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DONALD TRUMP HAS been warned that he’d be making a historic misstep, and create widespread unrest, if he were to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and move the US Embassy there.
He has delayed announcing his final decision on the matter, and French President Emmanuel Macron issued a statement yesterday expressing concern over these proposals, hinting that it could disrupt peace negotiations with Israel and Palestine.
Tánaiste, and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney tweeted his support for Macron’s stance this morning, and said that “Ireland shares President Macron’s concerns on this issue”.
So, what’s this row all about? Why would Trump do this in the first place? And why are France, Ireland and others against it?
For decades, uneasy peace between Israel and Palestine has often turned into outright armed conflict.
The status of Jerusalem is a key issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both Israelis and Palestinians claiming the city as their capital.
Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claims both halves of the city to be its “eternal and undivided capital.”
But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as capital of their promised state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there.
Several peace plans have come unstuck over debates on whether, and how, to divide sovereignty or oversee the sites holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims.
Due to this contested status, all foreign embassies are located Tel Aviv, with consular representation in Jerusalem.
A recognition from the US that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel by putting its Israeli embassy there would send shockwaves throughout the Middle-East, granting the Israeli government further legitimacy to its claim on contested areas and risking further instability and conflict in the region.
Why would Trump do it?
First of all, it is important to note that there is currently US legislation ready to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
This law was actually put in place during Bill Clinton’s administration. In 1995, the US Congress passed the so-called Jerusalem Embassy Act recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and stating that the US embassy should be moved there.
An inbuilt waiver into the bill, however, allows the president to temporarily postpone the move on the grounds of “national security”.
This waiver has been invoked by Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama, meaning that the law has never actually come into effect. Trump himself has signed the once-every-six-months waiver already during his presidency.
Not one to follow anyone else’s example, the current US President may break with precedent, and the international community, in recognising Israel’s sovereignty of Jerusalem.
This is a move that would be supported by donors and sections of his conservative supporter base. It was also one of his pledges during the presidential campaign.
“The president has been clear on this issue from the get-go. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” said White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, who said a declaration on the move would be made “in the coming days”.
Amid internal White House disagreements, several US administration officials were unable or unwilling to say with certainty what Trump would decide.
“The president’s going to make his decision,” his Middle East peace envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner said.
“The president is still considering options,” a State Department official said when asked about a possible move.
Israeli’s defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, meanwhile, urged Trump to grasp a “historic opportunity”.
“Completely destroy the fragile peace process”
Both local and international figures have urged Trump not to press ahead with these plans.
Palestinian leaders have been lobbying regional leaders to oppose any shift in US policy and the armed Islamist movement Hamas has threatened to launch a new “intifada.”
Saeb Erakat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, warned that a change in the US stance on Jerusalem would spell disaster, and would amount to an own goal for US peace efforts in the region.
He said in a statement that Washington would “be disqualifying itself to play any role in any initiative towards achieving a just and lasting peace”.
“If the status of Jerusalem is changed and another step is taken… that would be a major catastrophe,” Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said.
It would completely destroy the fragile peace process in the region, and lead to new conflicts, new disputes and new unrest.
The Arab League said it was closely following the matter, with leader Abul Gheit warning any such move would pose a threat “to the stability of the Middle East and the whole world.”
“It will not serve peace or stability, instead it will nourish fanaticism and violence,” he said on Sunday, noting that the League was closely following the issue and would coordinate a joint position with Palestinian and Arab leaders if Trump took the step.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also warned that any change to the status of Jerusalem would have “grave consequences”, in a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday.
Coveney and Macron
In a statement, French President Emmanuel Macron strongly urged the Trump administration not to take these measures. This came after a telephone conversation between the two leaders.
“The French President expressed his concern over the possibility that the United States would unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” a Macron spokesperson said.
Mr Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed that the question of Jerusalem’s status had to be dealt with in the framework of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, with the aim in particular to establish two countries, Israel and Palestine, living in peace and security side by side with Jerusalem as capital.
As previously stated, Minister Simon Coveney has said Ireland shares Macron’s concerns.
Since Trump has taken office, the Department of Foreign Affairs has shared this stance.
Before St Patrick’s Day, a number of TDs asked then-Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan about Ireland’s stance on the issue. This included Richard Boyd-Barrett, Eamon Ryan and Paul Murphy.
In February, Flanagan told the Dáil: “Ultimately this is a decision for the US, but I hope there will be no change in the previous policy.
Ireland and our EU partners remain fully committed to a two state solution which will see Jerusalem accepted by all as the capital of two states. Until then, our own Embassy will not be moving.
When he was quizzed by Paul Murphy if then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny would raise the matter at the annual St Patrick’s Day meeting, Flanagan said that, “at EU level, we will continue to be a strong voice on the issue”, and added that the two-state solution is still the “only viable option”.
Coveney’s short statement today would appear to reiterate this stance. TheJournal.ie has asked the Department of Foreign Affairs for a statement on the current events taking place.
