Thursday 7th December

Jerusalem has always been contentious.  Both the Israelis and the Palestinians consider it a holy place.  The UN, when in 1947 they created the state of Israel, insisted that the city be divided.  But war broke out in 1948 and both sides tried to take control of Jerusalem.  Israel moved their capital from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem.  The Arabs have never forgotten this, and despite the six-day war, which Israel won they still lay claim to the City – or parts of it.  Various peace talks including the Camp David agreement have concluded that Jerusalem be open to both Arabs and Jews.  Israel has moved it’s capital back to Tel-Aviv, and a sort of peace has existed with Israel still occupying parts of what was Jordan, but is now claimed by the Palestinians as their own country.

Both sides have at times behaved atrociously, rocket attacks and illegal settlements and UN resolutions have continued over the years, but basically Jerusalem is still an open, if occupied city.  There is very little prospect of peace talks resuming in the near future.  The two-state solution which Obama tried to push forward is still not even being discussed by the parties concerned.

And now Donald Trump thinks he has the solution.  His son-in-law Jared Kushner seems confident that a long-term peace can be established – but we are still awaiting any details.  Donald Trump has announced that he is moving the US Embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem.  Almost all the Arab nations are protesting.  It is a signal from America that they now recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a long-held aspiration of hard-line Israelis.

And despite World leaders condemning this move Donald Trump doesn’t care.  He simply thrives on opposition.  Sadly, this move will simply harden the attitudes of hard-liners in both Israel and the Arab world, and will make peace even harder to achieve.