(Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Nadav Shragai - President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital puts into deep-freeze plans for a division of the city. Until Trump's speech, the U.S. did not recognize either west or east Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Trump's speech did not distinguish between west and east. He referred to Jerusalem with all its parts as a single unit. However, there still is no easing of the major restrictions the U.S. has imposed on Israel regarding construction in Jewish neighborhoods within Jerusalem or in Greater Jerusalem. Moreover, diplomatic observers in Jerusalem are concerned that Trump will now request a "payment" for this historic step in the form of Israeli concessions connected to the ongoing talks. If Hamas succeeds to convince the Palestinian public that the American recognition of Jerusalem means that the "Al-Aqsa mosque is in danger," the masses will again take to the streets. But as long as Al-Aqsa is outside of the picture, the waves of protest will be lower. Israel's interest is to try to isolate Al-Aqsa and the Temple Mount from the current agitation and prevent actors such as Hamas, the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement, Turkey, or Qatar from again setting the field ablaze. The writer, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center, is a journalist and commentator who has documented the dispute over Jerusalem for 30 years. His books include Jerusalem: Delusions of Division (2015) and The "Al-Aksa Is in Danger" Libel: The History of a Lie (2012).
2017-12-08 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive