the Jerusalem announcement as detrimental to efforts at advancing so-called Israeli-Palestinian “peace” and a “two-state solution”.
In fact, the Trump administration is more likely to view, and present, the Jerusalem move as a gesture to Israel that will create the expectancy or pressure for a corresponding “gesture” in return, such as economic-focused measures in the occupied West Bank.
Whether or not this calculation quite adds up, is another question – though Mahmoud Abbas and his team have, over the years, demonstrated a notable capacity for giving US efforts “one more chance”.
In other words, rather than being an inexplicable spanner in the works of the Trump administration’s wider efforts at birthing the “ultimate deal”, the White House – and perhaps Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman too – may well see the move as part and parcel of that very project (hence the weak response, thus far, from Riyadh).
On the ground, meanwhile, the reality for Palestinian residents of what is an apartheid city remains unchanged: home demolitions, municipal discrimination, brutal raids, and settler-driven displacement. This is Jerusalem’s grim reality that, by their long-standing inaction, Israel’s allies have played a crucial role in facilitating. Trump thus joins a crowded field of the complicit.
- Ben White is a British journalist and activist who primarily writes about the Israel-Palestine conflict in MEMO.
Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, on Wednesday affirmed that all options are open to challenge Donald Trump's decision to announce Jerusalem the capital of Israel and transfer the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
The Hamas leader, Ismail Ridwan, said during a demonstration in Gaza that Trump's decision constitutes a blatant disregard for the feelings of Arabs and Muslims, stressing that this move will never change the fact that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine.
The PIC reporter said that thousands of Palestinians, including the head of Hamas's Political Bureau, Ismail Haneyya, on Wednesday evening participated in mass demonstrations organized by Hamas movement in Gaza city in protest at the US president's recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Ridwan called on the Arab governments to expel the US and Israeli ambassadors from their countries and sever the economic and political relations with the US administration.
Ha asked the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to hold urgent meetings to support the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and take practical steps against the decision, praising the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for his strong position against the US move.
Ashraf Zayed, a Hamas official, in a demonstration launched in the central Gaza Strip stressed the need to achieve national unity and called on the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to end security coordination with the Israeli occupation.
The Hamas leader, Yousuf Farahat, in a statement to the PIC said that Trump's decision challenges the international law which considers Jerusalem an occupied city, urging the Arab masses to show their protest by boycotting the US and Israeli goods.
The Hamas leader, Ismail Ridwan, said during a demonstration in Gaza that Trump's decision constitutes a blatant disregard for the feelings of Arabs and Muslims, stressing that this move will never change the fact that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine.
The PIC reporter said that thousands of Palestinians, including the head of Hamas's Political Bureau, Ismail Haneyya, on Wednesday evening participated in mass demonstrations organized by Hamas movement in Gaza city in protest at the US president's recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Ridwan called on the Arab governments to expel the US and Israeli ambassadors from their countries and sever the economic and political relations with the US administration.
Ha asked the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to hold urgent meetings to support the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and take practical steps against the decision, praising the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for his strong position against the US move.
Ashraf Zayed, a Hamas official, in a demonstration launched in the central Gaza Strip stressed the need to achieve national unity and called on the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to end security coordination with the Israeli occupation.
The Hamas leader, Yousuf Farahat, in a statement to the PIC said that Trump's decision challenges the international law which considers Jerusalem an occupied city, urging the Arab masses to show their protest by boycotting the US and Israeli goods.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday that with U.S. President Donald Trump declaring that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, he has chosen to disregard all international resolutions and to encourage Israel to tighten its policies of occupation, settlement, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.
“Our national cause is at a critical moment today, following the measures announced today by the US administration on Jerusalem,” said Abbas. “The US administration has chosen to violate all international and bilateral resolutions and agreements, preferring to ignore and contradict the international consensus expressed by the positions of various countries, world leaders, spiritual leaders and regional organizations over the past few days on the subject of Jerusalem.”
“These reprehensible measures constitute a deliberate undermining of all peace efforts and represent a declaration that the United States has withdrawn from playing the role it has played in the past decades in sponsoring the peace process,” he added.
According to Abbas, these measures also reward Israel for denying agreements and defying international resolutions, and encourage Israel to pursue the policy of occupation, settlement, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.
He added that these measures serve the extremist groups that are trying to transform the conflict in the region into a religious war.
“During the past few days, we have been in close contact with many leaders of neighboring countries, reaffirming the unity of the Arab, Islamic and international position on the issue of Jerusalem and the rights of the Palestinian people and the requirements for achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on all of the territories occupied in 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital alongside Israel, and resolving the refugees issue in accordance with Resolution 194 and the Arab Peace Initiative,” Abbas further stated.
“The leadership is keeping up-to-date on the developments of the situation and is in the process of formulating appropriate decisions and procedures in consultation with neighboring Arab and Muslim countries,” he said. “This historic moment should serve as an additional incentive for all of us to accelerate and intensify efforts to end the division and restore Palestinian national unity to ensure the victory of our people in their struggle for freedom and independence.”
