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Tag: Jerusalem

  • Jerusalem, Jerusalem

    Jerusalem, Jerusalem

    Donald Trump knows how to rouse his base, and I thought he did not attract hallelujahs outside of his American stronghold until his Jerusalem decision. Nigerians, many of whom instinctively loath the toupee-crowned phony of the United States, have managed to embrace his Jerusalem bear.

    When he decided that the U.S. was going to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, I began to hear Christians applaud him. Some saw Trump as a godsend, fulfilling the destiny of prophesy. So, suddenly the man who loathes other creatures of God, who believes only whites matter in the divine system, who does not read the Bible, has become a vessel of God?

    The Christian right in the United States agree with him. But they have no reason other than that Jerusalem belongs to the Jews and that it is their home.

    They ignore the bloody consequences of moving the headquarters from Tel Aviv, where most countries domicile their embassies. Jerusalem is under dispute because it berths the temple of the Jews and mosque of Muslims, both Palestinians and Israelis lay claim to the place. To reach an agreement has been impossible.

    The last time hope rose above rabbinical malice was under President Bill Clinton when he parleyed with Prime Minister Ehud Barack and the late Yasser Arafat. It was a high-octane summit. The eyes of both men oiled with peace while at home war loomed. In the end, Barack’s concessions were not enough for peace with the Palestinians. Barack lost his elections that paved the way for the hawk-eyed Netanyahu, who has not seen a Palestinian he does not hate.

    Since then, tension has become the normal between them. Firestorms of rage have never ceased. The belief among Christians that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel has nothing to do with the scheme of the Christian God. It is only those who do not understand the scriptures that pay homage to the illusion of a Jerusalem of a sacred book.

    True, Jesus rode on a donkey to Jerusalem. But it does not in any way mean it is the kingdom of the future. His death and crucifixion mean he has transcended Jerusalem the earthly. The focus of Christians is Jerusalem the heavenly.

    Hence Jesus himself cast woe on Jerusalem in his prophetic outpouring: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth until thou shall say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

    In AD 70, the prophesy fulfilled. Jerusalem fell after a heady siege from the Romans under Emperor Titus. The Jews were slaughtered. Christians had left town from Jewish persecution. So, Jerusalem does not hold any romantic allure for the Christian of knowledge.

    The question is, has Jerusalem said, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord? NO. So why are Christians quick to embrace her as a Christian project?

    For the Christian, Jerusalem is not natural but spiritual. Apostle Paul noted that “Jerusalem, which is now, and is in bondage. But Jerusalem which is above is free, and is mother of us all.”

    There is a reason the Bible talks of heavenly Jerusalem. Paul explained that all Christians are Jews in a spiritual sense. A Jew is one inwardly, as he clarified, not outwardly.we are Abraham’s children by faith. If the Christian soul is Jewish spiritually, why should they respond to the earthly home? It is contradiction. Flesh and spirit do not concur. If you live in the spirit, wrote Paul, you will not fulfil the lust of the flesh. The attachment to Jerusalem is the (political) lust of the flesh.

    It is ultimately cynical politics. It has no bearing with the faith. The Jews in Jerusalem still regard Christians with contempt. We don’t have to pay them back in their own pride, but we should not flow with their bigotry. What we need in that part of the world is peace. Reconciliation should supervene primordial bile that neither God nor the scriptures sanction.

    What we know as West Bank and Gaza Strip today were in the Bible known as Judea and Samaria. Golda Mier, former prime minister and Netanyahu’s ancestor of hate, loved to call them by the biblical names. But Christianity is not about Israel anymore. It is about the faith of people anywhere in the world. If we understand that, a Trump will not hoodwink us into wild temper and blood.

     

    To tithe or not

    I decided to wade into the debate over tithing because this is December and Christmas season. I want to say that those who condemn or refrain from tithing, do so for the following reasons. One they are genuinely ignorant. Two, they are looking for an excuse not to spend. Three, they are put off by the extravagance and seedy lifestyle of the pastors.

