Israeli Embassy Move-Gregory Irwin

Gregory Irwin
Professor Ezzeldin
12 December 2016
Intro Modern Middle East-Section 03
Many things have become uncertain from the outcome of the Presidential Election and what may be no surprise is the uncertainty still facing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. With the possibility of the American Embassy in Israel moving to Jerusalem the possibility of reactions and responses are endless. 
Proposed American Embassy Change in Israel
            Throughout human history, individuals have usually found themselves in opposition to change in their lives. Many may find the change inhospitable to their own lives or just want to keep what they already know to be custom. For many in the Middle East, the existence of the State of Israel still hasn’t been met with open arms and a warm heart. Though the initial UN vote occurred in 1947 and the country declared its independence a year later, many believe the establishment of a Jewish State, of what many believe to be Palestinian land, was just further acts of western colonialism in the Middle East. Central to the fight in Israel is the epicenter of Abrahamic religions; the holy city of Jerusalem which is the most holy area in the world to more than half of the world. When the UN partition-plan was proposed in 1947, what stayed central to the creation of a Jewish State was a neutral city in Jerusalem so that Jews, Christians, and Muslims could worship their holy sites freely without the encroachment of any one nation. Due to enforcement in Jerusalem, individuals born within the city may be recognized by their individual country (Israel or Palestine), however according to the UN, they aren’t the born citizens of a single nation. The U.S. has been the closest ally to the Israeli’s since the independence of the nation and like many other nations, has their embassy in Tel Aviv. That may change in the near future; President-elect Trump has shown strong support of moving the embassy to Jerusalem and has just shown his greater determination to make it possible with the appointment of a far-right Jewish man to be the American Ambassador to Israel.
            To conservative (right) Jews of the U.S., Israel and around the world – the possibility of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem may be a great proposition. Current president of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a stronger stance against the Palestinians and an establishment of the American Embassy in Jerusalem would help the cause. Along with appeasing the current right-wing president, the promise of moving the embassy to Jerusalem would find great favor for hardline conservatives throughout Israel. Since the establishment of the State, many hardline Jews and Israeli’s have stated that they are entitled to the Holy Land by none other than G-d as stipulated in the Torah. Moving the embassy to Tel Aviv would not only reinforce Israel’s position for a claim in Jerusalem but a greater influence for American resources. The U.S. is already the greatest ally to Israel and being the world leader in power (across the board in military and economy) would continue to reinforce the possibility that an American Embassy in Jerusalem would quell any chance of a two state solution.
            To many, the possibility of moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem would almost surely stop any chance for a two-state solution. The range of individuals that would find opposition to the idea are huge: the majority of Muslims in the middle east, world leaders that feel the encroachment of Israel into the West Bank is already an international crime, of course the Palestinians and liberal Jews through the world who feel the possibility of a two-state solution is a greater chance of peace between Israel and Palestine. The backlash through the Arab world towards not only Israel but also towards the U.S. can be intensified; signs of even greater Western Colonialism in Arab lands. Though the U.S. has tried to remain relatively neutral to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, a move like this on the part of the Israelis, with the motivation coming from President-elect Trump, may surely put the chances of the establishment of a Palestinian State gone.
            The support President-elect Trump has shown towards moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem may add more tension to an area of the world that is already living in great tension. The move may indeed find a warm spot in the hearts of right-wing Jews the world over as a further stance of a single Jewish State. The move may push the possibilities of a Palestinian state even further and greater tensions in the Middle East may arise from it. The there is still much unknown of the future between the Israelis and Palestinians, the only known is that President-elect Trump is unconventional and that anything from him is indeed impossible. An area that has already seen great tensions in the past may be in store for continued violence or may finally find peace.

No comments

Powered by Blogger.