While nations and leaders, from China to Pope Francis criticised Trump’s decision and even US allies have refused to follow Washington’s lead on moving embassies to Jerusalem, there was no noticeable political opposition in the US from even the Democrats. In the US, politicians are loath to be seen as anti-Israel and Trump’s move was a challenge to his domestic critics to make it a major politically issue.
Trump’s announcement muddies the diplomatic waters in the Middle East where his son-in-law Jared Kushner is engaged in a so-far unsuccessful peace effort to bring Israel and Palestinians together for a solution to the contentious issue.
While declaring that he would ask the State Department to move the embassy to Jerusalem, he added, “This decision is not intended, in any way, to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement.”
“We are not taking a position of any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, or the resolution of contested borders,” he added. “Those questions are up to the parties involved.”
That leaves the room for Israel to have West Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestine has its capital in East Jerusalem, a territory that Israel captured during the 1967 Middle East War, if there is an eventual peace agreement between the two sides.
Trump’s announcement is directed towards his domestic base, rather than the world. Almost a year into power, he has failed to fulfill most of his campaign promises ranging from building a wall along the Mexican border to abolishing his Obama’s health insurance programme.
The only high-profile promise he was able to achieve was a tax reform. Now he can add Jerusalem to that without his opposition turning it into a divisive issue.