    I will say the last reason may have unconsciously inspired the other explanations. Those who refrain from tithing on the ground that it is an Old Testament law have not read the Bible. Jesus in Matthew 23: 23, made it clear that while tithe is important, it is not as important as justice, mercy and judgment. But he noted that it should not be “left undone.” One word from the master should have been enough.

    Paul referred to Abraham paying tithe to Melchizedek, who was Christ who appeared to him after the Slaughter of Kings. Jesus recalled that encounter in his heated exchange with the Pharisees when he said, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and he was glad.” He was glad to see him and pay him tithe. Now, Melchizedek represented the transition from the old order under Aaronic Priesthood to the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. So, the payment of Tithe to Melchizedek means tithing transcended old testament. Because as the Psalmist noted in prophesy, “Thou are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

    Paul clarified it later when he wrote that tithing is now the province of the Lord, not priests who received them. It is now an eternal offering. “And here men that die receive tithes: But there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.” Abraham tithe not to a levite but to Melchizedek signifies the permanence of the practice.

    The pastors pass away, but Christ lives. Now, some have said why 10 percent, is it not legalism? All law is legalism. When Christ came, he said he did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. John wrote that the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. But that grace and truth turns out to be that we apply the law not in the letter but in the spirit. Hence, he enunciated laws like adultery which are even more stringent.

    Those who say, well, they give offering, and they do well. They are right. God loves a cheerful giver. A liberal soul shall be made fat. He that gives bountifully shall reap bountifully. Can you give bountifully when it is, say, eight percent? In fact, 10 percent may not even be bountiful if you are sincere. So, those who want to be “flexible” should know that they are even bound to give more than 10 percent. Ten percent as I see it is a sort of minimal template of expressing gratitude. If you don’t give, are you cursed? Of course not. The Christ has nailed the curse. Let no one deceive you.

    Do we have to pay all the tithe to the church? Deut 26 explains that it is for the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless and widows. Pastors don’t say this but you should split it between the church and the needy. Hence Jesus said, “if you have done this (good ) to any of my fellows you have done it for me.”

    When a pastor lives lavish lifestyle, rides jet and builds schools that only the rich can afford, they send the wrong signals. Jesus could have entered Jerusalem with the best horse, but he entered with donkey. But when people needed, he gave them fishes and bread and turned water into wine. Pastors deserve double honour not double colour or flamboyance. As Paul said, let your moderation be known to all.

  • Jerusalem: The world’s bitter harvest

    Jerusalem: The world’s bitter harvest

    “…And fear a calamity that may descend not only on those who caused it (but also on others who had no hands in its cause); and know that Allah’s retribution can be very severe”. Qur’an 8, Verse 25

    Preamble

    Foresight is a product of intuition. A person without intuition cannot be foresighted. And intuition is Allah’s special endowment for some rightly guided human beings.

     

    Admonition

    On Friday, January 20 2017, the day a new American President, Donald Trump, was sworn into office as successor to President Barak Obama, yours sincerely intuitively wrote an article published in this column. It was entitled “Welcoming A Trump of Sadism”. An excerpt from that article goes thus:

    “Like the hands of a clock, many democratic countries in the world swear in a new President every four or five years at the exit of an old one since that tenure of office is often renewable. Now, it is the turn of the United States of America to do that again. And the man to take charge as from today, for the next four years, all things being equal, is called Donald Trump, a man that most people including Americans, have seen as a wild bull surging into a china shop. Two weeks before the publication of that article, another article relating to the same subject had been published also by yours sincerely in this same column. It was entitled “Waiting for January 20, 2017”. In the latter article, yours sincerely cited the example of Adolf Hitler’s oath of office and his inaugural address of 1933 that culminated in history’s worst disaster called  World War II which started in 1939 and ended in 1945. The dramatic events within that period of 12 years were the dominating factors of the 20th century history. Here is the excerpt:

     

    Oath of Office

    “As from today January 20, 2017, Donald Trump’s oath of office will become the symbol of despotism for the seeming global anarchy ahead. His assumption of Office as the 46th American President, subsequent to that oath, will confirm the loss of America’s long time cherished glass house that has always been a proud heritage.

