- Raf Sanchez, jerusalem
You are going to hear a lot in the next few weeks about Donald Trump's pledge to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and the possible repercussions if it goes ahead.
What's the big deal if the US embassy moves to Jerusalem?
The short answer is that the symbolic decision to the embassy could spark a fresh wave of Palestinian violence, hurt US relations with Muslim countries to whom Jerusalem is important, and further damage the already moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
What's the big deal if the US embassy moves to Jerusalem?
The short answer is that the symbolic decision to the embassy could spark a fresh wave of Palestinian violence, hurt US relations with Muslim countries to whom Jerusalem is important, and further damage the already moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
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[FONT="]West Jerusalem is mainly Jewish while east Jerusalem is mainly Arab[/FONT]
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[h=3]What is the backstory?[/h][FONT="]The US and other western nations have their embassies in Tel Aviv and not Jerusalem even though Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. That’s because the status of Jerusalem is extremely complicated and politically sensitive. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Israel captured the Arab eastern half of Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it into Israel. Most of the world, including the US, does not recognise that annexation. Many countries, like Britain, consider east Jerusalem to be under occupation. Also, a “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will almost certainly require dividing Jerusalem into an Israeli half and a Palestinian half. [/FONT]
[FONT="]By keeping its embassy in Tel Aviv, the US has for decades signaled that it does not recognise the Israeli annexation of east Jerusalem and that it holds open the possibility that Jerusalem will ultimately be the capital of both Israel and an independent Palestine. [/FONT]
[/FONT][FONT="]Israel captured the Arab eastern half of Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it into Israel. Most of the world, including the US, does not recognise that annexation. Many countries, like Britain, consider east Jerusalem to be under occupation. Also, a “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will almost certainly require dividing Jerusalem into an Israeli half and a Palestinian half. [/FONT]
[FONT="]By keeping its embassy in Tel Aviv, the US has for decades signaled that it does not recognise the Israeli annexation of east Jerusalem and that it holds open the possibility that Jerusalem will ultimately be the capital of both Israel and an independent Palestine. [/FONT]
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[FONT="]West Jerusalem is mainly Jewish while east Jerusalem is mainly Arab[/FONT]
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[h=3]So why is Mr Trump promising to move it?[/h][FONT="]Many Israelis and American supporters of Israel take offence at the fact that the US embassy is not in Jerusalem. They argue that US embassies in all other countries are in the capital and that Israel is being singled out for unfair treatment. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Mr Trump criticised Barack Obama’s policies towards Israel during the campaign and said he would move the embassy as a signal of his support for the Jewish state.[/FONT]
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[/FONT][FONT="]Mr Trump criticised Barack Obama’s policies towards Israel during the campaign and said he would move the embassy as a signal of his support for the Jewish state.[/FONT]
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[FONT="]The al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which includes the golden Dome of the Rock, is the third holiest site in Islam and is important to Muslims around the world, not just Palestinians.[/FONT] [FONT="]CREDIT: AP PHOTO/MAHMOUD ILLEAN[/FONT]
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[h=3]Why are Palestinians and Muslim nations upset about the move?[/h][FONT="]Palestinians hope that east Jerusalem will one day be the capital of an independent Palestine. They worry that the US embassy move is a sign that America is giving up on the idea that east Jerusalem will ever be under Palestinian sovereignty and is effectively recognising Israel’s annexation of the eastern half of the city. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Jerusalem is a holy city for Jews and Christians but it is also home to the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. That means it’s not just the Palestinians who have a stake in Jerusalem’s future - all of the Islamic world is invested in what happens there. [/FONT]
[/FONT][FONT="]Jerusalem is a holy city for Jews and Christians but it is also home to the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. That means it’s not just the Palestinians who have a stake in Jerusalem’s future - all of the Islamic world is invested in what happens there. [/FONT]
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[FONT="]The al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which includes the golden Dome of the Rock, is the third holiest site in Islam and is important to Muslims around the world, not just Palestinians.[/FONT] [FONT="]CREDIT: AP PHOTO/MAHMOUD ILLEAN[/FONT]
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[FONT="]Hamas has said it would fight the decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem[/FONT] [FONT="]CREDIT: EPA/MOHAMMED SABER[/FONT]
