United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel

Initially, after the modern State of Israel was founded, the United States opposed Israel's declaration of Jerusalem as its capital in 1949 and also opposed Jordan's plan to make Jerusalem its second capital announced in 1950. The U.S. opposed Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem after the 1967 war as well.

In 1995, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which declared the statement of policy that "Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel." The bill also stated that the American embassy should move to Jerusalem within five years. Since then, every US President signed a waiver every six months, delaying the move.

On 6 December 2017, United States President Donald Trump announced that the United States would officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Trump also stated that a new building for U.S. embassy would be built in Jerusalem. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, welcomed this decision and praised the announcement. However, the decision was criticised by the majority of international leaders and international bodies, including the European Union and the United Nations Security Council. Protests and demonstrations were held in different parts of the world against the announcement.

Background

See also: Positions on Jerusalem § United States

In 1995, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which declared the statement of policy that "Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel." Backing the legislation was viewed by some as reflecting American domestic politics. Like Clinton, Bush did not change the administration's position on Jerusalem after he had taken office.

In 2008, then Democratic candidate Barack Obama called Jerusalem the 'capital of Israel'. On June 4, 2008, Mr. Obama told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in his first foreign policy speech after capturing the Democratic nomination the day before, that "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided." However, the then-senator and presidential hopeful backtracked almost immediately.

During the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, one of Trump's campaign promises was to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which he described as the "eternal capital of the Jewish people." On June 1, 2017, Trump signed a waiver on the Jerusalem Embassy Act, delaying the move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem for another six months. The White House stated that this would help them negotiate a deal between Israel and Palestine, and that the promised move would come at a later time.

Announcement

President Trump's statement on Jerusalem, December 6, 2017

On December 6, 2017 President Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and stated that the American embassy would be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This marked a shift away from nearly seven decades of American neutrality on the matter. In his statement Donald Trump did not mention East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, but he did say that United States recognition did not resolve the dispute over the Israeli capital's borders. President Trump explicitly stated his support for maintaining the status quo at the Holy Sites within the Old City.

Following Trump's announcement, American embassies in Turkey, Jordan, Germany and Britain issued security alerts for Americans travelling or living abroad in those countries. The United States also issues a general warning for Americans abroad about the possibility of violent protests. The American consulate in Jerusalem has restricted travel of government employees to Jerusalem's Old City. The US Embassy in Jordan has banned employees from leaving the capital and children of embassy employees were told to stay home from school.

State Department remarks

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later clarified that the President's statement "did not indicate any final status for Jerusalem" and "was very clear that the final status, including the borders, would be left to the two parties to negotiate and decide." State Department officials said on December 8 that there will not be any immediate practical changes in how the U.S. deals with Jerusalem. This includes the United States policy of not listing a country on the passports of citizens born in Jerusalem. On December 8 Assistant Secretary of State David M. Satterfield said "There has been no change in our policy with respect to consular practice or passport issuance at this time."

Israeli Jews praying at the Western Wall

When asked what country the Western Wall is in, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said "We're not taking any position on the overall boundaries. We are recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel".

American reactions

Out of 11 former U.S. ambassadors to Israel, nine were critical of Trump's policy change. Ogden R. Reid who served as an ambassador to Israel from 1959 to 1961 was one of the exceptions saying, "I think it's the right decision". Edward S. Walker Jr. who served from 1997 to 1999 also supported recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital: "It's really a question of what are the lines, the borders, to be drawn around the state of Israel and the ultimate state of Palestine." Daniel C. Kurtzer noted America's international isolation in his remarks and Richard H. Jones expressed concerns that moving the embassy would fuel further violence. A number of former ambassadors, such as Martin S. Indyk stated that they were open to recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, provided Israel would agree to slow settlement construction and recognize East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

American Christian organizations were divided: the National Council of Churches (NCC) which represents 38 different denominations issued a statement that the change in policy was likely to exacerbate regional conflict and cost lives, while the Liberty Counsel, a right wing evangelical organization supported the decision. The move had been supported by many conservative American evangelical organizations and leaders including American Christian Leaders for Israel, Jerry Falwell, and Mike Huckabee. Johnnie Moore, one of Trump's evangelical advisers, said the announcement fulfilled a campaign promise to Trump's evangelical voter base.

