It would take 69 years after Israel declared Jerusalem as its capital, that the U.S. formally opened its embassy in the city. Even after 23 years since the U.S. Congress passed a law authorising that Washington move its embassy there, no U.S. president had dared do so – until the emergence of President Donald Trump. On Monday, it’s a done deal.

 

Arab nations and Palestinian officials have warned of dire consequences if the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, including potential unrest and an end to the peace process. Saudi Arabia also disagreed – “Any U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem prior to a final settlement would have a detrimental impact on the peace process and would heighten tensions in the region.”

 

Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman whose anti-Muslim prejudice is legendary, had enough of past U.S. presidents’ cowardice. He decided not going to sign a waiver every 6  months – as provided in the 1996 Jerusalem Embassy Act Congress – that allows the U.S. to delay a move of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on national security grounds.

So in Dec last year, he refused to be intimidated and declared that the U.S. will go ahead and move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel-Aviv. And there’s nothing the Arab world can do. In reality, the United States isn’t the first country that recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Russians recognized West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel earlier than the Americans.

 

As the U.S. formally opened its embassy in the city on Monday afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the move “courageous” and “momentous”. He told about 800 applauding crowd – “President Trump, by recognizing history, you have made history. All of us are deeply moved. All of us are deeply grateful.”

 

In a video address to the assembly via satellite, U.S. President Donald Trump said the move was “a long time coming,” and that Israel, like all sovereign nations, has a right to name its own capital. He said – “The US will always be a great friend of Israel and a partner in the cause of freedom and peace. We extend a hand in friendship to Israel, the Palestinians and to all of their neighbors.”

Trump sent his favourite daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner to the city on his behalf for the ceremony. Kushner said – “By moving our embassy to Jerusalem, we have shown the world once again that the U.S. can be trusted. We stand with our friends and our allies, and above all we’ve shown that the US will do what’s right, and so we have.”

 

Other members of the U.S. delegation included Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, as well as Republican billionaire donor Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam. Israeli cabinet members, party heads – including opposition leaders – lawmakers and other officials were also present.

 

The conventional and boring arguments against Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy haven’t materialized. The Arab street hasn’t exploded in a serious way. The West Bank, surprisingly, has been relatively quiet and peaceful. Arab capitals haven’t erupted in outrage. In fact, Saudi Arabia, the big brother of the Arab world, is more concern about Iran than Palestinians.

After Israel declared its independence as a sovereign nation in 1948, it also declared Jerusalem as its capital – which is the right of any sovereign state. Strangely, when even North Korea, Iran and Cuba get to decide their own capital, Israel is the only country in the world that can’t. Amusingly, the world recognizes Israel as an independent nation by virtue of admitting the country to the United Nations.

 

The only serious clashes were in Gaza, the region ruled by military group Hamas, the radical Islamist group which has been fighting fellow Palestinian Fatah group in the famous “Palestinian Civil War”. So far, at least 52 Palestinians have been killed and 2,400 wounded by Israeli troops, as the Hamas provoked the Palestinians to protest the U.S. new embassy in Jerusalem.

 

Israeli military said 40,000 Palestinians had taken part in “violent riots” at 13 locations along the Gaza Strip security fence. Palestinians reportedly hurled stones and incendiary devices while the Israeli military used snipers, as black smoke poured from burning tyres. Israel says the protests are aimed at breaching the border and attacking Israeli communities nearby.

 

Other Articles That May Interest You …

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• Recognition Of Jerusalem – Why Muslims Should Wake Up & Stop Hallucinating
• Here’s Why Now Is The Best Time Trump Declares Jerusalem The Capital Of Israel
• Replenish Coffers – The $800 Billion Hidden Reason Behind Saudi Corruption Crackdown
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• Arab VS Arab – The Hidden Reasons Why Saudi & Its Gang “Unfriend” Qatar
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• Obama Backstabs Israel & Betrays Jews At UN – Here’s Why It Doesn’t Matter
• Kuwait: Israel Is NOT Our Enemy

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May 15th, 2018 by financetwitter

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