May 14th, 2018 – a Promise Made, a Promise Kept
There are a few occasions when a symbolic move can prove to be of great substance, as well. Today, May 14th, 2018 marked such an occasion.
Seventy years to the very day after U.S. President Harry S. Truman became the first world leader to recognize the modern state of Israel, the United States Embassy was officially relocated to the Israeli capital of Jerusalem.
On December 6th of 2017, President Donald J. Trump made history when, on behalf of the United States, he formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel- a move seemingly obvious and inconsequential on its face, but in fact a very substantive and remarkable move on the part of a U.S. President.
The decision to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv, some forty miles away from Jerusalem, has its roots in 1995 when Congress passed legislation calling for its relocation. In subsequent order, Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama all failed to act upon this legislation because they heeded the so-called “expert” advice from State Department apparatchiks, that doing so would interfere with the peace process in the Middle East.
Twenty-two years later, their successor Donald Trump defied these “experts” and even members of his own cabinet, like former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and announced the formal recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and his intention to move the U.S. Embassy, accordingly. Widely criticized by those opposed to such a move, both within and outside the United States, the president ignored his naysayers, stuck to his resolve and the United States Embassy in Jerusalem was formally opened today, five months following his announcement.
While Palestinians in the Gaza strip violently protested the move, Israeli defense forces held the protesters at bay along the Israeli/Palestinian border where several Palestinians were killed and hundreds of others were wounded.
Representing the United States were U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman (appointed a year ago, tomorrow), Trump’s daughter Ivanka, her husband and senior adviser Jared Kushner, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan. Also in attendance, were several representatives of the U.S Senate and House of Representatives.
It was Kushner who delivered the keynote speech, following a live video feed from President Trump, and both reiterated the reasoning and importance of the embassy’s relocation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu followed Kushner with his own remarks, recalling his days as a young boy traversing neighborhoods nearby the site of the embassy and extolling the gratitude and appreciation of his county for what President Trump has done.
“This is a great day,” said Netanyahu, “A great day for Jerusalem. A great day for the state of Israel. A day that will be engraved in our national memory for generations.”
He went on to thank President Trump for “having the courage to keep his promise” to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, saying that “Jerusalem is the eternal, undivided capital of Israel.” Netanyahu closed his speech saying, “God bless the United States, God bless Jerusalem, and God bless the state of Israel.”
Notably absent from the proceedings were representatives of the United Kingdom, France and Germany, countries whose leaders have opposed the recognition of Jerusalem and the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to that ancient city.
While relocating an embassy just forty miles may not seem to be such a big deal, in the annals of world history, it is a very big deal and one of major consequence in a world grown weary of tensions in the Middle East. Having that particular issue- the recognition of Jerusalem and the relocation of the U.S. Embassy, effectively takes that issue off of the table in any negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It is hoped that the removal of this key sticking point will facilitate future peace negotiations between the two parties, provided that Palestinians come to recognize Israel’s right to exist- the other major hurdle preventing a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.
Unlike his predecessors, President Trump has shown the determination to keep his oft-stated 2016 campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy to Israel’s capital, in the face of widespread and vehement opposition. This, along with last week’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), fulfilling another campaign promise and also in the face of widespread opposition, sends a message to the world that Trump is a man of his word…something that will be in his favor when he sits down with the Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un next month in Singapore.
If Trump is able to achieve what was once thought to be impossible- bringing a formal end to the Korean War and verifiably de-nuclearizing the Korean peninsula, he will go down in history as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents in the area of international relations…
…but don’t tell that to the mainstream media, the Democrats and the anti-Trump/NeverTrump Republicans who are fixated on his impeachment. They have their heads mired in a porn star and ridiculous allegations of Russian collusion.
Once again…advantage Trump.
-Drew Nickell, 14 May 2018
© 2018 by Drew Nickell, all rights reserved.
author of “Bending Your Ear- a Collection of Essays on the Issues of Our Times”
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