Arabs, Europe, U.N. reject Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

[webfact]

Arabs, Europe, U.N. reject Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

By Mark Heinrich

 

Palestinians burn an Israeli and a U.S. flag during a protest against the U.S. intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Gaza City December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East on Wednesday condemned the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region and Palestinians said Washington was abandoning its leading role as a peace mediator.

 

The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

 

Major U.S. allies came out against Trump's reversal of decades of U.S. and broad international policy on Jerusalem.

 

France rejected the "unilateral" decision while appealing for calm in the region. Britain said the move would not help peace efforts and Jerusalem should ultimately be shared by Israel and a future Palestinian state. Germany said Jerusalem's status could only be resolved on the basis of a two-state solution.

 

Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump's move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was "an important step towards peace" and it was "our goal from Israel's first day".

 

He added that any peace accord with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel's capital and he urged other countries to follow Trump's example.

 

Trump upended decades of U.S. policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risks aggravating conflict in the tinderbox Middle East.

 

The status of Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths. Its eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state they seek.

 

Israel deems Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital dating to antiquity, and its status is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.

 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a pre-recorded speech, said Jerusalem was the "eternal capital of the State of Palestine" and that Trump's move was "tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator."

 

The last round of U.S.-brokered talks foundered in 2014 over issues including Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and Israeli accusations of Palestinian incitement to violence and refusal to recognise it as a Jewish state.

 

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since soon after Israel ended a 38-year occupation in 2005, said Trump had committed a "flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people". Hamas urged Arabs and Muslims to "undermine U.S. interests in the region" and to "shun Israel".

 

Protests broke out in parts of Jordan's capital Amman inhabited by Palestinian refugees, with youths chanting anti-American slogans. In the Baqaa refugee camp on Amman's outskirts, hundreds roamed the streets denouncing Trump and urging Jordan to scrap its 1994 peace treaty with Israel. "Down with America...America is the mother of terror," they chanted.

 

Angry Palestinians switched off Christmas lights at Jesus' traditional birthplace in the West Bank town of Bethlehem and in Ramallah. A tree adorned with lights outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, and another in Ramallah, next to the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, were plunged into darkness.

 

All Palestinian factions called for a general strike and protest rallies at midday on Thursday.

 

"LEGALLY NULL" DECISION

 

Egypt, which forged the first Arab peace deal with Israel in 1979, brushed off Trump's decision and said it did not change Jerusalem's disputed legal status.

 

Jordan said Trump's action was "legally null" because it consolidated Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem.

 

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Trump's Jerusalem decision was dangerous and threatened the credibility of the United States as a broker of Middle East peace. He said the move would put back the peace process by decades and threatened regional stability and perhaps global stability.

 

Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, said Trump's undertaking was a "death sentence for all who seek peace" and called it "a dangerous escalation".

 

Turkey said Trump's move was "irresponsible".

 

"We call upon the U.S. Administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

 

A few hundred protesters gathered outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, a Reuters cameraman at the scene said. The protest was largely peaceful, though some of the demonstrators threw coins and other objects at the consulate.

 

Iran "seriously condemns" Trump's move as it violates U.N. resolutions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state media reported.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier in the day that the United States was trying to destabilize the region and start a war to protect Israel's security.

 

British Prime Minister Theresa May disagreed with Trump's embrace of Jerusalem as Israel's capital before a final-status agreement as this was unlikely to help nurture peace in the region, her spokesman said.

 

However, May's spokesman welcomed Trump's stated wish to end the conflict and his acknowledgement that the final status of Jerusalem, including boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

 

French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not support Trump's "unilateral" move.

 

"The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations," Macron told reporters in Algiers.

 

"France and Europe are attached to a two-state solution - Israel and Palestine - leaving side by side in peace and security within recognised international borders with Jerusalem the capital of both states," he said.

 

"For now, I urge for calm and for everyone to be responsible. We must avoid at all costs avoid violence and foster dialogue," he said.

 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there was no alternative to a two-state solution and Jerusalem was a final-status matter only to be settled through direct talks.

 

"I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians," Guterres said. "I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations."

 

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Mark Heinrich; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-07

[Topdoc]

Pope Francis: 
"I cannot remain silent about my deep concern for the situation that has developed in recent days and, at the same time, I wish to make a heartfelt appeal to ensure that everyone is committed to respecting the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations"

 

"Jerusalem is a unique city, sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, where the Holy Places for the respective religions are venerated, and it has a special vocation to peace"

 

"I pray to the Lord that such identity be preserved and strengthened for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the entire world, and that wisdom and prudence prevail, to avoid adding new elements of tension in a world already shaken and scarred by many cruel conflicts."

