Jerusalem – Trump Faces Diplomatic Hurdles During 28 Hours In The Holy Land

    3

    People walk past a poster welcoming US President Donald Trump in Jerusalem on May 19, 2017, in preparation for the upcoming visit of US President Donald Trump. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90is firing of FBI chief James Comey, it is a particularly demanding itinerary, especially for a first overseas venture.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    During his campaign, Trump promised to be Israel’s “best friend” if elected, and signaled that it was okay for the Israeli government to go on building settlements on occupied land since he didn’t regard it as an obstacle to peace.

    Since taking office, however, Trump has shifted tack, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “hold back” on settlements, and praising Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at a White House meeting this month, part of an effort to bring the sides together and launch another attempt at Middle East peace.

    It looks unlikely Trump will manage to get Netanyahu and Abbas to shake hands during his 28-hour visit to the Holy Land, and the prospects of him setting a timetable for a resumption of peace talks also look dim. But that doesn’t mean other diplomatic traps aren’t lying in wait.

    Perhaps the most sensitive is what Trump ends up saying — or not saying — about a promise he made during the election campaign to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

    No country in the world has its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem since the status of the city remains disputed in the eyes of the international community. While Israelis call Jerusalem their “indivisible capital”, Palestinians want the capital of any future state in the east of the city.

    Only once Jerusalem’s final status is agreed via direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians are foreign countries likely to move their embassies to the city.

    In the meantime, Trump has appointed as his envoy to Israel David Friedman, a devout Jew who insists the embassy must be moved and plans to work out of Jerusalem some days of the week.

    CAREFUL STEPS

    When Friedman arrived in Israel this week, his first act was to visit Jerusalem’s Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray, a symbolic departure from usual protocol.

    Trump intends to visit the Western Wall too, something past presidents have not done because of the political sensitivities.

    The Wall stands in the Old City in the east of Jerusalem, which Israel captured during the 1967 Middle East war. Officially, the United Nations, the United States and others consider the Old City and East Jerusalem occupied territory and do not recognize Israel’s claim to sovereignty over it.

    As a result, the U.S. State Department turned down a request for Netanyahu to accompany Trump and his family when they visit the site on Monday. Instead, the president will be accompanied by the rabbi of the Western Wall.

    “This is the most appropriate way to show the proper deference to such a significant holy site,” a State Department official said.

    Yet in an interview with Israel Hayom, a pro-Netanyahu paper, Trump said his plans “could still change” and suggested he might ask Netanyahu to join him, a last-minute move that would please Netanyahu but anger the Palestinians.

    On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to visit Abbas for an hour in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, which lies a few kilometers south of Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

    To get there, the president’s convoy will have to pass through Israel’s high-security checkpoint and towering concrete barriers that cut the West Bank off from Jerusalem.

    Both Palestinians and Israelis will be on alert to see what language Trump uses when he meets Abbas. While the president hasn’t clearly backed a two-state solution — Israel and a Palestinian state — he is expected to voice support for Palestinian “self-determination”, a phrase that nods in the direction of an independent Palestinian state.

    After negotiating that diplomatic minefield, Trump is scheduled to visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial. He has set aside 15 minutes for the visit, unlike previous presidents who spent an hour or more at the site.


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    3 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Butterfly
    Butterfly
    6 years ago

    Trump may as well not go. 15 minutes at Yad Vashem is a slap in the face to world Jewry!! No Masada! A photo op at the kotel! Big deal! For this he may as well stayed in New York! 28 hours– He spent more time catching up on sleep!

    6 years ago

    To #2 -Butterfly-Your posting was stupid; you should be glad that Trump is going to Israel. Only a few US Presidents have gone there, and not all went to Yad Vashem.

    Butterfly
    Butterfly
    6 years ago

    To #2 Whenever they did go they spent more than an hour there.!! 15 minutes is an insult to the k’doshim!