Today, President Donad Trump of the United States of America make a life
broadcast from the White House, that America will now recognise
Jerusalem as the Administrative capital of Israel and the location for
new USA Embassy.
Why declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is so controversial(CNN)
US President Donald Trump is expected to declare Jerusalem as the
capital of Israel this week in a move that will spark controversy across
the world.
The announcement would move Trump one step closer to
fulfilling his campaign pledge to relocate
the US embassy from Tel Aviv
to Jerusalem -- a move long sought by Israel, but set aside by previous
US Presidents due to regional concerns and Jerusalem's contested status
between Israelis and Palestinians. Both sides claim the holy city as
their capital.
Upon making his decision public, Trump is expected
to sign a waiver to keep the US embassy in Tel Aviv for another six
months. But the State Department's security arm has been told to plan
for potentially violent protests at US embassies and consulates if the
White House announces the move.
CNN's Oren Liebermann, who is based in Jerusalem, walks us through what's at stake.
Why is declaring Jerusalem the capital such a big deal?The
final status of Jerusalem has always been one of the most difficult and
sensitive questions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If the United
States declares Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it would be seen as
prejudging that question, deciding an issue that was supposed to be left
to negotiations and breaking with the international consensus on the
holy city.
Recognizing Jerusalem as the capital also moves the
United States one major step closer to relocating the embassy from Tel
Aviv to Jerusalem, which would be seen as cementing Israeli sovereignty
over the city.
How would the embassy move work?Logistically,
moving the embassy to Jerusalem could be very simple. There is already a
US consulate in Jerusalem, while the embassy remains in Tel Aviv. It
could be as simple as switching the names -- making the embassy in
Jerusalem and a consulate in Tel Aviv. The US Ambassador to Israel would
move from his residence in a Tel Aviv suburb to Jerusalem.
But
that would be just about the only simple part. Moving the embassy risks
setting off diplomatic crises with Arab states that could include
widespread protests outside of US diplomatic offices in those and other
countries.
The ramifications of an embassy move would be felt far
outside of Jerusalem. It would overturn 70 years of international
consensus, and, many argue, would effectively signal the end of moves to
achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Give me some history ...The
United Nations partition plan drawn up in 1947 envisaged Jerusalem as a
separate "international city." But the war that followed Israel's
declaration of independence one year later left the city divided. When
fighting ended in 1949, the armistice border -- often called the Green
Line because it was drawn in green ink -- saw Israel in control of the
western half, and Jordan in control of the eastern half, which included
the famous Old City.
When did that change?During
the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel occupied East Jerusalem. Since then, all
of the city has been under Israel's authority. The city marks "Jerusalem
Day" in late-May or early-June. But Palestinians, and many in the
international community, continue to see East Jerusalem as the capital
of a future Palestinian state.
Who lives in Jerusalem?Roughly
850,000 people live in Jerusalem -- 37% are Arab and 61% are Jewish,
according to the independent think tank Jerusalem Institute. The Jewish
population includes around 200,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews, with the rest
split generally between religious Zionist and secular Jews. 96% of the
city's Arab population is Muslim; the other 4% is Christian.
The
vast majority of the Palestinian population lives in East Jerusalem.
Although there are some mixed neighborhoods in Jerusalem where both
Israelis and Arabs live, most of the neighborhoods are split.
Have any countries ever had their embassy in Jerusalem?Yes.
Before 1980 a number of countries did, including the Netherlands and
Costa Rica. But in July of that year, Israel passed a law that declared
Jerusalem the united capital of Israel. The United Nations Security
Council responded with a resolution condemning Israel's annexation of
East Jerusalem and declared it a violation of international law.
So countries moved their embassies out of the city?Correct.
In 2006, Costa Rica and El Salvador were the last to move their
embassies out of Jerusalem, joining the rest of the world in locating
their embassies in Tel Aviv.
What about consulates?Some
countries do maintain consulates in Jerusalem, including the United
States, which has one in the western part of the city. Other countries
-- such as Britain and France for instance -- have a consulate in the
eastern part of the city, which serve as their countries' main
representation in the Palestinian territories.
Just to be clear: What is America's position?The
US has never had its embassy in Jerusalem. It has always been in Tel
Aviv, with the Ambassador's residence in Herzliya Pituach, about 30
minutes north.
That sounds pretty straightforward ...Wait
a minute, it gets more complicated. In 1989, Israel began leasing to
the US a plot of land in Jerusalem for a new embassy. The 99-year lease
cost $1 per year. To this day, the plot has not been developed, and it
remains an empty field.
OK. Keep going...
In 1995, the US
Congress passed a law requiring America to move the embassy from Tel
Aviv to Jerusalem. Proponents said the US should respect Israel's choice
of Jerusalem as its capital, and recognize it as such.
So why hasn't the embassy moved yet?Every
President since 1995 -- Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama -- has
declined to move the embassy, citing national security interests. Every
six months, the President has used the presidential waiver to circumvent
the embassy move.
How have Israelis responded to this?The
Israeli government has lauded Trump's pledge to follow through with the
embassy move. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has been perhaps the most
outspoken advocate, launching a campaign just days before the US
President's inauguration, urging him to make good on his promise.
And what do the Palestinians make of it all?Palestinian
leaders are adamant that an embassy move to Jerusalem would be a
violation of international law, and a huge setback to peace hopes.
President
Mahmoud Abbas has turned to other world leaders, including Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Jordan's King Abdullah, to help pressure
Trump to change his mind. The Palestine Liberation Organization has
suggested it would consider revoking its recognition of Israel, and
canceling all agreements between Israelis and Palestinians, should the
move take place.
More immediately, there are fears it could set
off a wave of unrest -- perhaps even street protests and violence -- in
the Palestinian territories and across the Arab world.
Source: CNN
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