    From the look of things, a wild bull may be taking over in the world’s china shop most likely to confirm the contents of a popular 20th century Irish poem by W. B. Yeats published in 1921 by William Butler. (W. B. Yeats was the original author of “Things Fall Apart”).

    In that sadistic poem, Yeats really proved to be the drummer for certain future dragons that would dance sadistically on the surface of a tragic brook.  One of those dragons was Adolf Hitler of Austria who became the Fuhrer (the Leader) in Germany. Another is a 21st century American President named Donald Trump who the world is unlikely to watch with comfort. Incidentally, both ‘dragons’ cultivated their satanic pedigrees in Germany….”

     

    Yeats’ Poem

    “The Yeats’ poem that formed the drum to which Trump will dance with uncalculated steps starting from today is as follows:

    “Turning and turning round in the widening gyre, the falcon cannot hear the falconer;

    Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

    Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world;

    The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere, the ceremony of innocence is drowned;

    The best lack all convictions, while the worst are full of passionate intensity”. The Falcon in that poem is Donald Trump while the Falconer is the United States herself”.

     

    The meaning of Trump

    “The name TRUMP is a short form of trumpet, a musical instrument with which the decision of a tyrant is often announced in a local cultural setting. Ever since he was declared the winner of the American Presidential election of November 2016, this Trump has been trumpeting his tyrannical plans for the world for the world to note. And the jitters rolled out from that trumpet have started gripping the world with icy hand. That an American President elect had begun to rule before taking an oath of office is a clear indication of what the world should expect from the china shop in which a bull will start to operate as from today…..”

     

    Illegal recognition

    On December 6, 2017, almost one year after assuming office, President Donald Trump of the United States addressed a Press Conference in at the White House in Washington in which he declared the whole of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The rumour about that illegal declaration had been dustily thick in the air before now. Although President Trump gave two reasons for his illegal declaration none had a realistic genuineness. The first reason, according to him, was fulfilment of his campaign promise to the American electorate. The second was what he called the reality on ground in the disputed Jerusalem territory. The real truth of the matter is that Trump is ambitious to be an American hero. Thus his short course to realizing that ambition is to call the illegal declaration his greatest achievement in one year when he celebrates one year in office in January 2018.  It must be recalled that in the UN resolution on the status of Jerusalem to which the US is a signatory, it was agreed that to ventilate the atmosphere for permanent peace in the Middle East, a two state solution should be adopted in the controversial land whereby Israel and Palestine would co-exist as two separate states sharing one capital city as a matter of expediency. That resolution had proposed West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. But with Trump’s unilateral declaration of the whole of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last week, without any consideration for the UN resolution and the plight of the Palestinians whose home land had been forcefully occupied in 1948 by the Zionists with the aid of Britain and the US, a declaration of another World War seems to have occurred.

     

    The grand design

    The Israeli/Palestinian crisis is not new and it did not start in 1948. The design for that crisis had been placed on a clandestine table about 115 years ago.

    That grand design was first expressed in 1902 by a British Prime Minister, Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman as follows:

    “There are people who control spacious territories teeming with manifest and hidden resources.  They dominate the intersections of world routes. Their lands were the cradles of human civilizations and religions. These people have one faith, one language and the same aspirations. No natural barriers can isolate them from one another….If, per chance, these people were to be unified into one state it would then take the fate of the world into its hands and separate Europe from the rest of the world. Taking these considerations seriously, a foreign body should be planted in the heart of this nation to prevent the convergence of its wings in such a way that it could exhaust its powers in never- ending wars. It could also serve as a spring board for the West to gain its coveted objects”.

     

    Follow Up

    Sir Bannerman’s observation was in further pursuit of an earlier demand by Theodor Herzl, a leader of the Zionist movement founded in 1879. Herzl, an Austrian Jewish lawyer and journalist demanded thus:

    “Let sovereignty be granted us (Jews) over a portion of the globe large enough to satisfy the rightful requirements of a nation; the rest, we shall manage for ourselves…”

     

    Balfour Declaration

    In response to Theodor Herzl’s clandestine demand, another British Prime Minister, James Arthur Balfour issued a devastating declaration that now bears his name which conceded a major part of Palestine to the Zionists as a home. That (Balfour) declaration has since put the Middle East in an incessant turmoil. It read thus in part: “His majesty’s Government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people and will use its best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this objective…. The rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country shall not be prejudiced by the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”. The original thought was to secure the Present Uganda, an African country for the settlement of the Jews which would be named Israel. But the remembrance of  Kenya’s Mau Mau uprising during that country’s struggle for independence from the British colonialists changed the thought as Palestine was found more suitable as Jewish settlement because of common traits among the Jews and the Arabs.

