Exclusive: U.S. asks Israel to restrain response to Jerusalem move - document

By Arshad Mohammed

 

An Israeli flag is seen near the Dome of the Rock, located in Jerusalem's Old City on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is asking Israel to temper its response to the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as its capital because Washington expects a backlash and is weighing the potential threat to U.S. facilities and people, according to a State Department document seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

 

"While I recognize that you will publicly welcome this news, I ask that you restrain your official response," the document dated Dec. 6 said in talking points for diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to convey to Israeli officials.

 

"We expect there to be resistance to this news in the Middle East and around the world. We are still judging the impact this decision will have on U.S. facilities and personnel overseas," the document said.

 

A second State Department document seen by Reuters, which was also dated Dec. 6, said the agency had formed an internal task force "to track worldwide developments" following the U.S. decision on Jerusalem.

 

A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was standard to set up a task force "any time there is a concern about the safety and security of U.S. government personnel or U.S. citizens."

 

The State Department had no immediate comment on either document.

 

Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting U.S. friends and adversaries alike.

 

The first document also laid out talking points for officials at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem, the U.S. Embassies in London, Paris, Berlin and Rome and the U.S. mission to the European Union in Brussels.

 

In its message for the European capitals, the document asked European officials to argue that Trump's decision did not prejudge so-called "final status" issues that Israel and the Palestinians need to hammer out in any peace agreement.

 

"You are in a key position to influence international reaction to this announcement and we are asking you to amplify the reality that Jerusalem is still a final status issue between Israelis and Palestinians and that the parties must resolve the dimensions of Israel's sovereignty in Jerusalem during their negotiations," it said.

 

"You know that this is a unique Administration. It makes bold moves. But it is bold moves that are going to be needed if peace efforts are finally going to be successful," it said.

 

The status of Jerusalem, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions, is one of the biggest obstacles to reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

 

Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent state of their own to be in the city's eastern sector, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move never recognised internationally.

 

(Reporting By Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Toni Reinhold)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-07

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is asking Israel to temper its response to the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as its capital because Washington expects a backlash and is weighing the potential threat to U.S. facilities and people, according to a State Department document seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

 

This is a NOOOOOOO BRAINER.

7 minutes ago, khwaibah said:

 

This is a NOOOOOOO BRAINER.

That's because the buffoon signing papers and treats the world as his private playground is a NOOOOOOO BRAINER...

32 minutes ago, Kasset Tak said:

That's because the buffoon signing papers and treats the world as his private playground is a NOOOOOOO BRAINER...

This " buffoon" has the balls and the guts to do what his predecessor,

only talked and talked and talked...

What the worst that can happand? that the world will hate Israel?

they already do, that the world will detest Trump and think he's a chump?

time will tell and Trump will make many people eats their words....

 

37 minutes ago, ezzra said:

This " buffoon" has the balls and the guts to do what his predecessor,

only talked and talked and talked...

What the worst that can happand? that the world will hate Israel?

they already do, that the world will detest Trump and think he's a chump?

time will tell and Trump will make many people eats their words....

 

Not every country is unhappy about what Trump has done. I'm sure that Iran is very pleased.

is this a clear attempt by Israel Government and US Trump to create unrest and revolts ?

 

I think that they should have sent that memo to Trump as well.

Trump is a fool who is following his alt right alter ego Bannon pursuing policies and actions that are are  extremely dangerous.

 

Trump got absolutely nothing  from the Israelis for making this unilateral decision. Trump, the self proclaimed master negotiator, got nothing in return from an Israeli government that refuses to negotiate in good faith on the status of Jerusalem.

 

As real negotiators have mentioned publicly- Trump could have told the Israeli Government that he would move the Embassy to the Israeli proclaimed capital but Israel has to agree to a complete  cease on building Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  Then Trump could have deflected the Palestinian and Arab arguments that the US is siding with Israel and scuttling the peace process.

 

Trump, the man who brags continually about bad deals- just made one of the worst deals ever- He got nothing from Israel - and universal  condemnation. To quote the Secretary of State- Rex Tillerson- "What a Freaking Moron."  

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Washington expects a backlash

 

Probably a few terror attacks too.  Trump would just LOVE that.

 
Probably a few terror attacks too.  Trump would just LOVE that.

You ain't half wrong. Would help in his total fascist takeover. He could easily fire Mueller then too.

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4 hours ago, Jerry787 said:

is this a clear attempt by Israel Government and US Trump to create unrest and revolts ?

 

 

No. That would require some forethought, don't think Trump does that.

 

4 hours ago, Thaidream said:

Trump is a fool who is following his alt right alter ego Bannon pursuing policies and actions that are are  extremely dangerous.

 

Trump got absolutely nothing  from the Israelis for making this unilateral decision. Trump, the self proclaimed master negotiator, got nothing in return from an Israeli government that refuses to negotiate in good faith on the status of Jerusalem.

 

As real negotiators have mentioned publicly- Trump could have told the Israeli Government that he would move the Embassy to the Israeli proclaimed capital but Israel has to agree to a complete  cease on building Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  Then Trump could have deflected the Palestinian and Arab arguments that the US is siding with Israel and scuttling the peace process.

 

Trump, the man who brags continually about bad deals- just made one of the worst deals ever- He got nothing from Israel - and universal  condemnation. To quote the Secretary of State- Rex Tillerson- "What a Freaking Moron."  

 

Good faith is in low supply all around, nothing new about that.

 

As more than one commentators put in, this is not solely about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, but also got to do with Trump's political issues at home. Satisfying certain elements among his supporters. diverting attention from ongoing investigations, or just putting himself at the center of another drama.

 

As a bargaining move, without the above context, probably not the best. But then, those people who actually believe Trump is a master negotiator also believe a whole lot of other stuff he says. Might not be a totally wasted effort, if it followed through with extracting something in return. The possibly redeeming angle is that it robs Netanyahu, and his right wing coalition partners of excuses relating to Trump's "support credentials". 

Troll post reported and removed.

People will die as a result of this ridiculous statement. How can another country, let alone a leader who seemingly has a large tear in the corner of his marble bag, declare what is or is not capital? 

What astounds me most is the comments along the lines of "people will die as a result" and "probably a few terror attacks" and "create unrest and revolts".

 

Are these passive events that will be perpetuated by people who aren't responsible for their actions? Are they subhuman or children and thus allowed to do as they wish or indeed have their larcenous and murderous actions condoned?

 

Let's flip this question. Suppose the Vatican decided that the ancient Christian communities in the Middle East must be restored. Would the above comments be acceptably applied to Crusaders as they are applied to Jihadis? Could Christians go on rampage and murdering sprees until they got control of swathes of the area? Remember that the area was taken over by Muslims forcibly and so direct comparisons can be made.

1 hour ago, Sir Swagman said:

People will die as a result of this ridiculous statement. How can another country, let alone a leader who seemingly has a large tear in the corner of his marble bag, declare what is or is not capital? 

trump can't. He recognized what is already Israeli policy. He can do that. He shouldn't have at this time.

9 hours ago, Jingthing said:

trump can't. He recognized what is already Israeli policy. He can do that. He shouldn't have at this time.

 

The embassy part was on the table for years. Past presidents simply avoided the issue by signing them wavers. So not exactly solely Israeli policy. I think that the way it was handled up to Trump's statement was the better option.