'An Event of Almost Biblical Significance’

[jimnyc]

Trump: ‘I Have Determined That It Is Time to Officially Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel’

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday in a televised address from the White House that the United States officially recognizes the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and will begin moving its embassy there.

“I have determined that it is time to official recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” President Trump said. “While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering.”

He later added: “Today, we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done.”

He also said that the U.S. would finally move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in accordance with the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, and would make it a monument to peace.

“I’ve judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”

Speaking in front of several Christmas trees, and a fireplace festooned with holiday bunting, Trump said: “When I came into office, I promise to look at the world’s challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking. We cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions, and repeating the same failed strategies of the past. Old challenges demand new approaches.”

He noted that past presidents had signed waivers delaying the recognition of Jerusalem and the relocation of the embassy “under the belief that delaying the recognition of Jerusalem would advance the cause of peace.”

While some said they “lacked courage,” he said, they made their decisions based on facts as understood at the time. But after two decades of waivers, it was clear that delaying the recognition of Jerusalem had no benefit for peace, Trump argued.

Instead, Trump said, acknowledging that Israel has the right to determine the location of its own capital was a “necessary condition for achieving peace.”

On a practical level, Trump said, it was apparent to all that every major institution of the Israeli government is located in Jerusalem, and that is where foreign dignitaries met with the Israeli heads of state and government.

He added: “Jerusalem is not just the heart of three great religions, but it is now also the heart of one of the most successful democracies in the world. Over the past seven decades, the Israeli People have built a country where Jews, Muslims, Christians, and people of all faiths are free to live and worship according to their conscience and beliefs.”

Trump said that Jerusalem is today, and must remain, a place “where Jews pray at the Western wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross, and where Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa mosque.”

He was careful to note that the new policy was not intended to prejudice ongoing negotiations between Israelis and the Palestinians. And he argued that his decision on Jerusalem was part of a “new approach” to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, one that would achieve a “great deal” for both sides.

“The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides,” he said. “I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement.” He added that the U.S. would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides.

“Above all, our greatest hope is for peace, the universal yearning in every human soul.”

He also addressed critics of the new policy, calling for calm, moderation, and tolerance.

“There will of course be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement,” President Trump said. “But we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a peace, and a place, of greater understanding and cooperation,” he said.

“This sacred city should call forth the best in humanity, lifting our sights to what is possible — not pulling us back, and down, to the old fights that have become so totally predictable,” he said. “Peace is never beyond the grasp of those willing to reach it. … Our children should inherit our love, not our conflicts.”

President Trump also placed his announcement in the context of his broader policy in the Middle East, which is focused on working with Arab nations to fight extremism. He reiterated his message from his visit to Saudi Arabia in May: “It is time for the many who desire peace to expel the extremists from their midst. It is time for all civilized nations and people to respond to disagreement with reasoned debate, not violence. And it is time for young and moderate voices all across the Middle East to claim for themselves a bright and beautiful future.”

He added that Vice President Mike Pence would be visiting Israel in the coming days.

-----

The White House issued the following proclamation:

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP’S PROCLAMATION ON JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL
“My announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.” – President Donald J. Trump

RECOGNIZING JERUSALEM: President Donald J. Trump is following through on his promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel and has instructed the State Department to begin to relocate the U.S. Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Today, December 6, 2017, President Trump recognized Jerusalem, the ancient capital of the Jewish people, as the capital of the State of Israel.

In taking this action, President Trump fulfilled a major campaign promise of his and many previous Presidential candidates.
The Trump Administration is fully coordinated in supporting this historic action by the President, and has engaged broadly with both our Congressional and international partners on this issue.

President Trump’s action enjoys broad, bipartisan support in Congress, including as expressed in the Jerusalem Recognition Act of 1995. This Act was reaffirmed by a unanimous vote of the Senate only six months ago.

President Trump has instructed the State Department to develop a plan to relocate the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Departments and Agencies have implemented a robust security plan to ensure the safety of our citizens and assets in the region.


STATUS OF JERUSALEM: President Trump recognizes that specific boundaries of sovereignty in Jerusalem is highly sensitive and subject to final status negotiations.

President Trump recognizes that the status of Jerusalem is a highly-sensitive issue, but he does not think the peace process is aided by ignoring the simple truth that Jerusalem is home to Israel’s legislature, supreme court, President, and Prime Minister.

President Trump recognizes that the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem are subject to final status negotiations between the parties.

President Trump reaffirms United States support for the status quo at the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al Sharif.


