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Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat watches a speech given by U.S. President Donald Trump on Jerusalem at his residence in the West Bank city of Jericho, December 6, 2017. Credit: THOMAS COEX/AFP
Published by Haaretz

Donald Trump. Published by Maan News
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Breaking with decades of US policy, Trump recognizes Jerusalem as capital of Israel

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- In an unprecedented move, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday evening that the US officially recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and that the American government will begin the process of moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 

The announcement came after days of speculation from international media and condemnation from Palestinian and international leaders, imploring Trump not to take the step, which many said “crossed a red line.”

In his speech which he delivered in the White House to a room of reporters, Trump praised his decision as “a new approach” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and lauded himself for making a decision that former US presidents did not have “the courage” to make.

“I have judged this to be in the best interest in the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians,” Trump said, calling the step “long overdue.”

“Israel is a sovereign nation...that has the right to determine its own capital,” Trump said, ignoring the fact that Israel has occupied East Jerusalem for 50 years, in violation of international law. 

According to the US president, who has claimed that he will broker the “ultimate peace deal” between Israel and the Palestinians, his decision was “the right thing to do.”

“The embassy in Jerusalem will be a magnificent tribute to peace,” he said, adding that “this decision is not intended to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitating a peace agreement.”

“We want a great deal for Israel and a great deal for the Palestinians,” he said. “I reaffirm my administration's longstanding commitment to a future of peace and security in the region.”

Palestinian and Arab leaders warned Trump of causing instability and unrest in the region, with protests already being reported in cities across the West Bank and Jordan in response to the decision. 

Despite repeatedly making the promise to move the embassy throughout his presidential campaign, in June, Trump signed a temporary order to keep the US embassy in Tel Aviv, a renewable six-month waiver that has been signed by every US President for the past two decades.

The move is being regarded as the first step to a drastic abdication of longstanding US policy that has largely adhered to international standards on Israel-Palestine, which maintains that East Jerusalem is an intricate part of occupied Palestinian territory and the capital of any future Palestinian state, despite Israel’s annexation of the territory.

The fate of Jerusalem has been a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades, with numerous tensions arising over Israeli threats regarding the status of non-Jewish religious sites in the city, and the "Judaization" of East Jerusalem through settlement construction and mass demolitions of Palestinian homes.
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'Two-state Solution Is Over,' Top Palestinian Diplomat Says After Trump's Jerusalem Speech

In exclusive comments to Haaretz, Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian peace negotiator, said that Trump's decision forces Palestinians to strive for 'historic Palestine, from the river to the sea'

by Noa Landau and Jack Khoury for Haaretz

In exclusive comments to Haaretz, Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian peace negotiator, sharply rebuked U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday.

"President Trump has delivered a message to the Palestinian people: the two-state solution is over. Now is the time to transform the struggle for one-state with equal rights for everyone living in historic Palestine, from the river to the sea," Erekat said.

Earlier, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejected Trump's speech on Jerusalem, saying America's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital encourages the occupation and construction of Israeli settlements.

Abbas said that the move drives the U.S. further away from its role as a mediator and sponsor in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and undermines any attempt to achieve at two-state solution. He said Trump's decision violates international law and encourages the occupation and construction of Israeli settlements.

On Wednesday, Muslims across the Middle East warned of disastrous consequences as a result of Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The Palestinians plan to convene all political organizations, including the Palestinian National Council, in the upcoming days, and will call in all the Palestinian factions to decide on their next steps. Abbas said that Trump's decision will not change the Palestinian position on Jerusalem and will not change the city's status as the Palestinian capital.

"This is a historical moment and we must act," said Abbas. "The U.S. can no longer function as a diplomatic sponsor and [peace] mediator."

Alongside the recognition, Trump's speech included three central points. The American president refrained from explicitly stating that the two-state solution is the only path to a peace agreement, and said the U.S. supports such a solution only if it agreed upon by both sides.

Trump also announced that he has instructed the relevant teams to begin planning the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, yet did not state when such a move would take place.

Finally, Trump stressed that the American recognition of Jerusalem is not tantamount to a position on the issue of Israeli borders and sovereignty in Jerusalem. Those, he said, will be decided upon in negotiations.  

"It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," Trump said, adding that the move was "a long overdue step to advance the peace process" between Israel and the Palestinians. 

He said recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital is not only a "necessary condition for achieving peace," but also "in the best interests of the United States of America."

"We are not taking a position of any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved," Trump said.

Following his speech, Trump signed the presidential waiver to delay moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for another six months.

Shortly after Trump's speech, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the U.S. president's announcement, saying, "The president's decision is an important step towards peace, for there is no peace that doesn't include Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.

"I share President Trump's commitment to advancing peace between Israel and all of our neighbors, including the Palestinians. And we will continue to work with the President and his team to make that dream of peace come true," Netanyahu said.

The prime minister added: "I call on all countries that seek peace to join the United States in recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to move their embassies here."

Washington's official recognition signals a significant shift in American foreign policy and is expected provoke ire among Palestinians and alienate the Arab and Muslim world.

Shortly before Trump's speech, the U.S. State Department issued a cable to all its diplomatic posts worldwide on Wednesday asking its officials to defer non-essential travel to Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank until December 20.
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