     

    Implementation

    To facilitate that objective effectively, some other Middle East countries had to be incapacitated economically and politically by excising from them, a juicy chunk of their lands. Thus, Lebanon was excised from Syria and Kuwait from Iraq to create a passage route for the Western countries to the East. The strategy was to cause a dissention among the citizens of those Arab countries with the intention of breaking the yoke of the Muslim unity which Bannerman had targeted in his infamous observation quoted above.

     

    Occupation strategy

    When the British colonialists that had ruled Palestine for decades wanted to leave that territory, they just suddenly did so without handing over authority to anybody. The strategy was to enable the Jews who had been secretly invited to the land and militarily equipped under the British rule to take over the land by using the weapons in their possession. And that was precisely what the Jews did to gain the control of the Palestinian land in 1948.

     

    Reactions

    Shortly after Trump’s catastrophic pronouncement, prominent people around the world started to condemn it as an illegal unilateral decision that would never be implemented. Among those people were the Secretary-General of the United Nations, The Pope, The President of France, The Chancellor of Germany, the Prime Minister of Britain, the Presidents  of Turkey, Egypt, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and a host of others. The Kings of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and Qatar have also condemned Trump’s reckless pronouncement and described it as outrageously rude.  Even some scores of Israeli citizens including members of Knesset (Israeli Parliament) who know the implications of Trump’s illegal decision have staged (peaceful) demonstrations in front of American Embassy in Tel Aviv to express their objection to that unilateral and disastrous decision that could subject them to unnecessary insecurity. And in the US, quite a number of prominent people including top Republican party members and Senators have described Trump’s decision on the status of Jerusalem as an embarrassing major flaw that could entail dangerous backlash for America.

     

    UN’s Emergency Meeting

    Meanwhile, as a practical demonstration of its expressed condemnation, the United Nation’s Security Council quickly called an emergency meeting to assess the implications of Trump’s unilateral decision and to deliberate on the Council’s next stage of action as well as global way forward. When the matter was put to vating, 14 out of 15 members voted against Trump’s decision.

     

    EU’s position

    On its own, the European Union as a conglomerate of major countries in Europe with common belief in matters of common interest has taken a position on the controversial issue. It will be recalled that for many years since the end of the World War II, EU has been in strong alliance with the US through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). And that military alliance has strengthened their economic ties with the Us inspite the random inadequacies of the latter. But  in recent times, the relationship between the two blocs has been deteriorating at the instance of President Trump whose unbridled arrogance has become an unmanageable embarrassment to EU. Just a couple of months ago, Trump suddenly pulled the US out of the global climate change group with total disregard for appeals against such decision. Now, with the current crisis created by his unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital, EU has started a tacit review of its political and economic relationship with the Cow Boy’s country called America. If that position is backed up by law, the US may shrink back into her pre-World War II Isolationism that may remove her from the position of the first role player in the world.

    This is an indication that if Americans do not act fast to checkmate this 46th US President called Donald Trump, he may become the final nemesis of the American Empire.

  • Arab nations urge recognition of East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital

    Arab nations urge recognition of East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital

    The leaders of 57 Muslim nations have called on the world to recognise East Jerusalem as “the occupied capital of a Palestinian state.”

    The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation declared United States President, Donald Trump’s decision to recognise the city as Israel’s capital unlawful.

    It also said the move had signalled Washington’s withdrawal from its role in the Middle East peace process, the BBC reports.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas earlier said the United Nations should take over.

    In a speech to the OIC summit in Istanbul, Mr. Abbas said it would be “unacceptable” for the U.S to be the mediator “since it is biased in favour of Israel.”