[isaanbanhou]

 The leader of the free world obviously has a list of pressing world crisis and moving an embassy some day is at the top of it.  Crazy

[wwest5829]

49 minutes ago, isaanbanhou said:

 The leader of the free world obviously has a list of pressing world crisis and moving an embassy some day is at the top of it.  Crazy

 

"The political benefits for Trump are unclear. The decision will thrill Republican conservatives and evangelical Christians who make up a large share of his political base." All should understand this is not just The Donald. He is doing this in response to his "base".....

[FreddieRoyle]

4 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

 

"The political benefits for Trump are unclear. The decision will thrill Republican conservatives and evangelical Christians who make up a large share of his political base." All should understand this is not just The Donald. He is doing this in response to his "base".....

We should have the wisdom to accept that Trump as POTUS has better intel or a clear strategy in play here. Watching a 2 minute clip on CNN hardly puts casual observers on a par with the top intel of a President. If I had to guess, he is doing this as part of a bigger political play, one that could end the unrest in the middle east. First ruffle feathers, then smooth them and make the bird feel grateful for it. An old ploy, and Trump is a master at these games. 

[craigt3365]

4 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

We should have the wisdom to accept that Trump as POTUS has better intel or a clear strategy in play here. Watching a 2 minute clip on CNN hardly puts casual observers on a par with the top intel of a President. If I had to guess, he is doing this as part of a bigger political play, one that could end the unrest in the middle east. First ruffle feathers, then smooth them and make the bird feel grateful for it. An old ploy, and Trump is a master at these games. 

BS.  Trump is a known liar.  With a strategy of chaos, and whatever will help him and his family out.

 

If you remember when he was elected, he refused the intel briefings.  Saying he knew more than them.  BS.

 

Sad Trump supporters can't see the truth.  Or just don't want to.

[FreddieRoyle]

3 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

BS.  Trump is a known liar.  With a strategy of chaos, and whatever will help him and his family out.

 

If you remember when he was elected, he refused the intel briefings.  Saying he knew more than them.  BS.

 

Sad Trump supporters can't see the truth.  Or just don't want to.

OK you are clearly not a fan, but pls stop with the hyperbole. There is no strategy of chaos, just opposing interests controlling media is desperate to give the imression of chaos.  If Trump says he knows more than some politicized security agency, we should believe him. He is getting stuff done, some of which we can't always understand from every angle, but I trust him to deliver results.

[ilostmypassword]

 

20 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

We should have the wisdom to accept that Trump as POTUS has better intel or a clear strategy in play here. Watching a 2 minute clip on CNN hardly puts casual observers on a par with the top intel of a President. If I had to guess, he is doing this as part of a bigger political play, one that could end the unrest in the middle east. First ruffle feathers, then smooth them and make the bird feel grateful for it. An old ploy, and Trump is a master at these games. 

And I'm sure if I had written that "We should have the wisdom to accept that Obama as POTUS has better intel or a clear strategy in play here." you would have agreed with that, too.

Or "We should have the wisdom to accept that Bush as POTUS has better intel or a clear strategy in play here." in regards to Iraq, you would still agree with that too.

[craigt3365]

13 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

OK you are clearly not a fan, but pls stop with the hyperbole. There is no strategy of chaos, just opposing interests controlling media is desperate to give the imression of chaos.  If Trump says he knows more than some politicized security agency, we should believe him. He is getting stuff done, some of which we can't always understand from every angle, but I trust him to deliver results.

Hyperbole?

https://www.salon.com/2017/11/17/trump-lies-9-times-a-day-on-average-lately_partner/

Trump lies 9 times a day on average lately

[zydeco]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

France rejected the "unilateral" decision while appealing for calm in the region.

Itty bitty irrelevant France does not tell the United States where it should put its embassies.

[isaanbanhou]

Just now, zydeco said:

Itty bitty irrelevant France does not tell the United States where it should put its embassies.

 No you are right, first Trump shat on the Ozzies, then Nato, Merkle, Nafta and recently Ms. May of the UK.  These are great days to be Americas allies.  He speaks of Putin with more respect than his Nato Allies.  Under Trump the rest of the free world can sick a a duck. America's Great again

[zydeco]

1 minute ago, isaanbanhou said:

No you are right, first Trump shat on the Ozzies, then Nato, Merkle, Nafta and recently Ms. May of the UK. 

Their free ride is over.

[RuamRudy]

2 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

 If Trump says he knows more than some politicized security agency, we should believe him. He is getting stuff done, some of which we can't always understand from every angle, but I trust him to deliver results.

The Donald moves in mysterious ways.

[Coconutman]

All branches of the Israeli government are located in Jerusalem, including the Knesset (Israel's parliament), the residences of the Prime Minister and President, and the Supreme Court.