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[h=3]Will there be violence if the embassy does move?[/h][FONT="]There could be. Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque are incredibly sensitive for Palestinians. The Second Intifada, the wave of violence that wracked the area from 2000-2005, was partly sparked by tensions around the al-Aqsa Mosque. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Fatah, the party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, said that moving the embassy would “open the gates of hell” while Hamas, the Islamist militant group that runs Gaza, has vowed to fight against it. [/FONT]
[FONT="]There could also be diplomatic ramifications. Mr Abbas and his aides have talked about withdrawing Palestinian recognition for Israel, which was one of the big breakthroughs of 1990s agreements. [/FONT]
[/FONT][FONT="]Fatah, the party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, said that moving the embassy would “open the gates of hell” while Hamas, the Islamist militant group that runs Gaza, has vowed to fight against it. [/FONT]
[FONT="]There could also be diplomatic ramifications. Mr Abbas and his aides have talked about withdrawing Palestinian recognition for Israel, which was one of the big breakthroughs of 1990s agreements. [/FONT]
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[FONT="]Hamas has said it would fight the decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem[/FONT] [FONT="]CREDIT: EPA/MOHAMMED SABER[/FONT]
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[h=3]Could it just all be talk?[/h][FONT="]Yes. It’s possible that for all the rhetoric around the embassy move nothing much will really happen. Israeli government ministers are predicting in public that there won’t be any problems but the truth is no one really knows. [/FONT]
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[h=3]Will the embassy definitely move?[/h][FONT="]Mr Trump has said since election day that he plans to fulfill his campaign promise and the White House said on January 22 that it was at the “very beginning stages of even discussing this subject”.[/FONT]
[FONT="]But there are ways for the pledge to watered down if Mr Trump or Israel decides it’s too risky. [/FONT]
[FONT="]One possibility is that the new US ambassador could work from Jerusalem several days a week without actually moving the embassy. Another is that the US lays a symbolic foundation stone for an embassy in Jerusalem but doesn’t necessarily move ahead with building it. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Both Bill Clinton and George W Bush promised they would move the embassies during their presidency. Neither of them actually did. [/FONT]
[FONT="]But there are ways for the pledge to watered down if Mr Trump or Israel decides it’s too risky. [/FONT]
[FONT="]One possibility is that the new US ambassador could work from Jerusalem several days a week without actually moving the embassy. Another is that the US lays a symbolic foundation stone for an embassy in Jerusalem but doesn’t necessarily move ahead with building it. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Both Bill Clinton and George W Bush promised they would move the embassies during their presidency. Neither of them actually did. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
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[h=1]Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel[/h]
[FONT="]WASHINGTON, DC – President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke today by phone to discuss ways to advance and strengthen the U.S.-Israel special relationship, and security and stability in the Middle East. The President emphasized the importance the United States places on our close military, intelligence, and security cooperation with Israel, which reflects the deep and abiding partnership between our countries. The President and the Prime Minister agreed to continue to closely consult on a range of regional issues, including addressing the threats posed by Iran. The President affirmed his unprecedented commitment to Israel's security and stressed that countering ISIL and other radical Islamic terrorist groups will be a priority for his Administration. The President emphasized that peace between Israel and the Palestinians can only be negotiated directly between the two parties, and that the United States will work closely with Israel to make progress towards that goal. The President invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to an early February meeting at the White House.
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Office of the Press Secretary
January 22, 2017
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[h=1]Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel[/h]
[FONT="]WASHINGTON, DC – President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke today by phone to discuss ways to advance and strengthen the U.S.-Israel special relationship, and security and stability in the Middle East. The President emphasized the importance the United States places on our close military, intelligence, and security cooperation with Israel, which reflects the deep and abiding partnership between our countries. The President and the Prime Minister agreed to continue to closely consult on a range of regional issues, including addressing the threats posed by Iran. The President affirmed his unprecedented commitment to Israel's security and stressed that countering ISIL and other radical Islamic terrorist groups will be a priority for his Administration. The President emphasized that peace between Israel and the Palestinians can only be negotiated directly between the two parties, and that the United States will work closely with Israel to make progress towards that goal. The President invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to an early February meeting at the White House.
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