Washington – Defying dire, worldwide warnings, President Donald Trump on Wednesday broke with decades of U.S. and international policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
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Despite urgent appeals from Arab and European leaders and the risk of anti-American protests and violence, Trump declared that he was ending an approach that for decades has failed to advance the prospects for peace. He also for the first time personally endorsed the concept of a “two-state solution” for Israel and the Palestinians, provided both sides agree to it.
“I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” he said in a White House address, calling it “overdue” and in the best interests of the United States. He said recognition acknowledged the “obvious” that Jerusalem is the seat of Israel’s government despite the disputed status that is one of the key elements in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“This is nothing more or less than the recognition of reality,” he said.
Trump also directed that the State Department begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as required by U.S. law. Officials said, however, that the move will take years to complete.
Trump maintained that his decision would not compromise the city’s geographic and political borders, which will still be determined by Israel and the Palestinians.
Ahead of Trump’s speech, Arab and Muslim leaders spoke about the potential for violence. In Gaza, hundreds of Palestinian protesters burned American and Israeli flags. They also waved Palestinian flags and banners proclaiming Jerusalem as their “eternal capital,” language that Israelis similarly use for their nation.
Even America’s closest allies in Europe questioned the wisdom of Trump’s radical departure from the past U.S. position, which was studiously neutral over the sovereignty of the city.
Jerusalem includes the holiest ground in Judaism. It’s also home to Islam’s third-holiest shrine and major Christian sites, and any perceived harm to Muslim claims to the city has triggered protests in the past, in the Holy Land and beyond.
America’s consulate in Jerusalem has ordered U.S. personnel and their families to avoid visiting Jerusalem’s Old City or the West Bank, and urged American citizens in general to avoid places with increased police or military presence.
Tzadik may he have health and strength and see the demise of all the haters.
Let this be a clear message to North Korea. When this president promises something, he delivers. Check your mailbox.
What a wonderful and powerful speech! May Hashem continue to guide this great President on his courageous path. This is the best President the Jewish people and the State of Israel has ever had. Period.
פלגי מים לב מלך ביד ה’ על כל אשר יחפוץ יטנו
MAZEL TOV! THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY PRIOR PRESIDENTS. HOWEVER, THEY ALL LACKED THE SPINE TO DO SO.
I’M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT THE TRUMP HATERS ON THIS SITE, HAVE TO SAY NOW?
Can someone tell me, what we gained by this move? It seems to me that this will unite and incite Arabs to violence, which will result in an increase in Jewish deaths.
They want to destroy us anyway. This seems totally unnecessary.
Mr. President, thank you very much. However, this does not do much in regards to benefiting Israel more than before. I mean, the President is not recognizing the whole of Jerusalem as Israel’s, only half. So the international status is the same. The question is if this will bring more pressure on Israel to make concessions…The world now could come to do the opposite, to recognize East Jerusalem and the whole West Bank as Palestinian and try to force Israel to comply with it. So, now we are in a lot more in danger than before…
Yay!
Hashem runs the world. Hopefully the Palestinians will do as they say in that they wont come to the bargaining table because of this. I never thought this was important either however I did get the chills as the president declared.. and signed etc. Dont forget that this has something to do with what is happening in shomayim, hopefully for the good!!
“It is time” but a very sad time when Trump thinks hes giving into Jewish demands. Not a single Jew benefits ffrom this move only the Zionistic propoganda does. Jerusalem is NOT a political zone its a holy zone that shld be nobodys capital.
What are the Israelis gaining now other than promoting pure hate and spiking antisemitism around the world. But theydont give a hoot as long as they achieved Theyre political goal. Yes, a sad time for every real Jew.
Mazel tov, about time. Hillary would never have done it.
To #7 - I have no sympathy for Admiral Yamamoto. If he was against war with the United States (after all, he had lived in the USA and knew of its customs), then he should have bowed out of the Pearl Harbor project. He could not have used the defense (if he had lived and was tried after the war as a war criminal), that “I was just following orders”, as that absurd defense was thrown out at Nurenberg. However, the term “assassinate” pertaining to killing Yamamoto, was wrong. Yamamoto was an enemy combatant. As such, the U.S. Army Air Corps was justified in shooting his plane down over New Guinea. Incidentally, after his plane was shot down, and he was killed, the Imperial Japanese War Council refused to reveal that news to their citizens.
And your a real Jew. A zionist despicable shmutz wanna be Jew. Totally unaffilitated with NK but you are defntly a dirtbag of the despicable hostile rishesdige Medina. feh!