[Stargeezr]

Well the Donald has stirred things up  again,  My!   I wonder how this will affect the stock markers, will many run to gold?  Maybe it is time to shake up the ME as Syria and ISIL is winding down. How else to keep the biggest military in the world busy?

Geezer

[Ahab]

Who give a rats ass what the UN or the "Arabs" have to say about where the USA places our Embassy? We don't get to tell them where they place their embassies and they don't get a vote on where the USA places ours. Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel, it is home to the Israeli parliament, the Israeli prime minister, and the Israeli supreme court. Every US President since 1995 has waived a requirement to move the embassy that was passed by congress, Trump decided not to waive the requirement and has begun the process to move it.

 

The "peace process" has not gone anywhere in the last 20 plus years that the embassy move to Jerusalem has been delayed, it is not like he is changing something that was working really well.

[dexterm]

9 minutes ago, Ahab said:

Who give a rats ass what the UN or the "Arabs" have to say about where the USA places our Embassy? We don't get to tell them where they place their embassies and they don't get a vote on where the USA places ours. Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel, it is home to the Israeli parliament, the Israeli prime minister, and the Israeli supreme court. Every US President since 1995 has waived a requirement to move the embassy that was passed by congress, Trump decided not to waive the requirement and has begun the process to move it.

 

The "peace process" has not gone anywhere in the last 20 plus years that the embassy move to Jerusalem has been delayed, it is not like he is changing something that was working really well.

There are many reasons why the peace process has not gone anywhere for the last 20 years plus. It's not just a single embassy location issue as the root cause of failure, as though by moving it will solve everything. 

 

It would have been shown less pro Israeli bias and been more conducive to the peace process if Trump had recognized West Jerusalem as Israel's capital and illegally occupied East Jerusalem as the Palestinian future capital.

[Enoon]

9 minutes ago, Ahab said:

Who give a rats ass what the UN or the "Arabs" have to say about where the USA places our Embassy? We don't get to tell them where they place their embassies and they don't get a vote on where the USA places ours. Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel, it is home to the Israeli parliament, the Israeli prime minister, and the Israeli supreme court. Every US President since 1995 has waived a requirement to move the embassy that was passed by congress, Trump decided not to waive the requirement and has begun the process to move it.

 

The "peace process" has not gone anywhere in the last 20 plus years that the embassy move to Jerusalem has been delayed, it is not like he is changing something that was working really well.

 

Who gives a rats arse?

 

You will.

 

When the US finds itself launching drone strikes.......on it's own soil.

 

 

[Enoon]

3 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

BS.  Trump is a known liar.  With a strategy of chaos, and whatever will help him and his family out.

 

If you remember when he was elected, he refused the intel briefings.  Saying he knew more than them.  BS.

 

Sad Trump supporters can't see the truth.  Or just don't want to.

 

"strategy of chaos" is the right description.

 

Everyone is so fixated on "anarchy" that they fail to see the real evil, Chaos, creeping up on them.

 

Damien is in the White House.

 

 

[Morch]

2 hours ago, dexterm said:

There are many reasons why the peace process has not gone anywhere for the last 20 years plus. It's not just a single embassy location issue as the root cause of failure, as though by moving it will solve everything. 

 

It would have been shown less pro Israeli bias and been more conducive to the peace process if Trump had recognized West Jerusalem as Israel's capital and illegally occupied East Jerusalem as the Palestinian future capital.

 

But if your many related posts are to be believed, the very same embassy location issue spells the end of the peace process...?

[Morch]

6 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

OK you are clearly not a fan, but pls stop with the hyperbole. There is no strategy of chaos, just opposing interests controlling media is desperate to give the imression of chaos.  If Trump says he knows more than some politicized security agency, we should believe him. He is getting stuff done, some of which we can't always understand from every angle, but I trust him to deliver results.

 

If Trump says he knows more than some politicized security agency, we should believe him.

 

No, we shouldn't. Even if it wasn't for Trump dismal truth telling record, what are you on about? Believe a politician without any previous relevant experience on these matters over "politicized" (according to you) security agencies. Trumplogic at its best.

[Jingthing]

 
"strategy of chaos" is the right description.
 
Everyone is so fixated on "anarchy" that they fail to see the real evil, Chaos, creeping up on them.
 
Damien is in the White House.
 
 

Well not sure about Damien but I'm more on the side that trump is a destructive and evil leader than giving him a pass on the insanity defense or a victim of just junk food diet. Of course he was legally elected which reflects very badly on the entire USA even with his minority vote and support.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[oldlakey]

15 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

We should have the wisdom to accept that Trump as POTUS has better intel or a clear strategy in play here. Watching a 2 minute clip on CNN hardly puts casual observers on a par with the top intel of a President. If I had to guess, he is doing this as part of a bigger political play, one that could end the unrest in the middle east. First ruffle feathers, then smooth them and make the bird feel grateful for it. An old ploy, and Trump is a master at these games. 