Statements welcoming the move were issued by most major Jewish organizations , including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which is comprised of 51 national Jewish organizations and was founded to develop a consensus voice among Jewish organizations in dealings with the executive branch, as well as by a number of its member organizations, including AIPAC, the Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, Hadassah, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and the National Council of Young Israel. It was also welcomed by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, the Republican Jewish Coalition, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. The Conservative Movement's US, Israel and global branches have also welcomed US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Orthodox Union, United State's largest umbrella organization representing Orthodox Jews, said "Therefore – today – we applaud President Trump for his historic announcement and for beginning the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem." The Anti-Defamation League, said recognition was "important and long overdue" while continuing to express support for a two state solution. AIPAC expressed its support for an "undivided Jerusalem" while adding that relocating the American embassy to Jerusalem would not "prejudge the outcome of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process". Morton Klein, who heads the Zionist Organization of America, said that Trump was "finally recognizing the obvious". The Simon Wiesenthal Center said Trump's announcement "will right a historic wrong".

The decision was criticized by the Reform Jewish movement, which said it was "ill-timed" and would "exacerbate the conflict", although the Reform Movement's statement also declared that "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel" and that they "share the President's belief that the US Embassy should, at the right time, be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem." The Jewish Democratic Council of America similarly expressed support for Israel as an undivided capital, but criticized Trump for neglecting to "meaningfully support peace between Palestinians and Israelis." Left-wing Mideast policy group J Street said the timing was "premature and divisive". J Street, New Israel Fund, and progressive Zionist organization Ameinu expressed concerns that the move would undermine Middle East peace efforts and could lead to violence. In December 2017, more than 130 Jewish studies scholars from across North America criticized the Trump administration's decision, calling on the U.S. government to take actions to deescalate the tensions and to "clarify Palestinians' legitimate stake in the future of Jerusalem." According to Haaretz, many of these scholars have been critical of the Trump administration and the current Israeli government.

American Muslim civil advocacy groups rejected the statement, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). In December 5, 2017, Muslim, Interfaith and human rights groups held a protest outside the White House.

Israeli and Palestinian responses

Israel

On December 6 shortly after Trump's statement, Benjamin Netanyahu called the announcement a "historic landmark" and praised the decision as "courageous and just". During his remarks Netanyahu said there is "no peace that doesn't include Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel", adding that Jerusalem has "been the capital of Israel for nearly 70 years". He later said that he has heard condemnation about the announcement but has "not heard any condemnation for the rocket firing against Israel that has come and the awful incitement against us".

The announcement was well-received by Knesset members of left, right and center parties including Yesh Atid, Bayit Yehudi, Yisrael Beytenu, and Likud. Isaac Herzog called it an "act of historic justice" but also added that the next step was to "realize the vision of two states. In contrast, Bezalel Smotrich of the religious zionist Bayit Yahudi party issued the following statement: "For 30 years we have fallen into the pit of the Palestinian state as a realistic solution. The time has come to rethink things". Avi Gabbay, who was recently elected to lead the Zionist Union, also supported Trump's announcement, saying that recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital is more important then a peace deal.

Israel's Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism said building in "parts of Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem that need housing would be better than a declaration that means nothing". Yisrael Eichler, also of UTJ, expressed similar views saying he would "rather have 1,000 homes for young couples in Jerusalem than one American embassy building." In contrast, left-wing party Meretz said recognition of Jerusalem should only come with the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, adding that Trump's declaration "de facto betrays the Zionist vision and the values on which the State of Israel was established".

Hanin Zoabi and Ayman Odeh, both members of the United Arab List, said the US could not longer act as a peace mediator. Odeh said that "Trump is a pyromaniac and will set the entire region ablaze with his madness".

Palestinian Authority and Hamas

Palestinian officials have said the announcement disqualifies the United States from peace talks. Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah said Trump's policy change "destroys the peace process". Following Trump's announcement, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech where he said the decision meant the United States was "abdicating its role as a peace mediator". Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki similarly said the United States could no longer act as a mediator in the peace process because it had become a party to the dispute. Adnan al-Husayni asked the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Hamas called for a new intifada following Trump's declarations. Al-Shabaab spokesman called Trump's declaration "an aggression against Islam." However, very few Palestinians responded to the calls and no intifada ensued.

Christian churches based in Jerusalem

See also: Church of Jerusalem

On December 6, 2017, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, Patriarch Theophilos III, widely regarded as the most senior Christian figure in Jerusalem, and twelve other church leaders in the Holy Land sent a letter to Trump warning that his move “w[ould] yield increased hatred, conflict, violence and suffering in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, moving us farther from the goal of unity and deeper toward destructive division”. Apart from Theophilos III, the letter was signed by heads of Jerusalem's Syrian, Armenian, Ethiopioan and Coptic Orthodox patriarchates as well as the Roman Catholic Church′s Apostolic Administrator for Jerusalem (the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem). It was also signed by the Franciscan Order, the Greek-Melkite-Catholic patriarchate, the Maronites, the Episcopal Church, the Armenian Catholic and Syrian Catholic churches and the Evangelical Lutherans.

