Trumps Declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel
The latest in a long line of controversies that Trump has committed in his yearlong presidency, is the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
An issue that has been centuries in the making and includes complicated historical, political and religious matters, has been determined by Trump in the space of one speech. Determined is of course an ironic word choice here, as Trump’s declaration does nothing to actually solve the problems that dominate this region but instead adds fuel to the fire and will undoubtedly spur further unrest in the area.
So what exactly is so controversial about Trump making a declaration as to the state ownership of Jerusalem? Well, Jerusalem holds religious significant for Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and as such, each has sought for control of the city for centuries. In the centre of the city is a hill that holds great significance to both Jews and Muslims. For followers of Judaism, the hill was home to Jewish temples during antiquity and it is viewed as a sacred place for prayer. On the other hand, on the same hill there are two holy sites that are revered by Muslims — the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Asqa Mosque — and the site is considered to be third holiest site in Islam.
The city’s status is currently disputed and negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have been fraught with tension. Although the religious connotations mean that each party have claims over the land that date back thousands of years, the current political conflict began in the early 20th century, resulting in the current position where the West Bank of Jerusalem is nominally controlled by the Palestinian Authority but is under Israeli occupation. This has resulted in Israeli troops enforcing Israeli security restrictions on Palestinian movement and activities and Israeli settlers who deny the land to Palestinians. The tension in the area between the two groups has understandably resulted in hatred and violence.
Along with the complicated history of the area that Trump has apparently glossed over with his speech, what also makes his decision so controversial is the impact that it will have. Declaring a holy land such as Jerusalem to be outwith the control of Muslims is of course going to hurt Middle East peace negotiations, something that in the current climate is not a good idea. More than 50 Muslims nations have already come together to reject and condemn Trump’s decision and to state that they will no longer accept any American role in the Middle East peace process. With one speech, Trump has ruined numerous incredibly important relationships and has overturned decades of US policy which has always been to clarify the status of Jerusalem in a final peace agreement.
Since the announcement, protests have erupted and violence in Gaza has heighted once again. Protests have broken out across the Muslim world from Turkey to Indonesia, showing that outrage is not just limited to Palestinian territories. Furthermore, a riot in the Gaza area has resulted in the death of two Palestinians at the hands of the Israel Defence Forces. Such violence, as a result of Trump’s declaration, is obviously going to fuel tension between the two groups and have a negative impact on peace negotiations, further prolonging any chance of a compromise.
Trump’s statement will also damage the relationship between the USA and the EU, who believe in a peace process and are never going to respond positively to Trump’s position. The EU fully believes that Jerusalem should be the capital of both the state of Israel and the state of Palestine and that the final status should be determined by direct negotiations between the parties. Trump has consequently distanced himself from the majority of countries with his premature and unnecessary declaration, and has made diplomatic relations for himself much harder.
The main question, however, is why exactly Trump thought he had any right or authority to make this Western declaration on a very provocative issue between Israel and the Palestinians. No one other than Trump and those immediately close to him can say for sure the exact impetus behind his decision. Nonetheless, some assumptions can be made. For example, one of Trump’s main funders in the 2016 campaign was Sheldon Adelson, a supporter of right-wing Israeli nationalism. Was Trump’s decision perhaps a thank you to him? This seems like a very big and controversial gesture of gratitude on his part and thus seems unlikely. However, such a funder perhaps shows an insight into Trump’s own personal opinion on the Israel-Palestinian negotiations. Trump has appointed many Jewish advisers who are outspoken in their support of Israel, such as Michael Glassner whom Trump appointed as his national political director, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who he often refers to when boasting of his pro-Israel credentials. Trump’s personal opinion on the matter can be clearly seen through those he choses to surround himself with and it is very likely that Trump has used his power and position to push his own personal agenda through.
It is also a possibility that this was an attempt to inflame the ongoing tension between the West and Islam. Trump and his team are not so naïve or stupid as to be unaware that such a declaration would undoubtedly cause violence by Muslims infuriated at this Western invasion into their history, religion and culture. The protests throughout the world show that the outrage is not just limited to Palestinians and the violence that is occurring there as a result of Trump’s declaration could easily spill into America. Could this be used as an opportunity for Trump to fuel his war on Islam and to strengthen his crack down on immigration? My pessimistic opinion says yes. Having viewed Trump’s yearlong term so far, my opinion of him and his ideals and actions have become so negative that I wouldn’t put such a course of action past him.
Finally, in his speech, Trump made sure to remind the crowd, “While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering.” It appeared as if Trump was using this massive controversial statement to once again try and one-up previous Presidents. Playing with the lives, emotions and deeply held personal beliefs of a large group of individuals in order to try and prove how powerful he is, is childish and selfish.
The decision as to the ownership of Jerusalem is a complicated and controversial one, which is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. Whilst everyone has a different opinion on the situation, what is for certain is that the decision does not belong to Trump and it is not his to give away. His declaration is an embarrassing display of Western-centrism and shows his misguided belief that he has the authority to become involved in matters that have nothing to do with him and are completely outwith his scope of understanding and control. It is another in a long line of Trump embarrassments that have very dire consequences for other people.
Edited by Maryam Elahi
