Jerusalem is the capital of Israel

The Historical Moment | The US president declared recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel
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After years of postponements, US President Donald Trump announced recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.

After years of postponements and attempts to keep the situation as it is, US President Donald Trump announced (Wednesday, 06 December) the official recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel. Trump announced in his speech that he had instructed to begin preparations for the transfer of the embassy to Jerusalem.

“When I took office, I promised to look at the global challenges with open eyes and fresh thinking, and we can not solve our problems through the wrong assumptions and failed strategies we had in the past.

“In 1995, Congress adopted the resolution regarding the American Embassy, which encourages the transfer of the embassy and the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel, passed by a large majority in the Congress at the time and approved by one vote in the Senate, but for twenty years every previous president took advantage of his ability to reject The transfer of the embassy and refused to transfer it or recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

“Presidents rejected this decision out of a belief that it would advance peace, they made their judgment based on facts they thought were right for those days, but after two decades of postponements, we are no closer to an agreement.”

“There is no need to repeat the same formula as in the past and hope for a better outcome, so I decided that it was time to formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, while previous presidents promised it in their campaigns that they failed and did not deliver the goods. We have to make a long-term agreement to advance the peace process and achieve a long-term agreement… Israel is a sovereign state with the right, like any other sovereign state, to decide what its capital is.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas responded to Trump’s decision, saying that “the American administration, in its decision on Jerusalem, decided to break all international resolutions and to ignore the international consensus, which in effect undermines all the efforts of the peace process. And negotiations. These steps contribute to the extremist organizations that want to drag the region into a religious war. This will lead to endless wars. We have warned about this for a long time.”

“We have said during the last few days in talks with many countries that the Arabs will present a unified position regarding Jerusalem, and all support the establishment of peace and the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside the State of Israel. As for the implications, all of us must step up efforts to bring about the end of the schism, and all the holy places in Jerusalem will in fact rebel against any attempt to change their identity. “Trump’s decision tonight will not change the reality in the city of Jerusale.”

Senior Hamas figure Izzat al-Rishq responded to Trump’s speech: “The recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by the United States is aggression against the peoples of the Arab states, Islam and against the free people in the world. We emphasize again that there is no power on earth, neither the US nor Israel, that can force reality on the ground. We face all possibilities. These days will be days of rage.”

“The recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel should have taken place long ago,” Trump said.

At the same time, 250 rabbis sent a congratulatory message to the American president on the occasion of the declaration of recognition of Jerusalem as capital. “The United States of America was one of the first to support the establishment of the State of Israel, and the presidents of the United States have stood by Israel, and it is a rare right to be the first president to lead the recognition of Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the State of Israel.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response that “this is a historic day, and the declaration of US President Donald Trump is an important milestone in the history of Jerusalem,” said the mayor, “Jerusalem has been our capital for 3,000 years. Kings of Israel, here preached the prophets of Israel.

“For thousands of years, generations of Jews prayed for ‘next year in Jerusalem.’ On the rivers of Babylon and the walls of the Warsaw ghetto, generations of generations cried and dreamed of Zion, “the prime minister added.

In an interview with the BBC, Minister Naftali Bennett was asked two questions: “Do you think this step brings peace closer or distances it?” “In the short term, maybe it will create some friction, and in the long run it will certainly bring peace closer, because it would never have been possible to create a peace based on the division of Jerusalem, there will never be peace with a wall that crosses Jerusalem, And the proof is that for many years the idea of dividing Jerusalem has never been saved. “We have to be creative. President Trump talked about new ideas, I have a new idea of building peace from the bottom up through economics, trade. There are already two states, there is a Palestinian state in Gaza, and it is a failed state. The idea of creating another Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria does not think it will work. We need to think creatively about how the Palestinians can control themselves. We do not want to control them and at the same time not produce another hundred years of suffering here and we have some new ideas on the subject.”

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said, “The Old City, whose walls we lit tonight with the flags of Israel and the United States, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount symbolize, more than anything else, the strength and historical connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem for over 3,000 years!” And concluded with the blessing of “Shehecheyanu”.

The Jerusalem Municipality illuminated the walls of the Old City with US and Israeli flags from the Jaffa Gate to Mount Zion, as a token of appreciation to President Trump for his recognition of Jerusalem. The city also hung US flags along the streets of Agron, Shazar and Ruppin, and the strings bridge is illuminated by the colors of the American flag and the Israel flag.

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Credits: Donald J. Trump President Donald J. Trump The White House Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו Nir Barkat – ניר ברקת Jerusalem Municipality | עיריית ירושלים נפתלי בנט – Naftali Bennett