COMMITTED TO THE PEACE PROCESS: President Trump is committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.

President Trump remains committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians, and he is optimistic that peace can be achieved.

Delaying the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has not helped achieve peace over the past two decades.
President Trump is prepared to support a two-state solution to the dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians, if agreed to by the parties.


US President Donald Trump holds up a signed memorandum after he delivered a statement on Jerusalem from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington, DC on December 6, 2017 as US Vice President Mike Pence looks on. President Donald Trump on Wednesday recognized the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital — a historic decision that overturns decades of US policy and risks triggering a fresh spasm of violence in the Middle East.’I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,’ Trump said from the White House.’It’s the right thing to do.’ / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

http://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2...p-white-house/

[Black Diamond]

It was an incredible moment.

[jimnyc]

Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital

Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday recognized the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital -- a historic decision that overturns decades of US policy and risks triggering a fresh spasm of violence in the Middle East.

"I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," Trump said from the White House.

"It's the right thing to do."

The declaration calls into question seven decades of deliberate diplomatic ambiguity about the final status of a holy city vociferously claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians.

Trump also kicked off the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, making good on a campaign promise dear to evangelical Christian and right wing Jewish voters -- as well as donors.

He said his decision marked the start of a "new approach" to solving the thorny conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Trump's predecessors -- from Bill Clinton to George Bush -- made similar promises on the campaign trail, but quickly reneged upon taking office, and the burden of war and peace.

This most unlikely of presidents, who came to office with no foreign policy experience and denouncing experts, was determined to show his arrival in Washington spells the end of business as usual.

"Many presidents have said they want to do something and they didn't do it," Trump said in the hours leading up to his historic address.

"Whether it's courage or they changed their mind, I can't tell you," he said. "I think it's long overdue."

- Outrage -

The announcement leaves many angry US allies and leaders across the Middle East trying to find a measured response and hoping that the tinderbox region is not destined for yet another round of bloodletting.

Pope Francis joined a list of leaders warning of an historic misstep that could trigger a surge of violence.

"I cannot silence my deep concern over the situation that has emerged in recent days," the pontiff said Wednesday, one day after speaking by phone with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

The pontiff added that maintaining Jerusalem's status quo was important "in order to avoid adding new elements of tension to an already volatile world that is wracked by so many cruel conflicts."

In a frantic series of calls, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the European Union, France, Germany and Turkey also warned Trump against the move.

- Three 'days of rage' -

Moving the US embassy will probably take years to implement, but the repercussions of Trump's decision are likely to be swift.

Hundreds of Palestinians burned US and Israeli flags as well as pictures of Trump in the Gaza Strip, while relatively small clashes erupted near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron.

The Palestinian armed Islamist movement Hamas has threatened to launch a new "intifada," or uprising.

Palestinians called for three days of protests -- or "days of rage" -- starting Wednesday.

Anticipating protests, US government officials and their families were ordered to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank, though the situation remained largely calm Wednesday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the main pan-Islamic body, in Istanbul on December 13 "to display joint action among Islamic countries" over Jerusalem.

"Such a step will only play into the hands of terror groups," Erdogan said at a joint news conference in Ankara after talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Rest - https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-rec...020407741.html

[jimnyc]

RABBI SHMULEY: Thank You, President Trump, for Your Courage on Jerusalem

During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump pledged that he would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv. He has now made a courageous announcement making good on his campaign promise.

Recognition of reality is long overdue.

The usual suspects — Palestinians and their supporters, certain Arab governments, and some in the State Department — are howling as they do each time the issue is raised. The Palestinians say they will not negotiate, the Arabs say the Muslim world will revolt against us, and the State Department says U.S. interests will be threatened and the peace process will end. The president has ignored these doomsayers.

First, we all want peace. Our Palestinian brothers have refused to negotiate with Israel for eight years. They would not talk after President Barack Obama coerced Prime Minister Netanyahu to freeze settlement construction for 10 months. They have made excuses ever since. During the summer, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reached a reconciliation agreement with Hamas, joining hands with the organization whose raison d’être is the annihilation of Israel.

Is it possible that some of our Muslim brothers will be angry with the United States if it recognizes the obvious fact that Jerusalem is, and has been since 1948, Israel’s capital? Radical Muslims don’t need any new reasons to attack us. They already view Americans as decadent infidels who deserve death. We cannot allow our foreign policy to be held hostage by people who despise our democratic and religious values. If we based all our policies on whether they might upset Muslim extremists, we would be totally paralyzed.