Abbas confirmed that the coming days will witness a call for various Palestinian committees and bodies to convene in emergency meetings to follow up on the developments. “We will call on the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization to hold an emergency session that all factions will be invited to in order to affirm the unified Palestinian national position and put all options before it.”
“This is the holy land of Prophet Muhammad, the cradle of Jesus Christ and the burial site of Moses. We say that Jerusalem is the city of peace, the city of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first of the two Qibla, the second mosque and the third of the two Holy Mosques, and the city of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher,” stated the Palestinian President.
“Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine, is bigger and more ancient for its Arabic identity to be altered with a measure or a decision. The identity of Jerusalem and its history will not be altered” he vowed. “U.S. President Trump's decision tonight will not change the reality of the city of Jerusalem, nor will it give any legitimacy to Israel in this regard, because it is an Arab Christian and Muslim city, the capital of the eternal state of Palestine.”
A few hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump has formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying during his speech at the White House that he will move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite calls from the world leaders to backtrack on the move.
“Our national cause is at a critical moment today, following the measures announced today by the US administration on Jerusalem,” said Abbas. “The US administration has chosen to violate all international and bilateral resolutions and agreements, preferring to ignore and contradict the international consensus expressed by the positions of various countries, world leaders, spiritual leaders and regional organizations over the past few days on the subject of Jerusalem.”
“These reprehensible measures constitute a deliberate undermining of all peace efforts and represent a declaration that the United States has withdrawn from playing the role it has played in the past decades in sponsoring the peace process,” he added.
According to Abbas, these measures also reward Israel for denying agreements and defying international resolutions, and encourage Israel to pursue the policy of occupation, settlement, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.
He added that these measures serve the extremist groups that are trying to transform the conflict in the region into a religious war.
“During the past few days, we have been in close contact with many leaders of neighboring countries, reaffirming the unity of the Arab, Islamic and international position on the issue of Jerusalem and the rights of the Palestinian people and the requirements for achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on all of the territories occupied in 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital alongside Israel, and resolving the refugees issue in accordance with Resolution 194 and the Arab Peace Initiative,” Abbas further stated.
“The leadership is keeping up-to-date on the developments of the situation and is in the process of formulating appropriate decisions and procedures in consultation with neighboring Arab and Muslim countries,” he said. “This historic moment should serve as an additional incentive for all of us to accelerate and intensify efforts to end the division and restore Palestinian national unity to ensure the victory of our people in their struggle for freedom and independence.”
Abbas confirmed that the coming days will witness a call for various Palestinian committees and bodies to convene in emergency meetings to follow up on the developments. “We will call on the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization to hold an emergency session that all factions will be invited to in order to affirm the unified Palestinian national position and put all options before it.”
“This is the holy land of Prophet Muhammad, the cradle of Jesus Christ and the burial site of Moses. We say that Jerusalem is the city of peace, the city of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first of the two Qibla, the second mosque and the third of the two Holy Mosques, and the city of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher,” stated the Palestinian President.
“Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine, is bigger and more ancient for its Arabic identity to be altered with a measure or a decision. The identity of Jerusalem and its history will not be altered” he vowed. “U.S. President Trump's decision tonight will not change the reality of the city of Jerusalem, nor will it give any legitimacy to Israel in this regard, because it is an Arab Christian and Muslim city, the capital of the eternal state of Palestine.”
A few hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump has formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying during his speech at the White House that he will move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite calls from the world leaders to backtrack on the move.
U.S. President Donald Trump has formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, becoming the first American president to ever do so.
“It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” said Trump during his speech at the White House, delivered on Wednesday at 1 p.m. local time.
During his speech, the president also announced that he will move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite the waiver signed recently that delayed the decision by six months.
Commenting on the motivation behind his decision, Trump said that while “we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement, it would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula will achieve anything different.”
The U.S. president said that he wanted to look at the Palestinian-Israeli decades-long conflict with fresh thinking, explaining that he judges “this course of action to be in the best interests of the U.S. and the pursuit of peace.”
The president said he was aware of the warning he received regarding his decision.
“There will of course be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement – but we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a place of greater understanding and cooperation.”
Following Trump’s speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the decision as “historic.” Netanyahu pledged “no change to status quo at Jerusalem holy sites,” reported Agence France Presse (AFP).
While Trump’s move was warmly welcomed by Israel, it was strongly condemned by Arab leaders.
Many, including King Mohammed VI of Morocco, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, attempted to stop Trump from taking the step. However, Trump was firm in his decision.
The Palestinian Islamic resistance movement Hamas said that Donald Trump’s decision would open the “gates of hell.”
“It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” said Trump during his speech at the White House, delivered on Wednesday at 1 p.m. local time.
During his speech, the president also announced that he will move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite the waiver signed recently that delayed the decision by six months.
Commenting on the motivation behind his decision, Trump said that while “we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement, it would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula will achieve anything different.”
The U.S. president said that he wanted to look at the Palestinian-Israeli decades-long conflict with fresh thinking, explaining that he judges “this course of action to be in the best interests of the U.S. and the pursuit of peace.”
The president said he was aware of the warning he received regarding his decision.
