And Did Those Feet In Ancient Time

100 years ago, in December of 1917, British troops led by General Allenby took control of the city of Jerusalem from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Though a decisive turn in Israel’s history, the capture of Jerusalem by the British Empire was preceded by many other pivotal battles over Israel’s rule and has been followed by a hundred years of fighting.

From ancient times of King David to the Byzantines, many cultures and ethnicities have valued Jerusalem and claimed it as their home. Consequently, the city has been a source of contention for centuries.

Most recently, on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump ended nearly 70 years of American neutrality by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital [1]. In a video released from the Diplomatic Reception room, Trump announced this and that he would also be moving the US Embassy currently in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as well.

There have been an outcry of reactions: Israelis are surprised that Trump hasn’t recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital sooner; political leaders from French President Emmanuel Macron to Pope Francis to Chinese officials disapprove [2]; the royal court of Saudi Arabia has claimed that the “decision goes against the… rights of the Palestinian people” [1].

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a controversial debate for many years. In response to President Trump, many Palestinians believe that officiating Jerusalem as Israel’s capital terminates the two-state-solution that is favored as a compromise. In his speech, Trump claims that the US is still neutral and still overseeing diplomatic and peace-making processes; but Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas countered that this decision indicates “the United States is withdrawing from the role it has played in the peace process” [3].

Historically speaking, the US does not recognize Palestine as a formal state, though Presidents like Obama have made their sentiments towards the Palestinian people [4]. Previously, the neutral position of the US towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may have been diplomatic and politically correct, but the truth of the matter is that inaction equates to indifference.

Though many officials, authorities, and even Presidents have commented on the conflict, none have gone so far as to attempt to seriously rectify the situation. Trump claimed in his statement that he is acting decisively. This is true.

However, Trump’s actions have unleashed and will potentially unleash unrest and chaos. Already, Palestinian protests have taken to the streets in a “day of rage,” which has quickly turned violent on Friday [5].

Moreover, though Trump’s decision to make Jerusalem capital is decisive as he claimed, he has taken no further action to alleviate tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian area. Officiating Jerusalem as capital is a bold move, but does not substantiate any government claims, and does not propel or rescind the two-state solution. Even changing locations of the US embassy has little real effect: the new embassy in Jerusalem will be under plans for construction for several more years, and the embassy won’t be built for some time. Trump’s actions and words -- or specifically, lack of the word “Palestine,” rejecting even the idea of an Arab state -- have only fomented unrest.

The history of Jerusalem and Israel as a religious, cultural, and political entity is long and convoluted. The different peoples and nations associated with this city has appealed to me, which is why the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict is interesting to me.

It’ll be interesting to see how Trump’s administration deals with these conflicts in the Middle East.


Sources:

    http://www.firstpost.com/world/saudi-arabia-slams-donald-trumps-decision-to-recognise-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-calls-it-irresponsible-4246503.html

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-israel-capital.html?_r=2

    http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/WATCH-LIVE-Trump-delivers-much-anticipated-announcement-about-Jerusalem-517201

    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dashanne-stokes/is-this-the-real-reason-why-us-wont-recognize-palestine_b_9777246.html

    https://nypost.com/2017/12/08/palestinian-day-of-rage-protests-turn-deadly/amp/