Dont bother pursuing a career as a diplomat

[Ahab]

How can you have a "peace process" when simple and undeniable truths cannot be acknowledged? The Israeli Prime Minister, Israeli Parliament, and Israeli Supreme Court are all located in Jerusalem (the entire Israeli government), but we cannot call it the capitol or move our embassy there because the Palestinians don't want to believe that Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel (or that Israel has a right to exist).

 

I don't know how moving an embassy will hurt or help the "peace process", but a lot of smart people over the last 70 years haven't been very right or very effective about how to achieve peace in the middle east. Perhaps starting to acknowledge undeniable facts would be a good place to begin any type of process? 

[Redline]

19 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

OK you are clearly not a fan, but pls stop with the hyperbole. There is no strategy of chaos, just opposing interests controlling media is desperate to give the imression of chaos.  If Trump says he knows more than some politicized security agency, we should believe him. He is getting stuff done, some of which we can't always understand from every angle, but I trust him to deliver results.

He’s an idiot, if you haven’t gotten that by now.  It’s ok, I have slow people in my family ?

[ToS2014]

On 12/7/2017 at 7:48 AM, craigt3365 said:

BS.  Trump is a known liar.  With a strategy of chaos, and whatever will help him and his family out.

 

If you remember when he was elected, he refused the intel briefings.  Saying he knew more than them.  BS.

 

Sad Trump supporters can't see the truth.  Or just don't want to.

So I guess you approve when Clinton and Obama both stated Jerusalem was the capital of Israel.

[craigt3365]

9 minutes ago, ToS2014 said:

So I guess you approve when Clinton and Obama both stated Jerusalem was the capital of Israel.

I try to avoid any discussions of Israel.  It's massively complex and most of us have no idea what's really going on there.  Only what we read in the news.

 

It needs to be solved, but that's not an easy prospect.....

[dexterm]

20 hours ago, Morch said:

 

But if your many related posts are to be believed, the very same embassy location issue spells the end of the peace process...?

Pedantic. You misrepresent my often repeated position.

 

Palestine will one day be a united secular true democracy. 

 

The hard way via Israel annexing the whole land and imposing full blown apartheid and attempts at further ethnic cleansing to the revulsion of the global community which would impose sanctions.

 

The less painful way of a two state solution, where both peoples live peacefully side by side for decades and eventually meld into one through family reunion and economic cooperation. Trump has just thrown a spanner in the works there. How long the two state solution peace process disrupted .. a few months, years, forever??...who knows.

 

I would prefer the less violent route, but the end result will be the same as every other colonialist project, where the minority eventually gets absorbed by the majority. And Jerusalem again will be a city sacred to 3 major religions, and not the personal property of solely one.

[mikebike]

23 hours ago, Ahab said:

Who give a rats ass what the UN or the "Arabs" have to say about where the USA places our Embassy? We don't get to tell them where they place their embassies and they don't get a vote on where the USA places ours. Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel, it is home to the Israeli parliament, the Israeli prime minister, and the Israeli supreme court. Every US President since 1995 has waived a requirement to move the embassy that was passed by congress, Trump decided not to waive the requirement and has begun the process to move it.

 

The "peace process" has not gone anywhere in the last 20 plus years that the embassy move to Jerusalem has been delayed, it is not like he is changing something that was working really well.

Its called freedom of speech. No one is telling the USA what to do with their crap. They are however advising on the possible consequences of such decisions.

[Morch]

5 minutes ago, dexterm said:

Pedantic. You misrepresent my often repeated position.

 

Palestine will one day be a united secular true democracy. 

 

The hard way via Israel annexing the whole land and imposing full blown apartheid and attempts at further ethnic cleansing to the revulsion of the global community which would impose sanctions.

 

The less painful way of a two state solution, where both peoples live peacefully side by side for decades and eventually meld into one through family reunion and economic cooperation. Trump has just thrown a spanner in the works there. How long the two state solution peace process disrupted .. a few months, years, forever??...who knows.

 

I would prefer the less violent route, but the end result will be the same as every other colonialist project, where the minority eventually gets absorbed by the majority. And Jerusalem again will be a city sacred to 3 major religions, and not the personal property of solely one.

 

I understand that you cannot abide highlighting them inconsistency and contradictions often appearing in your posts, but do try to focus:

 

You opined that the "There are many reasons why the peace process has not gone anywhere for the last 20 years plus. It's not just a single embassy location issue as the root cause of failure, as though by moving it will solve everything." And yet on previous posts you asserted that the very statement itself spells the end of the peace process. Which is it, then?

 

All of the nonsense posted about your "position", and "misrepresentation" doesn't not relate to the question posed.