To those who say moving the embassy will kill the peace process, I have a simple question: What peace process would that be?

I understand that the president is preparing his own initiative and does not want to lose the opportunity to make the “ultimate deal.” Despite this, however, the prospects for reaching a deal will be enhanced by recognizing Jerusalem and moving the embassy. The reason is that one of the prerequisites to a deal is disabusing our Palestinian brothers of the notion that Jerusalem will be divided or that Israel will give up sovereignty over the holiest sites of Judaism. The fact that the Western Wall is in “occupied” East Jerusalem is irrelevant, as the Jewish history of the entire city dates to the time of King David, centuries before Jordan divided the city, expelled the Jews, and became an occupying power.

The majority of the population in Jerusalem has been Jewish since at least 1844. For most of history under the Muslim Empire, Jerusalem was a backwater of no significance and never served as a provincial capital or a Muslim cultural center.

Rest - http://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2...age-jerusalem/

[jimnyc]

Those on the left, who are quick to condemn Trump's decision, likely will deny or forget that this was also a campaign promise of Obama's - he just failed to follow through, as did GWB.

---

CNN Praises Trump for Keeping Promise to Israel – Then Slams Him in Next Sentence



Very #FakeNews CNN praised President Trump for keeping his promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

Trump made the historic announcement on Wednesday.

Both Barack Obama and George W. Bush made the same announcement but failed to come through on their promises.

CNN headlined their post: Donald Trump, Keeper of Promises.

Then they went after him in the next sentence.
They just can’t help themselves.



http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017...next-sentence/

[jimnyc]

Not surprising coming from a terrorist organization. Rather than perhaps a normal protest, or fighting via political avenues - these guys want to "abandon peace efforts" and then "launch a new uprising". A shame that they want to go this route. Peace CAN be found if folks work together - but you simply cannot work with a terrorist organization, for these obvious reasons.

--

Hamas Calls for Palestinian Uprising in Response to Trump's Jerusalem Plan

The Islamist group Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as its capital.

The Israeli military said it was reinforcing troops in the occupied West Bank, deploying several new army battalions and putting other forces on standby, describing the measures as part of its "readiness for possible developments".

Protests so far have been scattered and largely non-violent.

But dozens of Palestinians gathered at two points on the Gaza border fence with Israel and threw rocks at soldiers on the other side. Inside Gaza, thousands of Palestinians rallied, some chanting: "Death to America! Death to the fool Trump!" and burning tyres.

Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy on Wednesday by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies alike.

The status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions - is one of the biggest obstacles to reaching a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

"We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada (Palestinian uprising) in the face of the Zionist enemy," Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech in Gaza.

Haniyeh, elected the group's overall leader in May, urged Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs to hold rallies against the U.S decision on Friday, calling it a "day of rage".

Naser Al-Qidwa, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and senior official in his Fatah party, urged Palestinians to stage protests but said they should be peaceful.

Rest - https://www.newsmax.com/headline/ham.../07/id/830393/

[jimnyc]

Sen. Whitehouse: Trump's Jerusalem Decision 'Dangerous'

President Donald Trump's decision to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem sends a negative message to the Arab world and could hurt America's relationship with key allies, a Democratic lawmaker said Thursday.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., appeared on CNN's "New Day" and discussed Trump's move to have the United States officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, not Tel Aviv.

"The public objection is one thing. I think there are factions within the Trump White House that think this all makes good theater for elements of their base," Whitehouse said.

"I think what's really dangerous is what this means for our relationship with Turkey, which we still depend on for a lot of basing for our military efforts in the Middle East, and with the Saudis, who the Trump White House have bent over backwards to accommodate as our new best friend in the region."

Whitehouse added that he thinks religious beliefs played a role in Trump's decision that was announced Wednesday.

"For really strong evangelicals, this is part of the Biblical prescription that Jerusalem shall return and all of that," Whitehouse said. "I think it's a dangerous idea to let those religious beliefs get ahead of our national interests and our diplomatic interests."

Rest - https://www.newsmax.com/politics/she.../07/id/830491/


Conservatives Laud Trump's Jerusalem Move: 'Long Overdue'

Conservatives praised President Donald Trump's decision Wednesday to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, with House Speaker Paul Ryan saying that "this is a day that is long overdue."

"Jerusalem has been, and always will be, the eternal, undivided capital of the State of Israel," the Wisconsin Republican said in a statement. "The city's status as the religious epicenter of Judaism is an historical fact — not a matter of debate.

