Op-ed in official PA daily calls Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital an “unprecedented mistake,” claiming it turned the US from a mediator into an enemy
Excerpt of an op-ed by Yahya Rabah, regular columnist for the official PA daily
Headline: “Donald Trump continues with his mistakes”
“US President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is a severe error and unprecedented mistake, because through this declaration… he suddenly and dramatically turned the administration that he leads from a mediator – which has made great efforts to keep this role for itself – into an enemy. This was his first mistake in the field of foreign policy…
Trump, at the head of his administration, has moved on to the second mistake – also regarding Jerusalem – through the transfer of the American embassy to it this coming May 14 [2018], the day on which the Palestinian Nakba (i.e., “the catastrophe,” Palestinian term for the establishment of the State of Israel. This date is the anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence according to the Gregorian calendar; Palestinians mark Nakba Day on May 15) took place 70 years ago. This was Trump’s second mistake, at the start of the second year of his term. The first turned America from a mediator into an enemy, and the second turned America into a taunting enemy.
But the two mistakes, the first and the second, are in the same context – Trump and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu are exchanging poisonous presents between themselves at the expense of our Jerusalem, our people, and our rights. They think that these poisonous presents are the only chance to save them from a bad and bitter fate: Netanyahu wants to escape from the cases that are tightening around his neck… As for Trump, in addition to his old cases regarding how he reached the White House… his most serious case has appeared – his decision to arm the teachers at tens of thousands of schools in the US.”
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.
On Feb. 23, 2018, the US State Department announced that the US embassy will open in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. The date is the anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence in 1948 according to the Gregorian calendar.
Headline: “Donald Trump continues with his mistakes”
“US President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is a severe error and unprecedented mistake, because through this declaration… he suddenly and dramatically turned the administration that he leads from a mediator – which has made great efforts to keep this role for itself – into an enemy. This was his first mistake in the field of foreign policy…
Trump, at the head of his administration, has moved on to the second mistake – also regarding Jerusalem – through the transfer of the American embassy to it this coming May 14 [2018], the day on which the Palestinian Nakba (i.e., “the catastrophe,” Palestinian term for the establishment of the State of Israel. This date is the anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence according to the Gregorian calendar; Palestinians mark Nakba Day on May 15) took place 70 years ago. This was Trump’s second mistake, at the start of the second year of his term. The first turned America from a mediator into an enemy, and the second turned America into a taunting enemy.
But the two mistakes, the first and the second, are in the same context – Trump and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu are exchanging poisonous presents between themselves at the expense of our Jerusalem, our people, and our rights. They think that these poisonous presents are the only chance to save them from a bad and bitter fate: Netanyahu wants to escape from the cases that are tightening around his neck… As for Trump, in addition to his old cases regarding how he reached the White House… his most serious case has appeared – his decision to arm the teachers at tens of thousands of schools in the US.”
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.
On Feb. 23, 2018, the US State Department announced that the US embassy will open in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. The date is the anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence in 1948 according to the Gregorian calendar.