March 22, 2017
Now that President Trump has declared his intention to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, we are seeing Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas going to Jordon’s King Abdullah II to make plans for their reaction to the embassy move. After the meeting, President Abbas said that the two sides agreed upon “a series of steps we’ll take if the US moves the embassy to Jerusalem.” In a letter to President Trump, President Abbas stated the move, “will likely have a disastrous impact on the peace process, on the two-state solution and on the stability and security of the entire region, since Israel’s decision to annex East Jerusalem contradicts international law.” In a letter to Trump, Abbas argued the move will “likely have a disastrous impact on the peace process, on the two-state solution and on the stability and security of the entire region, since Israel’s decision to annex East Jerusalem contradicts international law,” and moving the embassy would throw the peace process into a crisis it would not necessarily be able to overcome. Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee Saeb Erekat in a radio interview January 4, 2017 said, “That transferring the embassy to Jerusalem means the destruction of the peace process, and that in doing so the US will turn into part of the problem and will no longer be able to be a mediator in the peace process, which will obligate the Palestinian National Council to cancel its recognition of Israel and the agreements that were signed with it.”
President Trump’s opportunity to establish a “new reality in the Middle East” by recognizing Israel’s capitol in Jerusalem. This is an historic moment not only for Israel, but for the U.S. by keeping his campaign promise to the Jewish People. The world is watching to see if the U.S. will be a strong leader in the Middle East or another American Administration long on promises but short on delivery.
Len Watts Journalist IPA News living in Israel 03/22/2017
News sources contributing to this article: IBA News, Times of Israel, MEMRI, Palestinian Media Watch