    Mr. Trump said his decision was nothing more than “a recognition of reality” and that he was not taking a position on the final status issues of any peace agreement.

    The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians.

    The city is home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem.

    Israel occupied the sector, previously occupied by Jordan, in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital.

    The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

    Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries currently maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.

    However, President Trump has announced that the U.S will eventually move its embassy.

  • EU rejects Trump’s Jerusalem move

    EU rejects Trump’s Jerusalem move

    EU foreign ministers on Monday in Brussels rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to join the U.S. in recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

    Early, Netanyahu had asked the EU to ask allies to join the U.S. in Jerusalem move, but was met by a firm rebuff from EU foreign ministers who saw the move as a blow against the peace process.

    Making his first ever visit to EU headquarters in Brussels, Netanyahu said President Donald Trump’s move made peace in the Middle East possible “because recognising reality is the substance of peace, the foundation of peace.”

    Trump announced on Dec. 6 that the U.S. would recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, breaking with decades of U.S. policy and international consensus that the ancient city’s status must be decided in Israeli-Palestinian talks.

    Israel, which annexed East Jerusalem after capturing it in a 1967 war, considers the entire city to be its capital while Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state.

    The Trump administration says it remains committed to the peace process and its decision does not affect Jerusalem’s future borders or status.

    It says any credible future peace deal will place the Israeli capital in Jerusalem, and ditching old policies is needed to revive a peace process frozen since 2014.

    Israel’s closest European allies have rejected that logic and say recognising Israel’s capital unilaterally risks inflaming violence and further wrecking the chance for peace.

    After a breakfast meeting between Netanyahu and EU foreign ministers, Sweden’s top diplomat said no European at the closed-door meeting had voiced support for Trump’s decision, and no country was likely to follow the U.S. in announcing plans to move its embassy.

    “I have a hard time seeing that any other country would do that and I don’t think any other EU country will do it,” Margot Wallstrom said.

    Several EU foreign ministers arriving at the meeting reiterated the bloc’s position that lands Israel has occupied since the 1967 war, including East Jerusalem as well as the West Bank and Golan Heights, are not within Israel’s borders.

    Israel’s position does appear to have more support from some EU states than others.

    On Friday, the Czech foreign ministry said it would begin considering moving the Czech Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, while Hungary blocked a planned EU statement condemning the U.S. move.

    Prague later said it accepted Israel’s sovereignty only over West Jerusalem, and Budapest said its long-term position seeking a two-state solution in the Middle East had not changed.

    On Monday, Czech Foreign Minister, Lubomir Zaoralek, said of Trump’s decision: “I‘m afraid it can’t help us.”

    “I‘m convinced that it is impossible to ease tension with a unilateral solution,” Zaoralek said.

    “We are talking about an Israeli state but at the same time we have to speak about a Palestinian state.”

    Trump’s announcement triggered days of protests across the Muslim world and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in which scores of Palestinians were wounded and several killed.

    By Monday morning, violence appeared to have subsided.

    Netanyahu, who has been angered by the EU’s search for closer business ties with Iran, said Europeans should emulate Trump’s move and press the Palestinians to do so too.

    “It’s time that the Palestinians recognise the Jewish state and also recognise the fact that it has a capital.
    It’s called Jerusalem,” he said.

    The decision to recognize Jerusalem could also strain Washington’s ties with its other main Muslim ally in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, which has sought closer relations with Washington under Trump than under his predecessor Barack Obama.

    Saudi Arabia shares U.S. and Israeli concerns about the increasing regional influence of Iran, and was seen as a potential broker for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace deal.

    Saudis have suggested that unilateral decisions over Jerusalem make any such rapprochement more difficult.

    Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi ambassador to the U.S. and veteran ex-security chief, published a strongly-worded open letter to Trump on Monday denouncing the Jerusalem move.

  • Palestinian protesters, Israeli police clash after Friday prayers

    Palestinian protesters, Israeli police clash after Friday prayers

    Palestinian protesters, some burning tyres and throwing stones, clashed Friday in Jerusalem, Gaza and on the West Bank with Israeli security forces who used live ammunition, tear gas and rubber bullets against demonstrators.

