A blow for peace
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, 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 by planting the Stars and Stripes in the disputed city, annexed East Jerusalem – largely Palestinian – 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 the widespread objection to Trump’s stupidity as he dangerously trashes his way through the Middle East.
It is therefore absurdly insensitive and galling for him to couple his provocation with an appeal to Palestinians to remain calm and peaceful. The fact that he didn’t care what they suffered, nor how unjust and illegal Israeli actions may have been, was effectively Trump’s way of telling them to “just sit back and take it”.
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 in Israel’s project of robbing Palestinians of their rights.
More importantly, it was the day his administration dealt yet another critical blow to the already weak prospect of peace in the Middle East.