"Today's announcement is a recognition of reality that in no way inhibits efforts to reach a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians," Ryan said.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that Trump's action "reflects the reality on the ground for the last 3,000 years.

"Why did the Trump Administration decide to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel?" Graham asked. "Because it always has been and always will be.

"Finally, the decision does not take other options off the table regarding a two-state solution."

In a speech at the White House, President Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy and announced that his administration would also begin efforts to move the United States embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The transition is expected to take years — and Trump moved despite warnings worldwide that he would further drive a wedge between Israel and the Palestinians with his decision.

"I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," the president said. "While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver.

"Today, I am delivering."




Nikki Haley: Trump Showed 'Courage' on Jerusalem

United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said Wednesday that President Donald Trump showed "courage" and "a commitment towards a peace process moving forward" with his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

"This is something that unites our country," Haley told Wolf Blitzer on CNN. "The fact that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, no one doubts that.

"There are parliaments there. There are supreme courts there. There are prime ministers there — and the United States has always put embassies in the capital.

"This is just common sense," Haley said. "This is just reality."

Trump also announced his administration would begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Trump acted under a 1995 law requiring the United States to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

Haley noted previous presidents declined to move the embassy to keep from fanning tensions in the Middle East.

"Every single leading presidential candidate has always said they're for moving the embassy, but every time that was presented to them, you had a lot of naysayers saying why it shouldn't happen," she told Blitzer. "They all said that it was going to hurt the peace process.

"In 22 years, we haven't seen a peace process," Haley added. "Maybe if we do something different, we will now start to see something move forward."

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/nik.../06/id/830343/

---
The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 is a public law of the United States passed by the 104th Congress on October 23, 1995. It was passed for the purposes of initiating and funding the relocation of the Embassy of the United States in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, no later than May 31, 1999, and attempted to withhold 50 percent of the funds appropriated to the State Department specifically for "Acquisition and Maintenance of Buildings Abroad" as allocated in fiscal year 1999 until the United States Embassy in Jerusalem had officially opened. The act also called for Jerusalem to remain an undivided city and for it to be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel. Israel's declared capital is Jerusalem, but this is not internationally recognized, pending final status talks in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The proposed law was adopted by the Senate (93–5),[3] and the House (374–37).[4]

Despite passage, the law remained unimplemented by Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama,[5] who viewed it as a Congressional infringement on the executive branch's constitutional authority over foreign policy; they consistently claimed the presidential waiver on national security interests. President Donald Trump signed the waiver in June 2017 before announcing the recognition of Jerusalem in December 2017 and beginning the relocation of the embassy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_Embassy_Act

[Gunny]

Not surprising coming from a terrorist organization. Rather than perhaps a normal protest, or fighting via political avenues - these guys want to "abandon peace efforts" and then "launch a new uprising". A shame that they want to go this route. Peace CAN be found if folks work together - but you simply cannot work with a terrorist organization, for these obvious reasons.

--

Hamas Calls for Palestinian Uprising in Response to Trump's Jerusalem Plan

The Islamist group Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as its capital.

The Israeli military said it was reinforcing troops in the occupied West Bank, deploying several new army battalions and putting other forces on standby, describing the measures as part of its "readiness for possible developments".

Protests so far have been scattered and largely non-violent.

But dozens of Palestinians gathered at two points on the Gaza border fence with Israel and threw rocks at soldiers on the other side. Inside Gaza, thousands of Palestinians rallied, some chanting: "Death to America! Death to the fool Trump!" and burning tyres.

Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy on Wednesday by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies alike.

The status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions - is one of the biggest obstacles to reaching a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

"We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada (Palestinian uprising) in the face of the Zionist enemy," Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech in Gaza.

Haniyeh, elected the group's overall leader in May, urged Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs to hold rallies against the U.S decision on Friday, calling it a "day of rage".

Naser Al-Qidwa, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and senior official in his Fatah party, urged Palestinians to stage protests but said they should be peaceful.

Rest - https://www.newsmax.com/headline/ham.../07/id/830393/

I hope you DO realize this is one of those DUMB moments for Trump. He's got enough problems, and unlike Un and his all-mouth no-ass threats, those crazy Arabs WILL start a war. If nothing else, THAT ought to be obvious by now.

And while the usual folk will puff up their chests, the fact is we are ALREADY in a war in Afghanistan, deployed in preparation for one in Korea, and spread all over the ME and N Africa. the US military IS a finite entity, y'know.

It also looks lame Trump stirring up shit in someone else's yard THEY well have to clean up.

