Will Trump disrupt the peace in the Middle East?
With by far one of the most consequential foreign policy decisions of his presidency, President Donald Trump announced that the United States will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He also stated that he will move the US embassy there instead of where it was before in Tel Aviv. By doing so, Trump threatened the peace in the region and broke a longtime US policy.
On Tuesday, Trump made a series of calls to leaders in the Middle East following his announcement who warned against the dangerous consequences of his decision including Egypt’s president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.
“Such a dangerous step is likely to inflame the passions of Muslims around the world due to the great status of Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque.” Said King Salman (The Guardian)
Senior Trump administration officials said that Trump was reflecting a fundamental truth, which is that Jerusalem is the seat of the Israeli government and should be recognized as such.
Is moving the US embassy to Jerusalem a wise decision? Or will this move turn deadly?
With the fact that no other country has its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem and Washington’s Middle East allies all warned against the dangerous repercussions of Trump’s decision, it is clear that tension is rising in the Middle East.
As an Egyptian Muslim, I believe that Trump is provoking the Muslim and Arab community by announcing that America recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. This may lead to violence and escalate regional tensions as it worsens the Palestinian conflict. In my opinion, Trump’s action only degrades America’s credibility as a mediator between Palestine and Israel. Even the Egyptian students in The American University in Cairo (AUC) already started protesting against his decision.
Sea Dragon • Jan 2, 2018 at 8:30 am
Trump’s decision of moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem will definitely be disrupting the peace. The Palestinians and Arabs oppose of the move. However, the Israeli government is welcoming the acknowledgement of Jerusalem as its capital.
zumie15 • Dec 26, 2017 at 9:51 pm
Trump is doing wrong. why does he need to do this he really needs to step down.
oceanmtnsky • Dec 8, 2017 at 8:02 pm
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/world/middleeast/jerusalem-history-peace-deal.html
This gives some historical context from an American point of view.
oceanmtnsky • Dec 8, 2017 at 3:21 pm
This is an ongoing story that has certainly shifted with President Trump’s recent tweet. What do you think?
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2017/12/08/video-montage-jerusalem-n2419995
Hana • Dec 9, 2017 at 12:56 pm
Well after I read your comment I needed to dig deeper to find out what other statements the former presidents have said about this topic to understand what made them sign the waiver to keep the US embassy in Tel Aviv. I found out that former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both stated that the act would hinder the peace process in the region and that it could be explosive to sign it. So I think that while Trump may have fulfilled his campaign promise, he is risking many repercussions that the presidents before him wanted to avoid for the sake of peace.
oceanmtnsky • Dec 15, 2017 at 9:21 am
Yes, I agree with you. More people and especially more leaders need to do their research before jumping to judgement on such sensitive matters. Thank you for your reply. Previous Presidents have found that not all campaign promises can be met because matters of peace and diplomacy always require compromise.
Donkey Kong • Dec 8, 2017 at 9:27 am
I agree with you completely, I also think President Trump has been making some dangerous decisions that can build up to violence and conflict. He makes decisions on his own and takes his own thoughts into consideration.