International response

Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital was rejected by the majority of world leaders. European allies of the United States who objected include Britain, Germany, Italy and France. Pope Francis also made a plea that all nations respect remain committed to "respecting the status quo" of the city. China urged caution regarding the potential escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

The United Nations Security Council

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on December 7, where 14 out of 15 members condemned Trump's decision, saying it was in violation of U.N. resolutions and international law. However, the Security Council was unable to issue a statement without the endorsement of the United States. The emergency meeting was requested by Bolivia, Britain, Egypt, France, Italy, Senegal, Sweden and Uruguay. U.S. envoy Nikki Haley called the United Nations "one of the world's foremost centres of hostility towards Israel". Britain, France, Sweden, Italy and Japan were among the countries who criticized Trump's decision at the emergency meeting. Shortly before Trump's announcement, in November 2017, 151 nations of the United Nations General Assembly voted to reject Israeli ties to Jerusalem. Six nations voted against the resolution, and nine abstained.

European Union

The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini emphasized that all governments of EU member states were united on the issue of Jerusalem, and reaffirmed their commitment to a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital. Mogherini said that embassies should not be moved to Jerusalem while the final status of the city was disputed. She also noted that Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem was considered a violation of international law under a 1980 United Nations Security Council resolution. On December 11, Mogherini said that European nations would not move their embassies to Jerusalem.

Trump's recognition of Jerusalem did receive some European support from anti-Islam politicians. Czech President Miloš Zeman of said the European response was "cowardly". Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch anti-Islam party Party for Freedom, said "all freedom loving countries should move their embassy to Jerusalem" and stated his support an undivided Jerusalem. Heinz-Christian Strache, leader of the Austrian Freedom Party, similarly stated his wish to relocate the Austrian embassy to Jerusalem.

Arab and Muslim world

King Salman of Saudi Arabia said that moving the American embassy to Jerusalem would be a "flagrant provocation" to Muslims. Saudi Arabia and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi both expressed similar concerns about the viability of the peace process. The Jordanian government said Trump had violated international law and the UN charter.

On December 10, The Arab League held an emergency meeting in Cairo. After the meeting, the League's Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit issued a statement saying the change in US policy was against "against international law and "amounts to the legalisation" of Israeli occupation. Gheit also questioned US commitment to the peace process.

Iran said the US announcement was in violation of international resolutions and could spark a "new intifada". Lebanese president Michel Aoun said the policy change would derail the peace process. Qatar's Foreign Minister called it "a death sentence for all who seek peace". Indonesian president Joko Widodo condemned the decision and asked the U.S. to "reconsider the decision". Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak similarly did so, stating that "we strongly oppose any recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital for all time".

In December 13, 2017, during an extraordinary Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting held in Istanbul more than 50 Muslim majority countries rejected and condemned Trump's decision by declaring the Istanbul Declaration on Freedom for al Quds (Jerusalem in Arabic) and calling for the worldwide recognition of "an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its occupied capital". Mahmoud Abbas, in the name of Palestinians and backed by the 50 countries, stated that the United states is biased and unfit to participate in the Middle East peace process and can't no longer play any role in it.

China

China has said that its position on East Jerusalem remains unchanged after Trump's December 2017 decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem. Following the announcement, Chinese state media aired lengthy broadcasts emphasizing Palestinian opposition and lack of support for the move amongst America's European allies. Chinese news reports also stressed the risk of "instability and uncertainty" in the Middle East. Some analysts have argued that moving the embassy could push Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians in final status negotiations. Chinese embassy have issued alert to travellers regarding the increasingly complicated and intense safety conditions in Israel after the announcement.

Other

Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro defined the announcement on national television before travelling to Istanbul to preside a Non-Alligned Movement summit to discuss the position as "an illegal declaration, absolutely illegal, I would say irrational. A true provocation, a war declaration to the Arab people, to the Muslim people"

Demonstrations and violence

Israel and Palestine

Palestinians burning American and Israeli flags.

Demonstrations in response to the announcement were not large and violence was minor.

Four Palestinians were killed in clashes following the announcement. Two protesters were shot near Gaza's border fence on December 8, while Israeli military claimed it had shot towards dozens of instigators of riots, where participants were involved in burning tires and stone-pelting. Two Hamas members were killed in Israeli airstrikes on December 9 on Hamas facilities in response to a rocket attack from Gaza. 15 people were injured in a strike that hit a military facility per Gaza Health Ministry.