[jimnyc]

I hope you DO realize this is one of those DUMB moments for Trump. He's got enough problems, and unlike Un and his all-mouth no-ass threats, those crazy Arabs WILL start a war. If nothing else, THAT ought to be obvious by now.

And while the usual folk will puff up their chests, the fact is we are ALREADY in a war in Afghanistan, deployed in preparation for one in Korea, and spread all over the ME and N Africa. the US military IS a finite entity, y'know.

It also looks lame Trump stirring up shit in someone else's yard THEY well have to clean up.

Whether now, last year or next year, it's an appropriate move, and one that should have been done a long time back. If the Muslims want to once again allow terror to rule over common sense and democracy or building up peace, or working towards a future - of maybe even living different lives, even if they never agree.

But that's not bumb on Trump, nor his fault. This is rightful and right. This won't be a war for us of any sorts. We unfortunately may see terror attempts from Hamas or the like coming from Palestine, while their women and children pass around candy and cheer.

There is NEVER a good time for aggression or whatever, but that's on the animals that can't learn to coexist.

[jimnyc]

Trump Is Making a Huge Mistake on Jerusalem

President Trump announced on Wednesday that his administration is making a radical break with nearly 70 years of official United States policy and with the international community: He is recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

This decision will be interpreted by Palestinians, Arabs and the rest of the world as a major provocation. It will cause irreparable harm to Mr. Trump’s own plans to make peace in the Middle East, and to any future administration’s efforts, as well. It will also undermine the United States’ own national security. The president should reconsider this decision immediately.

Since Israel was established in 1948, the United Nations and the United States, like most countries, have refused to recognize any country’s sovereignty over Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians.

For this reason, the United States has always maintained its embassy to Israel in Tel Aviv. Since Israel militarily occupied East Jerusalem in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, the United States and the international community have rejected as illegal Israel’s attempts to cement its control over the city by expanding its boundaries, annexing it and constructing a ring of settlements on occupied Palestinian land around its outskirts to sever it from the rest of the West Bank.

With his announcement on Wednesday, Mr. Trump has legitimized Israel’s illegal actions and sent the message that the United States no longer has any regard for international conventions or norms, and that might and power prevail over justice and the law.

Rest - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/o...type=sectionfr

[jimnyc]

Promise Keeper

Column: Why President Trump is right to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital

Not only is President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and begin the process of moving the U.S. embassy there one of the boldest moves of his presidency. It is one of the boldest moves any U.S. president has made since the beginning of the Oslo "peace process" in 1993. That process collapsed at Camp David in 2000 when Yasir Arafat rejected President Clinton's offer of a Palestinian state. And the process has been moribund ever since, despite multiple attempts to restart it.

That is why the warnings from Trump critics that his decision may wreck the peace process ring hollow. There is no peace process to wreck. The conflict is frozen. And the largest barriers to the resumption of negotiations are found not in U.S. or Israeli policy but in Palestinian autocracy, corruption, and incitement. Have the former Obama administration officials decrying Trump's announcement read a newspaper lately? From listening to them, you'd think it would be all roses and ponies in the Middle East but for Trump. In fact, the region is engulfed in war, terrorism, poverty, and despotism; Israel faces threats in the north and south; its sworn enemy, Iran, is growing in influence and reach; and the delegitimization of the Jewish State proceeds apace in international organizations and on college campuses. I forget how the Obama administration advanced the cause of peace by pressuring Israel while rewarding the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Maybe someone will remind me.

One of the reasons the Middle East persists in its decrepit condition is that it has been, for decades, a playground of magical thinking. Whether it is believing that poverty is the cause of terrorism or that the Ayatollah Khamenei is a good-faith partner, whether it is imagining that Assad will go just because we tell him to or that ISIS is akin to a terrorist "JV team," liberal internationalists have all too eagerly accepted an alternative picture of the Middle East that is much more flattering than the actuality. A similar form of doublethink is present in our discussions over Jerusalem. Every Israeli knows Jerusalem was, is, and will remain his capital. Every recent president has agreed with him. And the U.S. consensus has been bipartisan. The last four Democratic platforms have said the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. The Senate voted 90-0 only six months ago urging the embassy be moved to the ancient city. Were we to take seriously neither these platforms nor that vote? Was it all virtue-signaling, a bunch of empty gestures in the kabuki theater of U.S. diplomacy?

