Blasting Trump’s Jerusalem Declaration in Cahoots with Netanyahu
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
US neocons support the move, ignoring its illegality and disruptiveness. Israel already controls the city. Palestinians demand East Jerusalem as their capital.
Chicago-based Jewish Voices for Peace said “Not In Our Name” on Jerusalem.
“The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago - JUF’s JCRC; AJC Chicago and the ADL Midwest have all applauded Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem - thereby cheering on the annexation of Palestinian homes and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Jerusalem,” it explained.
The organization urged supporters to “shine a light for justice for Palestinians and all people.”
Union for Reform Judaism in America head Rabbi Rick Jacobs called Trump’s declaration “ill-timed, but expected,” adding:
“(W)hile we share the President’s belief that the US Embassy should, at the right time, be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, we cannot support his decision to begin preparing that move now, absent a comprehensive plan for a peace process,” adding:
“(A)ny relocation of the American Embassy to West Jerusalem should be conceived and executed in the broader context reflecting Jerusalem’s status as a city holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.”
J Street president Jeremy Ben-Ami called Trump’s declaration “a profound mistake, fundamentally chang(ing) longstanding US policy on Jerusalem,” adding:
“(T)he city’s final status can and should be determined only by a peace agreement between the parties.”
Vladimir Putin criticized Trump’s move, calling it “counterproductive” and “destabilizing…preempt(ing) the result of negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” adding:
It “do(esn’t) help to resolve the situation, but instead provoke(s) conflict.”
He supports compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, stating Jerusalem’s final status must be agreed on by both sides - an issue unable to be resolved for decades because Israel rejects responsible conflict resolution.
Sergey Lavrov made similar comments, saying Trump’s declaration was “counter to common sense.”
Angered over Israeli violence against Palestinians protesters, Arab Joint List MK Haneen Zoabi presented a motion, mincing no words saying:
“This government is a criminal government. The prime minister should be put on trial at the International Criminal Court at The Hague because he is a war criminal, together with his coalition, which kills children, steals land and persecutes human rights organizations,” adding:
“Occupation is always belligerent, violent, illegitimate and a basis for war crimes.”
Israeli Ziofascist defense minister Avigdor Lieberman shot back, saying Joint List MKs in parliament are here “by mistake and the time will come when you will not be here.”
“Is someone talking about war crimes? Those who are sitting here are war criminals, the entire Joint List are war criminals.”
Blaming victims is longstanding US/Israeli policy. Trump’s declaration shamefully recognized Israeli sovereignty over illegally occupied East Jerusalem - putting conflict resolution further out of reach than already.
Jerusalem is the capital of historic Palestine for all its people of all faiths. Trump’s move stoked continued conflict, intensified since announced.
It didn’t change the importance of Jerusalem for Muslims, Christians and Jews. One religion over others doesn’t have exclusive right to the city.
Trump disgracefully tried having it this way - not now or ever.
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