Israel folly costs lives & hope of a peace deal
DONALD Trump this week delivered the embassy in Jerusalem as a gift without concession or condition to his great friend Benjamin Netanyahu.
As much as it was a joyous occasion for the Israeli leader’s people, it was a devastating blow to the Palestinians.
The move once again led to the boundary with the Gaza Strip running red with blood as Netanyahu’s soldiers shot and killed scores of protesters while wounding thousands more.
Trump’s announcement he was recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and moving the embassy from Tel Aviv, swept aside 70 years of American neutrality.
His reckless defiance of an international consensus left the US no longer able to pretend it can play the role of a broker, honest or otherwise.
International criticism of Israel’s brutality was matched by condemnation of Trump’s stupidity as he trashes his way through the Middle East.
It is therefore absurdly insensitive for him to couple his provocation with an appeal to Palestinians to remain calm and peaceful.
Misguided Americans may see the embassy opening as a “promise kept” by this President, but for the overwhelming majority, it will be remembered as the day he solidified the US role as a participant on Israel’s project of robbing Palestinians of their rights.
More importantly, it was the day his administration dealt yet another critical blow against the already weak prospect of peace in the Middle East.