It is a sign of the disingenuousness of American foreign policy that it required someone from outside this system to behave as if words have meaning. President Trump has no background in or admiration for the routines, manners, and norms of the U.S. foreign service, especially that part of it which specializes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This has enabled him to state unequivocally the fact others would prefer to avoid: Jerusalem is Israel's capital, full stop. His transactional nature also brought him to this fateful recognition. In March 2016, at the AIPAC policy conference, he pledged that "We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem." His remarks today make clear his intention to fulfill that promise and to cement his support within the pro-Israel community.

I wonder about the journalists and flacks and politicians criticizing this literal reading of U.S. law as "disruptive." Have they not paid attention to this man? Donald Trump's purpose in office is to disrupt if not overturn the patterns of governance and ideological consensus that have dominated the U.S. capital for decades. In this sense his Jerusalem policy is his presidency in microcosm. He is acting on a common sense appraisal of the world and satisfying the wishes of his supporters without regard to global or domestic elite opinion. What Trump knows more than the art of the deal is the art of the bluff—and how to call one. By keeping his campaign promise today, he has called the bluff of everyone who thought the United States could have its cake and eat it too on the question of Israel's capital. And by moving our embassy to Jerusalem, the United States will acknowledge Israel's right to determine its own capital city. That is not something to condemn or fear. It is something to be proud of.

http://freebeacon.com/columns/promise-keeper/

[Gunny]

Whether now, last year or next year, it's an appropriate move, and one that should have been done a long time back. If the Muslims want to once again allow terror to rule over common sense and democracy or building up peace, or working towards a future - of maybe even living different lives, even if they never agree.

But that's not bumb on Trump, nor his fault. This is rightful and right. This won't be a war for us of any sorts. We unfortunately may see terror attempts from Hamas or the like coming from Palestine, while their women and children pass around candy and cheer.

There is NEVER a good time for aggression or whatever, but that's on the animals that can't learn to coexist.

I disagree. It is not appropriate. Last year or next year, maybe. Technically, is there a problem with it? No. Israel can call whatever it wants its capitol.

Now let's deal with the reality of the festering shithole the Middle East has been since 1949 because of Israel's existence and Arab intolerance. While I think they're a bunch of shitbags and shouldn't be crying over territory lost 100 years ago in a war they lost, the fact remains that they are. The fact is, the Philistines stole the land to begin with.

It is NOT however appropriate to start shit that has KNOWN consequences based on historical reaction; especially, when the consequences pose no real threat to the US but a CLEAR AND PRESENT threat to the people of Israel. That is endangering the lives of others without the right nor need to do so.

[jimnyc]

I disagree. It is not appropriate. Last year or next year, maybe. Technically, is there a problem with it? No. Israel can call whatever it wants its capitol.

Now let's deal with the reality of the festering shithole the Middle East has been since 1949 because of Israel's existence and Arab intolerance. While I think they're a bunch of shitbags and shouldn't be crying over territory lost 100 years ago in a war they lost, the fact remains that they are. The fact is, the Philistines stole the land to begin with.

It is NOT however appropriate to start shit that has KNOWN consequences based on historical reaction; especially, when the consequences pose no real threat to the US but a CLEAR AND PRESENT threat to the people of Israel. That is endangering the lives of others without the right nor need to do so.

They are MORE than free to say NO, but they want this as well. Do you hear those in charge over there complaining about this? We are not pushing this upon them and then potentially be responsible for any violent type of outcome. Even those in the longest stages of planning here in the USA had planned for this. The same applies on the Israeli side.

I think we BOTH agree on the fact that it may cause issues. But I think those issues are going to happen whether now, the biblical era or waiting another 50 years. So that's why I think it just took the balls of making the decision, and now Israel must have a plan to deal with it.

[Kathianne]

He already signed a waiver to keep embassy where it is for 6 months. We'll wait and see what happens after, for the time being at least, looks like a change.

[Gunny]

They are MORE than free to say NO, but they want this as well. Do you hear those in charge over there complaining about this? We are not pushing this upon them and then potentially be responsible for any violent type of outcome. Even those in the longest stages of planning here in the USA had planned for this. The same applies on the Israeli side.

I think we BOTH agree on the fact that it may cause issues. But I think those issues are going to happen whether now, the biblical era or waiting another 50 years. So that's why I think it just took the balls of making the decision, and now Israel must have a plan to deal with it.

You're being obtuse. I didn't say a thing about who has the right to do what. It's not about "it's about time somebody told these f*ckers where to go -- who cares what they think?"

Trump is flirting with another international crisis. People are going to get tired of the shit. Those that aren't already. I think he should devote more time to covering his own ass and figuring out how he's going to beat the Dems in 2020 than just stirring up shit.