Masked Arab men threw stones at a bus after peaceful protests in the Wadi Ara region, injuring three people. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman in response, called for a boycott of Arab businesses in the area. He also stated that the Arabs of the area shouldn't be considered a part of Israel. Israeli-Arab politician Ayman Odeh compared Lieberman's call to Nazi boycott of Jewish businesses. Additional protets were reported throughout Israel.

An Israeli security guard was stabbed and critically wounded by a Palestinian near Jerusalem's central bus station on December 10. On December 11, the Israeli Defense Forces reported that two rockets were fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip. As of December 11, there have been three rocket attacks since Trump's announcement.

Muslim world

Following the announcement there have been demonstrations in Iran, Jordan, Tunisia, Somalia, Yemen, Malaysia and Indonesia. Demonstrations and clashes continued on December. Demonstrators hurling rocks and bottles clashed with Lebanese security forces using tear gas and water cannons outside the American embassy near the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Hundreds demonstarted outside US embassy in Amman, demanding its closure and the expulsion of the US charge d'affaires from Jordan. Thousands demonstrated outside the American embassy in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. On December 10, tens of thousands protested in the Moroccan capital of Rabat.

On December 11, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah, said the organization would once again focus on Israel and the Palestinian cause. He urged Arab states to abandon the peace process and called for a new Palestinian uprising. The same day, thousands of Hezbollah supporters demonstrated in Beirut, chanting "Death to America! Death to Israel!" while waving Palestinian and Hezbollah flags.

Thousands of Hezbollah supporters in a Beirut rally demonstrated and chanted "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" A few hundred Iranian conservatives rallied against the US decision in Tehran, playing music with addition of lyrics like "the US is a murderer", "Palestinian mothers are losing their children" and "Death to America".

The Taliban and Shia extremist leaders likewise expressed their opposition. ISIL issued a response on December 8, which mainly focused on criticizing other jihadist groups and Arab leaders. They accused rival groups of politicizing the conflict to serve personal agendas and argued for the defeat of Israel's Arab neighbors who, according to ISIL, "surround [Israel] the same way a bracelet surrounds the wrist, protecting the Jews from the strikes of the mujahideen."

Other nations

Protesters gathered outside the US embassy in Hague on December 8 and chanted anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian slogans. The protesters issued a joint press statement calling Trump's decision "against political, diplomatic and moral values". They further claimed that it was no surprise that Trump who was "known for his Islamophobia, xenophobia, racist and populist discourse and marginalization" made such a decision.

1,200 anti-Israel and anti-American protesters protested outside the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, near the US Embassy. On December 10, around 2,500 demonstrators marched throught Berlin's Neukölln district and burnt flags with Star of David. Eleven people were detained and cited for criminal offenses. The burning of Israeli symbols was condemned by German leaders.

Thousands protested outside the US Embassy in London on the same day, with organizers claiming that there were 3,000 protesters and shouting pro-Palestine slogans. Protests were also held in cities of Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Nottingham, Dublin, Belfast and Derry.

Hundreds of Muslim attended the Friday prayers outside the White House in respond to calls by American Muslim organizations. They wore Palestinian keffiyeh or colors of Palestinian flag, with protesters holding placards denouncing Israeli presence in East Jerusalem and West Bank.

Protests were held against the decision in Times Square, by hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters who gathered on the sidewalk of the Seventh Avenue. Some pro-Israeli counter-protestors also gathered nearby. Some pushing and shaving was reported as the two sides faced off at various points. One person was detained by the police.

During a protest in Stockholm on December 8, an Israeli flag was set on fire. During a protest march in Malmö, Sveriges Radio reported that the demonstrators had shouted "We have announced the intifada from Malmö. We want our freedom back, and we will shoot the Jews."

On December 9, a dozen men hurled Molotov cocktails at the Gothenburg Synagogue. No injuries were reported, and those inside the building hid in the basement. The incident followed a pro-Palestinian protest. Three people were later arrested over the attack. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and other top politicians condemned the attack. On December 11, a chapel of a Jewish cemetery in Malmö was made the target of an arson attack.

During the demonstrations in many European cities and New York, demonstrators used an Islamic antisemitism chant "Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews; the army of Muhammad will return." The chant is used to mock the Jews for the defeat of Jewish tribes by the Islamic prophet Muhammad during the Battle of Khaybar and is used for calling for violence against them. Anti-Semitic chants like "Death to Israel" and "Slaughter the Jews" were also heard during protests in many European cities.

External links

• Media related to Donald Trump statement on Jerusalem, 2017 at Wikimedia Commons