Like Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, Donald Trump promised during his campaign that he would relocate the American embassy to Israel, currently in Tel Aviv, to Jerusalem. Whether he will follow in his predecessors’ footsteps by failing to make good on this promise remains to be seen. David Parsons advances the case for the Jewish state’s capital:
[A] show of resolve by the Trump administration would not only remove a regrettable diplomatic stain but also signal to the Palestinians that the time for compromise has come. It also would send a message to the entire world that America stands by its allies and that peace and progress for the region will no longer be held hostage by fear and intimidation.
Surely, there will be no harm to the outcome of peace talks if the U.S. embassy is relocated to west Jerusalem. All parties know this sector of the city will remain part of Israel in any final-status agreement. Nor is anyone seriously looking for a return to that dismal era from 1948 to 1967 when the city was forcibly divided. And Israel can still work out a way to share an open and united Jerusalem with the Palestinians. Certainly, Jerusalem must be kept open for all. . . .
But the Jewish people are the proper custodians of the city. . . . Israel has guaranteed religious freedom in its Declaration of Independence, and is committed to maintaining the status quo with regard to the city’s holy sites. In fact, of all the sovereign rulers over Jerusalem down through the centuries, Israel has compiled the best track record in ensuring religious access and freedom of worship in the city.
So while some Muslim extremists might vent their rage and threaten violence, we should not take all the recent warnings of chaos and destruction as a given. Jerusalem remains a sensitive issue, but the Trump administration has a unique opportunity this year to lead a group of freedom-loving, democratic nations . . . up to Jerusalem.
Read more on Jerusalem Post: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/The-uphill-battle-over-returning-to-Jerusalem-482581