Op-ed in PA daily, criticizing US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, compares Trump to Shylock
Excerpt of an op-ed by Yahya Rabah, regular columnist for the official PA daily
Headline: “The world supports Palestine; the US must reconsider”
“Since the beginning of the month [December 2017]… the Palestinian people have been waging a great battle with this [American] administration, which began with contacts made by [US President] Donald Trump with many leaders in the region, including [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas himself. In their framework, [Trump] briefed them about his intention to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and transfer the American embassy to it. All of these leaders, including the Palestinian leader, warned him against this behavior and against the dangers that would stem from it…
However, all of these warnings and explanations fell on deaf ears with the US president. With disparaging stubbornness, matters reached the point that Trump stood before the cameras in the White House and announced this foolish and wretched decision, as if Trump premeditatedly – as the jurists say – decided to choose from among the models the model of Shylock - the American Shylock, in the style of the Jewish Shylock, whose character was precisely outlined by the great playwright Shakespeare in his famous play The Merchant of Venice, which is read by millions, and in all languages (in the play, the Jewish character Shylock is a sly moneylender who demands that a debtor repay him with a pound of flesh, before later being defeated and forced to convert to Christianity –Ed.)…
Is a man like this, like Donald Trump, fit to be the US president?”
US recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel - On Dec. 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and instructed the State Department to begin preparations to transfer the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump added that the final borders of Jerusalem will be determined during negotiations.
Headline: “The world supports Palestine; the US must reconsider”
“Since the beginning of the month [December 2017]… the Palestinian people have been waging a great battle with this [American] administration, which began with contacts made by [US President] Donald Trump with many leaders in the region, including [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas himself. In their framework, [Trump] briefed them about his intention to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and transfer the American embassy to it. All of these leaders, including the Palestinian leader, warned him against this behavior and against the dangers that would stem from it…
However, all of these warnings and explanations fell on deaf ears with the US president. With disparaging stubbornness, matters reached the point that Trump stood before the cameras in the White House and announced this foolish and wretched decision, as if Trump premeditatedly – as the jurists say – decided to choose from among the models the model of Shylock - the American Shylock, in the style of the Jewish Shylock, whose character was precisely outlined by the great playwright Shakespeare in his famous play The Merchant of Venice, which is read by millions, and in all languages (in the play, the Jewish character Shylock is a sly moneylender who demands that a debtor repay him with a pound of flesh, before later being defeated and forced to convert to Christianity –Ed.)…
Is a man like this, like Donald Trump, fit to be the US president?”
US recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel - On Dec. 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and instructed the State Department to begin preparations to transfer the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump added that the final borders of Jerusalem will be determined during negotiations.