United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel

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 in response to 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".

Domestic 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. It was also welcomed by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

Statements welcoming the move were issued by a majority of the most prominent American Jewish organizations , including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which comprises 51 national Jewish organizations, as well as by a number of its member organizations: 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. The Conservative Movement's US, Israel and global branches 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, thanked Trump 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". It was also welcomed by the Republican Jewish Coalition.

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.

American Muslim civil advocacy groups rejected the policy change, 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". Yousef Jabareen, a Palestinian member of the Israeli parliament said that U.S. recognition has legitimized the right wing position that Israel can control the whole of Jerusalem by sheer force and "by creating facts on the ground," adding that the Israeli "religious right's narrative will now seem persuasive" in other disputed territories.

Palestinian Authority and Hamas

Palestinian officials 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. 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.

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 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.

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."

Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria canceled a meeting with American Vice-President Mike Pence in protest of the American decision. The Coptic Church issued a statement that Trump's decision "did not take into account the feelings of millions of Arab people".

China

China has historically supported an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and said that this position 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 to and lack of support for the move among 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. The Chinese embassy issued an 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"

Following the announcement, right-wing Zionist organization World Betar called for international recognition of the Temple Mount, Nablus and Hebron.

Demonstrations and violence

Protests were held in many places across the world during the weekend of 16 and 17 December. Crowds in the United States, Pakistan, Netherlands, Germany, Lebanon, Jordan, Australia, Montenegro, Iran, Morocco, Poland, United Kingdom, Greece and Indonesia gathered to protest against the decision.

Israel and Palestine

Palestinians burning Israeli flags.

In Bethlehem, religious leaders turned off Christmas tree lights outside the Church of the Nativity for three days to protest Trump's announcement. Nazareth scaled back Christmas celebrations, canceling singing and dancing performances in protest.

As of 18 December 2017 nine Palestinians had been killed in clashes. Two protesters were shot dead when participating in a riot on the Gaza border fence on December 8. 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 14, there have been about 15 rockets fired into Israel since Trump's announcement.

On December 14, after Israel shut its border crossing with Gaza, tens of thousands of Palestinians and militants attended a Hamas rally in Gaza. The IDF said the Kerem Shalom crossing and Erez checkpoint would be closed indefinitely "in accordance with security assessments". Israeli Air Force targeted three Hamas facilities on early morning of 14 December in response to rockets fired from Gaza hours earlier on 13 December. One rocket landed in an open field of Eshkol Regional Council, two were shot down and one fell inside a school in Gaza's Beit Hanoun, damaging a classroom. According to a Palestinian security official, the Hamas sites struck by Israeli military suffered major damage and some nearby homes suffered light damage, amidst reports of light injuries. Meanwhile three people were hurt in Sderot while running for cover and another two were treated for shock after the rocket attacks.

Four Palestinians were killed on 15 December during violent clashes according to Palestinian Health Ministry. Two were killed in Gaza per the ministry, including a double amputee who was regularly involved in protests waving a Palestinian flag from his wheelchair. IDF stated that the circumstances of his death will be reviewed. Two others were killed in West Bank, including a man who carried out a stabbing attack an Israel Border Police officer. Nearly 400 were injured in clashes according to the ministry. Two rockets were fired from Gaza on 17 December, one hitting an Israeli border community and another hitting an open area. Another rocket was launched on the next day but fell short inside Gaza. Israel struck three structures of a Hams training camp in response. Both sides didn't report any casualties.

Muslim world

Following the announcement there were demonstrations in Iran, Jordan, Tunisia, Somalia, Yemen, Malaysia and Indonesia. Demonstrations and clashes continued on December 10th; 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".

An estimated 80,000 demonstrated against the decision in Jakarta on 17 December, the 10th day of uninterrupted protests in Indonesia. Muslim clerics called for a boycott of American products. Anwar Abbas, a leading Muslim cleric of Indonesian Council of Ulema, read the petition calling for the boycott.

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 shoving 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 the target of an attempted arson attack. Anti-Semitic chants like "Death to Israel" and "Slaughter the Jews" were also heard during protests in variously, Berlin, Gothenburg and Vienna.

Two Danish journalists of National Geographic were injured on 16 December by an Islamist carrying a knife and crying "Allahu Akbar" in Libreville, according to Gabon's Defense Minister Etienne Kabinda Makaga. The attacker, who was arrested, told the police that he was carrying out a revenge attack against USA over the recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital.

External links

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