By: Sydney Fineberg
In Israel, the U.S Embassy is located in the city of Tel Aviv, but recently it was announced that President Trump is in the process of moving it to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the Holy City in Israel, and to the Jewish population the capital for the past 3,000 years. It is considered a holy city to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem recognizes the city as the Jewish capital of Israel. Many people and countries disagree with this act and want him to rethink his decision.
President Trump recently informed the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah of his decision to move the U.S Embassy. Their reaction was to warn him of the dangerous consequences of this action. President Abbas said, “There will not be a Palestinian state without East Jerusalem as its capital according to decisions by the international community.” He also warned Trump about how this will impact the Middle East’s stability and security. King Salman of Saudi Arabia mentioned to Trump how this act will inflame the feelings of Muslims. Jerusalem is known as the holy city to many people; the U.S. moving the location of the Embassy has created issues and is spreading anger across the world.
In the West Bank, the Fatah movement has prepared for marches and rallies as a result of Trump’s announcement. Heads of Palestinian groups have been holding meetings to plan protests. Palestinians are especially unhappy about Trump’s decision because they recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. President Mahmoud Abbas said that, “If the Trump Administration decides to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Palestinian leadership would sever ties with the U.S. administration.”
Many countries are struggling to deal with the decision to move the U.S Embassy. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that he will cut diplomatic ties with Israel because of how unfair the move is for Muslims. Israel responded that Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital for over 3,000 years. Other countries like Egypt, Germany, and France also want Trump to reconsider his decision.
From Trump’s political perspective, the international community recognized Israel in 1947, which included West Jerusalem. Israel has fought several wars since that time with neighboring Arab states. In 1967 Israel fought back a concerted attack from its surrounding neighbors and took control of East Jerusalem. For many years, the United States government has recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel but has put off moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in order to maintain peace. However, there has been no meaningful progress with this peace. Therefore, Trump has decided to make good on his campaign promise of moving the U.S. Embassy. He feels that moving the embassy is simply an acknowledgment of the obvious given that all of the government buildings are located in Jerusalem, including the office of the president of Israel.
There are many different opinions towards Trump’s decision, and countries will react in different ways. However, Jerusalem, the Holy City, is going to be the new location of the U.S. Embassy. For some, this is looked at as a positive, but many others think differently.
