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There are plenty of cautious, unbiased voices expressing concern over President Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Then, there are hysterical voices outright denouncing the move and making up whatever narrative they can form to build opposition to the move regardless of the truth.
Before we get into the hysterical voices, let’s discuss the truth. I’ve seen lists of 7, 10, 12, and more of really good reasons to not only support but wholeheartedly embrace this move. I’m going to break it down to the three most important:
- Israel is a sovereign nation and Jerusalem is its capital. Who are we (or anyone else) to tell them that it’s not?
- The most common argument against the move is that it would derail decades of diplomacy we’ve put into Middle East peace. This is a ludicrous argument. This “diplomacy” hasn’t made Israel safer. They’ve essentially stood alone (with technological and equipment aid from the United States) when it comes to defending themselves against the enemies that surround them. All of this “diplomacy” has not brought peace to the Middle East in general and has not prevented ongoing attacks from the very people who would like to have a two-state solution. In reality, they want a one-state solution and no measure of diplomacy will change that.
- Once and for all, it’s time to stop talking about the 1967 borders. It’s time to stop saying Israel is occupying any lands unlawfully. Jerusalem is in Israel. There’s no splitting it or giving it to the Palestinians. They are free to worship there, but it’s in the land of Israel. The sooner we and the rest of the world acknowledge this, the sooner we can achieve real peace in the land.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at those who are against Israel. It’s a pretty mixed group, though most of the publications and authors who oppose the move would be considered left-leaning. Not all liberal disapprove; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is notably in favor of making Jerusalem the permanent capital of Israel.
Feel free to click through and check out any of these stories. I’m confident if you’re reading this, you won’t be swayed by the subtle jabs or the actual antisemitism veiled within the words of these articles. It’s good to know what the anti-Israel crowd is saying so we can better understand how to defeat their false narratives. This is a small sampling. There are dozens of other major news outlets publishing articles opposing the President’s move. Most use scare tactics; it’s better for their narrative to make people concerned about the repercussions instead of focusing on right or wrong.
Examples of anti-Israel spin stories
Why declaring Jerusalem as Israel’s capital could cause a furor in the Middle East
“Any American step related to the recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel, or moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, represents a threat to the future of the peace process and is unacceptable for the Palestinians, Arabs and internationally,” Abbas said over the weekend, according to the official Wafa Palestinian news agency.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said Trump called him Tuesday to say he wanted to move the embassy to Jerusalem, according to a statement by the Jordanian embassy.
Trump’s plan to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel will derail decades of US diplomacy
The administration’s planned announcement is already sparking fury across the Arab world. A spokeswoman for Abbas’s office issued a statement early Tuesday warning of “dangerous consequences” if Trump moves forward with plans to eventually move the embassy. King Abdullah was equally critical, saying in a statement that the White House shift on Jerusalem “will undermine the efforts of the American administration to resume the peace process.”
Right-wing Israeli leaders, by contrast, didn’t try to disguise their happiness. In a message to Trump, Naftali Bennett, the head of the Jewish Home party, said he wanted to thank “you from the bottom of my heart for your commitment and intention to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”
Risking Backlash, Trump Plans To Recognize Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital : The Two-Way
Both Israel and the Palestinians claim the city is their capital. Israel captured the eastern portion of the city in the 1967 war and U.S. policy — under Republican and Democratic presidents — has long held that the city’s status should be decided in peace talks.
Trump’s announcement, expected Wednesday afternoon, essentially endorses the Israeli position on the city.
Opinion | Does President Trump Want to Negotiate Middle East Peace?
Although Israel’s government has been located in Jerusalem since its founding in 1948, the United States, like the rest of the world, hasn’t recognized the city as Israeli territory, even after the Arab-Israeli War in 1967, when Israel drove back Jordan from East Jerusalem and occupied it. Under the Oslo Accords, Israel promised to negotiate Jerusalem’s future as part of a peace agreement. It has been assumed that under any deal, the city would remain its capital.
Palestinians anticipated being able to locate their capital in East Jerusalem and to have access to Muslim holy sites there. East Jerusalem was exclusively Arab in 1967, but Israel has steadily built settlements there, placing some 200,000 of its citizens among the Arab population and complicating any possible peace agreement.
Why the White House doesn’t think Jerusalem move will kill peace plan
Just hours before President Trump’s highly anticipated speech on Jerusalem, the White House is engaged in damage control. The challenge Trump and his team are facing: how to fulfill his campaign promise of moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and still get a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians — and prevent a wave a violence across the West Bank and the Middle East.
Between the lines: White House officials think Trump’s decision to follow through on his campaign promise — even if only partially — strengthens his credibility around the world as a someone who stands by his word, isn’t intimidated by threats, and doesn’t cave to international pressure.
Trump decision on Jerusalem could have deep repercussions
On the campaign trail, Trump took a strongly pro-Israel stance and promised to relocate the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, where most countries keep their embassies, to Jerusalem. Since taking office, he has learned that such a move is easier to talk about than to carry out.
Under American law, the president must sign a waiver every six months that leaves the embassy in Tel Aviv. In June, Trump renewed the waiver, as a string of predecessors has done. This week, another six-month deadline passed without Trump renewing it.
Spotlight: Trump to announce decision on moving embassy to Jerusalem, sparking wide criticism, worries
European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Tuesday warned that the status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiations.
Speaking to reporters following a meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Mogherini reiterated that EU supports “the resumption of a meaningful peace process towards a two-state,” warning that “any action that would undermine these efforts must absolutely be avoided.”
Trump’s Jerusalem decision has no upside
To talk about all of this Mideast upheaval, I spoke by phone with Ilan Goldenberg, the director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. During the course of our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, we discussed whether Benjamin Netanyahu’s political position was secure, the distinct (but both unsuccessful) ways in which Obama and Trump have approached the Middle East, and just how incompetent this administration really is.
Facts versus spin
By no means am I suggesting there’s no need to report on opposition. News is news and if this world leader or that scholar says it’s a bad idea, we should hear why. The problem I have with these and so many other “news” articles about the move is that they’re littered with the anti-Israel agenda. Sometimes it’s hard to notice. Other times it’s as blatant as an antisemitic neon sign. This is narrative-building. It’s agenda-promoting. It’s more of the same anti-Israel spin that’s grown to be so common in mainstream and leftist media.
Final thoughts
There are so many things to unpack regarding this move, but I’ll wait until everything is on the table. There are some who are saying that the move isn’t really a matter of doing the right thing. It’s the President dangling the carrot so he can broker a two-state solution. It may sound unlikely at this point, but anything’s possible. World events are moving quickly.
If the President does, indeed, sign orders to move the embassy, we should all look closely at the details. Missing the Monday deadline to push the decision down the road is not a sign of rapid movement. It just started the clock. How quickly or intentionally slowly the move is made will give us an idea of how this is all going to play out.
One thing is certain. Unlike past presidents who all (other than Barack Obama) promised to move the embassy during campaign season then avoided the question once they were in office, President Trump has ratcheted up talk about fulfilling the promise he made last year. There’s no backing away at this point, though there’s still a chance he could change his mind once turmoil hits the Middle East more so than it already has.
I truly hope this comes to pass. There will be challenges, not just from the Palestinians and other Middle East nations but also from many here in the United States. We have to do what we can to fight the anti-Israel narrative. Meanwhile, Israel and the United States have to be prepared for an international backlash that could lead to harsh responses.
For better or for worse, it’s shaping up to be Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu versus the whole world. The way it’s handled and the end results will both reverberate across the globe. That’s not in question. What we have to wait to find out is if they’re able to craft their own narrative powerful enough to make it resonate.
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