Trump’s Ruling Over Jerusalem – OpEd
President Trump’s acknowledgment of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital a week ago made him controversial once again. Though it persists Muslim phobia. Such decisions are very harmful to everlasting peace. People believe that Trump’s decision will lead to chaos and inferiority among Muslims countries and definitely soon after the decision a battery of protests have been observed in every nook and corner of the Muslim world. Jerusalem is bone of contention between Palestine and Israel while Trump’s move had added fuel to the fire. It will undermine US-relations with Muslim worlds as well as credibility.
Due to the deliberate stance of Trump emergency meeting of UN General Assembly was called on the request of Arab and Muslim states. Though president Trump threatened the countries that he will cut off there aid if they voted against US move but The UN General Assembly has decisively backed a resolution effectively calling on the US to withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Trump’s extraordinary intervention marked the latest escalation of diplomatic tensions over a decision that has seen the US widely criticized and isolated. It came after a day of high drama.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised to reject the results of the vote, calling the UN a “house of lies” while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the vote “a victory for Palestine”. US is still adamant that US embassy would be shifted to Jerusalem. Niki Hali said that “America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. That is what the American people want us to do. And it is the right thing to do. No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that. This is what how US and Israel show respect for UN resolution? Now the issue is in Security Council and any breach of resolution will undermine the credibility of the organization.
Jerusalem, which houses holy places of all three Abrahamic religions and is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians, is at the very heart of the dispute. Israel assembled its seat of energy in West Jerusalem decades back and involved the East amid the 1967 war, and later annexed it. Palestinians demand that East Jerusalem ought to be the capital of their future state. Despite the fact that there is a Congressional determination in the U.S asking Washington to move its government office from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Past American Presidents abstained from doing as such given the legitimate, moral and political ramifications of the issue, other than their sense of duty regarding an arranged two-state settlement. By breaking with this accord, Mr. Trump has supported the Israeli cases to East Jerusalem.
This Trump’s step has serious implications and will further complicate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It will also obstruct the ongoing efforts to revive the peace process.” The status of Jerusalem is one of the most contentious issues of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ahead of Trump’s speech, Arab and Muslim leaders spoke about the potential for violence. In Gaza, hundreds of Palestinian protesters burned American and Israeli flags. They also waved Palestinian flags and banners proclaiming Jerusalem as their “eternal capital,” language that Israelis similarly use for their nation. Even America’s closest allies in Europe questioned the wisdom of Trump’s radical departure from the past US position, which was studiously neutral over the sovereignty of the city.
Trump’s move is not less than an act of terror. It hurt people’s sentiments and definitely divert people toward terrorism and Jihad. Generally, this move was to create another front against the Muslim world and especially was against the existence of Palestine. The US has no such authority to decide the fate of Palestine. US decision to accept Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is seen as “Might is Right” concept. It will definitely affect US relations with Muslim world in long run. Moreover, Trump decision is not a rational approach, so, it will strengthen resentment and hatred against the US.
The European Union also warned that Trump decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and shifting the US embassy toward Jerusalem have serious repercussions. The EU, which supports a two-state solution to the conflict, warned against doing anything that would jeopardize the peace process.
The Palestinian Armed Movement Hamas has threatened to launch another “intifada,” or uprising. Palestinians called for three days of challenges or “days of wrath” beginning on Wednesday. Expecting challenges, US government authorities and their families were requested to maintain a strategic distance from Jerusalem’s Old City and the West Bank, however the circumstance remained to a great extent quiet on Wednesday.
Pakistan also expressed its concerns over US Move. The Foreign office said that, Trump’s decision will definitely undermine the efforts of enduring peace in the Middle East. Any such move would be against norms of international law and the resolution of UN Security council. The spokesman also reiterated that Pakistan’s resolve to express solidarity with the people of Palestine, adding that Pakistan fully endorses the concluding statement of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the move.
By summarizing up, the antagonism behavior of Trump will give birth to chaos and worsen the crisis but it would be important for US and its allies to avoid such action which create escalation.
*Haleema Ajmal is MPhil Scholar at International Islamic University Islamabad and she can be reached at [email protected]