Next steps
The speculation in Washington is that while Trump will indeed sign the waiver to retain the embassy in Tel Aviv for the time being.
He is also expected, however, to make a speech tomorrow supporting Israel’s claim to Jerusalem.
Trump has previously said that he wants to relaunch peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians in search of the “ultimate deal”.
Taking these steps, however, could have the opposite result and send any chance of peace back a long way.
With reporting from AFP
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An Apple a day, makes a few people very, very wealthy. In saying that, I love my iPhone.
Tax free too I hear!
Removal of the aux jack has to be one of the most moronic design decisions I’ve ever seen.
If you had your way we’d still be using cassettes,wireless is the way to go no need for a clumsy cable attached to the phone
There’s no need for a clumsy cable but seeing as they’re not quite obsolete yet it’s nice to have the option.
I wish that I could use cassettes on my IPhone 3!
You will have the option… The packaging will include a little cable to attach your legacy earphones to the Lightning port.
The removal of the headphone jack will make room in the very tight space within the handset for other technology.
People said the same thing when the iPhone first released with pretty much only one button.
Goodbye charging my phone and listening to music simultaneously.
Huh, ever heard of Bluetooth headphones!! Not expensive either
I wouldn’t mind if Tim Cook was to announce ApplePay being rolled out to Ireland. It’s already in the UK for the past year or so, and seeing as they rely on Mastercard and Visa and both card-services companies see UK&I as a single territory, it shouldn’t be difficult to push it out here.
The announcement of an Apple Store (apparently they’re to be called just “Apple”, dropping the “Store” bit) in Dublin or Cork would be nice.
Apple-Pay still isn’t in Ireland?! I use it the whole time in the U.K.
Nope, still not here. Contactless payments are commonplace, just not from mobiles.
You can actually top-up your Leapcard (like the OysterCard) using NFC on Android too, just not on Apple devices.
That’s to do with Apple not letting devs use NFC
No it’s not, it’s because they haven’t battered out the agreements with the Irish Banks. I believe only France are euro-zone Apple Pay ready.
No apple store anytime soon in ireland , compu b has a contract in place for a few years yet that has a clause that there will be no apple stores unless they pay a significant break fee
I think part of the reason Apple pay isn’t in Ireland I’d they can’t get a vendor to operate it here
Ireland still doesn’t have enough NFC payment terminals to make it worth rolling out. It’s fine in city centres but outside of that we’re still too small a market to make the rollout worthwhile. It’s the same reason Samsung Pay and Android Pay have no intentions of rolling out here. We’ll get it eventually but we’ll be one of the last in Europe.
iPhone, therefore I am.
#Android4Ever
There’s always one
When Samsung’s software team get it together I’ll do the aul switcheroo
Just flash it with a custom ROM. Samsung’s own is designed for obsolescence and is generally bloated and buggy.
The lives of very many will now have meaning. The wealth of a very few will be greatly, greatly enriched.
You will pay VAT on the device and, unless it is provided by your employer, you will pay for this device out of after tax net income.
You will find that the phone is already obsolete in that Apple, as with other manufacturers, has more and more improved technology already refined and ready but withheld for the next and following iPhones.
Enjoy.
Someone got out of the wrong side of the beef this morning. Don’t begrudge others for wanting something.
What’s your point though? Should nobody buy phones again ever?
I would say that at least 50% of iPhones end their lives in the toilet. Imagine the profit loss if they made them toilet proof!
Jackie what do you be doing with your phone in the toilet?
I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong but the number of times I hear that phones fall out of back pockets, get dropped, are thrown by small kids into the loo. 3 have ended this way in our family alone. Thank goodness for phone insurance!
The screen won’t be OLED, not until next year. I guarantee you that. Change the article now if you want.
True. OLED screen is coming next year along with an edge to edge screen without any bezels at the top and bottom of the device. Also it will return to a glass casing instead of aluminium.
Just saying Big Sony night planned.
Here’s a new idea. How about a new phone that is twice as thick and can run for three days from a charge due to the extra battery space. If one manufacturer launched the same model with thick and thin models I think I know which one would sell better. They have conditioned the market to accept charging every day or even twice or the times a day.
It wouldn’t just be thick but also very heavy. That won’t wash with anyone.
My Galaxy S4 lasts about two days.
Previously I had Galaxy Mega which used to last 2-4 days depending on the usage.
the important thing to remember when buying an iphone is…
that you’re wasting your fookin’ money!
We will see a phone that looks like the previous generation with no headphone jack however for an extra few euro apple will sell you an adaptor ! Can’t wait
Great products, not so great people. What are the ever going to do with all that cash stashed away out of the US taxman’s hands? Buy Micorosoft and put it out of its misery? Seriously, there is now so much competition in China and elsewhere with good, low cost phones that Apple has no growth markets left. Lots of people keeping their 4′s and 5′s longer than Tim would like….
So is iOS 10 for I phone 6 software available tonight ?
Hardly. It’ll probably arrive when the first iPhone 7 hits the shelves.
have your say