Courtesy of the
New York Times:
President Trump on Wednesday formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing nearly seven decades of American foreign policy and setting in motion a plan to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to the fiercely contested Holy City.
“Today we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital,” Mr. Trump said from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House. “This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done.”
The president cast his decision as a break with decades of failed policy on Jerusalem, which the United States, along with virtually every other nation in the world, has declined to recognize as the capital since Israel’s founding in 1948. That policy, he said, brought us “no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.”
“It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result,” Mr. Trump declared.
Recognizing Jerusalem, he added, was “a long overdue step to advance the peace process.”
Yeah, I don't think Donald Trump understands what the word "peace" means, because this is not how you go about attaining it.
Courtesy of
Al Jazeera:
Mahmoud Abbas has lambasted the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying the Palestinian leadership refuses to acknowledge President Donald Trump's contentious move.
Calling Jerusalem the "eternal capital of the State of Palestine", the president of the Palestinian Authority said on Wednesday the US could no longer be a mediator in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
His comments were in response to an earlier announcement by Trump during which he said the US was formally recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and would begin the process of moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to the city.
"This is a reward to Israel," Abbas said in a televised address, adding that Trump's move encouraged Israel's "continuing occupation" of the Palestinian territories.
Earlier in the day, Palestinian leaders called for three days of rage against the move.
Boy that sounds peaceful, doesn't it?
There was also this:
Trump had said earlier that he had the support of Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations, but according to news reports there is NOBODY on the Arab side who is cool with this, or anybody else for that matter.
Courtesy of the
BBC:
The US decision comes despite vocal opposition in the Muslim world, even among US allies.
On Tuesday Saudi Arabia's King Salman had said that the move "would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims, all over the world".
Demonstrations have already taken place in Gaza and outside the US consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it was "a moment of great anxiety".
"There is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B," he said.
In other reaction:
Prime Minister Theresa May said she disagreed with the US decision, which was "unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region"
French President Emmanuel Macron said France did not support the move and called for calm
EU chief diplomat Federica Mogherini voiced "serious concern"
Boy color me confused.
Here I thought that Trump was just focused on trying to start a nuclear war with North Korea, but it appears the tiny fingered multitasker is also going to try and create a conflagration in the Middle East as well.
What was it that Michael Caine said in that Batman movie?
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
I think Vladimir Putin and the deplorables have placed such a man into the White House.
