For Trump, Jerusalem is an extension of a global culture war
By Ishaan Tharoor December 7 at 1:00 AM
The uproar in the wake of President Trump's speech on Jerusalem was as widespread as it was predictable. During a brief speech in the White House — with a Christmas tree and a mute Vice President Pence as the backdrop — Trump announced his decision to formally recognize the holy city as Israel's capital, as well as a plan to eventually move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv.
As we explained yesterday, Trump did so in the face of almost-unanimous opposition from the international community. For the second time in two weeks, he received a stern rebuke from the British prime minister; Pope Francis expressed his “deep concern” over any move that disrupts the “status quo” of the city; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the whole thing was a “red line” for Muslims and threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Israel.
Figures as diverse as the French president, the Saudi king and the Iranian supreme leader reproached Trump for taking a decision that all believe imperils the prospects for a two-state solution. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose political career has hinged on being the main Arab interlocutor in the U.S.-backed peace process, said Trump's speech marked “a declaration of withdrawal” by the United States from its role as a mediator between Israelis and Palestinians.
The only world leader who seemed pleased was exactly the one you would have guessed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamim Netanyahu said it was “a historic day. ... Jerusalem has been the focus of our hopes, our dreams, our prayers for three millennia. Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years.” The city's authorities beamed a joint image of the Israeli and U.S. flags on the Old City's ramparts.
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