“There will of course be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement – but we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a place of greater understanding and cooperation.”
Following Trump’s speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the decision as “historic.” Netanyahu pledged “no change to status quo at Jerusalem holy sites,” reported Agence France Presse (AFP).
While Trump’s move was warmly welcomed by Israel, it was strongly condemned by Arab leaders.
Many, including King Mohammed VI of Morocco, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, attempted to stop Trump from taking the step. However, Trump was firm in his decision.
The Palestinian Islamic resistance movement Hamas said that Donald Trump’s decision would open the “gates of hell.”
|
|
In a move that contradicts decades of US policy, flagrantly violates international law and signed peace agreements, and discards the Palestinian people’s basic rights, the sitting U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday unilaterally declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel.
The U.S. government now joins Israel as the only two countries in the world to claim that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. In 1947, when the United Nations recommended a partition plan for Palestine in order to create a Jewish state on what had been Palestinian land, the city of Jerusalem was recommended to remain an international city in which all would be welcome. |
Now, 70 years later, the U.S. administration has turned its back on that ideal in favor of an exclusive, Jewish city in which the Palestinian residents who have lived there hundreds, and, in some cases, thousands of years, can be forcibly displaced by the Israeli military and turned into refugees, to join the 5 million Palestinian refugees who already live in exile.
The move appears to be meant by Trump to enflame the tensions that he has already built between the U.S. and the Muslim world, as it comes a day after the U.S. Supreme Court decided to allow the travel ban to the U.S. that most legal experts say discriminates blatantly against Muslims.
Yousef Munayyer, Executive Director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights summarized the enormity of this decision, saying, “U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would be a major shift in American policy and have significant implications for U.S. policy for Middle East Peace. For decades, the United States has held that this issue is one that must be mutually agreed upon by the parties, so recognizing Israel’s claims here and now ahead of an agreement is a marked shift from even the pretense of a balanced position on Jerusalem to a full backing of the Israeli position.”
Palestinians living in Jerusalem already live under martial law by the Israeli military, and face significant discrimination, underfunding of schools and services, denial of civil law and due process, and loss of land, homes and communities. Palestinians fear that this move by the U.S. administration will embolden the Israeli government and militia movement to expand their program of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the city of Jerusalem.
The move appears to be meant by Trump to enflame the tensions that he has already built between the U.S. and the Muslim world, as it comes a day after the U.S. Supreme Court decided to allow the travel ban to the U.S. that most legal experts say discriminates blatantly against Muslims.
Yousef Munayyer, Executive Director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights summarized the enormity of this decision, saying, “U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would be a major shift in American policy and have significant implications for U.S. policy for Middle East Peace. For decades, the United States has held that this issue is one that must be mutually agreed upon by the parties, so recognizing Israel’s claims here and now ahead of an agreement is a marked shift from even the pretense of a balanced position on Jerusalem to a full backing of the Israeli position.”
Palestinians living in Jerusalem already live under martial law by the Israeli military, and face significant discrimination, underfunding of schools and services, denial of civil law and due process, and loss of land, homes and communities. Palestinians fear that this move by the U.S. administration will embolden the Israeli government and militia movement to expand their program of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the city of Jerusalem.
5 dec 2017
The Trump administration announced on Monday that it has not reached a decision yet on whether or not to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, despite the fact that the legal deadline for signing a presidential waiver on the matter was about to expire.
An announcement on the decision will be made “in coming days,” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters aboard Air Force One as Trump was returning from a trip to Utah.
Trump had been due to decide whether to sign a waiver that would hold off relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, as every U.S. president has done since Congress passed a law on the issue in 1995.
But the officials have said Trump is likely to give a speech on Wednesday unilaterally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a step that would break with decades of U.S. policy and could fuel violence in the Middle East. They have said, however, that no final decisions have been made.
Saudi Arabia said on Monday any U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem before a final settlement is reached in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would hurt the peace process and heighten regional tensions.
The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan also spoke on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and warned him against declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Over the weekend, senior Palestinian officials warned that U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital or the relocation of the American embassy would put an end to peace talks. President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeinah, said Saturday that such a step is a dangerous development that would destabilize the region, while Hamas has called for a popular uprising to thwart such a "conspiracy."
An announcement on the decision will be made “in coming days,” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters aboard Air Force One as Trump was returning from a trip to Utah.
Trump had been due to decide whether to sign a waiver that would hold off relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, as every U.S. president has done since Congress passed a law on the issue in 1995.
But the officials have said Trump is likely to give a speech on Wednesday unilaterally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a step that would break with decades of U.S. policy and could fuel violence in the Middle East. They have said, however, that no final decisions have been made.
Saudi Arabia said on Monday any U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem before a final settlement is reached in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would hurt the peace process and heighten regional tensions.
The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan also spoke on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and warned him against declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Over the weekend, senior Palestinian officials warned that U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital or the relocation of the American embassy would put an end to peace talks. President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeinah, said Saturday that such a step is a dangerous development that would destabilize the region, while Hamas has called for a popular uprising to thwart such a "conspiracy."