    The tense scuffles and more violent confrontations took place following the first Friday afternoon Islamic prayers since U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, angering Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims around the world.

    Medics in both the West Bank city of Hebron and in Gaza reported uses of live ammunition by Israeli forces. Dozens of Palestinians were reported injured in the clashes, most due to rubber bullets and gas inhalation.

    Israeli security forces repeatedly broke up attempts by Palestinians to stage demonstrations against Trump, some using placards with his image, near the Old City of Jerusalem.

    Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said several hundred police officers had reinforced the Jerusalem area, with an emphasis on the Old City.

    There are no age restrictions on Muslims wishing to pray at the al-Aqsa mosque.

    Trump’s announcement Wednesday marked a major shift in U.S. policy which observers said would inflame regional tensions.

    Israel risked further escalating the crisis with an announcement Friday on settlements.

    “Following the historic declaration by Trump, I plan to strengthen construction in Jerusalem in additional neighbourhoods,” Israeli Housing and Construction Minister Yoav Galant was quoted by Maariv newspaper as saying.

    He proposed a plan to build 14,000 new housing units, including 6,000 in Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem.

    No fewer than 80 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with the Israeli army Thursday in the West Bank and Gaza.

    Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Islamist militant movement Hamas based in Gaza, issued a call for a renewed Palestinian uprising to start Friday.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ secular Fatah party was also sharply critical of Trump’s decision.

    Jibril Rajoub, a senior Fatah official, warned in an interview with al-Arabiya television that the leadership would refuse to meet U.S. Vice President Mike Pence later this month.

    The BBC reported that the US warned the Palestinians against such a move.

    Israel captured the eastern half of Jerusalem in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed the territory in a move that was not internationally recognized.

    Palestinians hope for East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.

    The city, especially the Old City, is home to sites holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims.

    Protests against Trump’s decision have also taken place around the world.

    Hundreds of protesters took part in a government-organized demonstration in the Iranian capital Tehran while similar numbers of Palestinians and Lebanese demonstrated in Beirut and at refugee camps across Lebanon.

    Protesters in Cairo chanted “Jerusalem is Arab” and called for “Arab unity against the Zionist attack.”

  • UAE urges Arabs, Muslims to unite over U.S decision on Jerusalem

    UAE urges Arabs, Muslims to unite over U.S decision on Jerusalem

    The United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) on Thursday urged the Arab and Islamic countries to unite and demonstrate a “common position” over the United States recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

    The UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, made the call on twitter, warning that the Arab and Islamic world is facing a “serious challenge” as U.S President, Donald Trump, announced the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

    He noted that a “common position and hard work” are necessary to “achieve results” instead of “deepening the wounds.”

    The UAE does not recognise the state of Israel.

    However, Israel has a presence at the International Renewable Energy Agency in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, as it is one of the 180 member states of IRENA whose headquarters are based in Abu Dhabi.

    Trump announced Wednesday his official recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ordered the movement of the U.S embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that triggered wide criticism and concerns around the world.

    Trump said in a televised speech that his decision is based on The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, a public law of the U.S passed by the 104th Congress on October 23, 1995.

    NAN

     

     

  • Global outcry trails U.S recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

    Global outcry trails U.S recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

    Traditional United States allies are among a growing chorus condemning President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

    Saudi Arabia called it “unjustified and irresponsible,” while France and the United Kingdom said they did not support the decision.

    But Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, hailed it as “a historic day,” the BBC reports.

    President Trump’s move reversed decades of U.S policy.

    The fate of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues between Israel and the Palestinians.

    Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, denounced Trump’s move as “deplorable.”

    Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are expected to hold a day of strikes and protests on Thursday.

    The United Nations Security Council is to discuss the issue on Friday after eight of the 15 nations called for an emergency session.

    The Arab League is to meet on Saturday.

    The U.S President said on Wednesday he had “judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”

    Read Also: Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel capital

    Trump said he was directing the U.S state department to begin preparations to move the U.S embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

    Despite warnings of regional unrest over any such move, the decision fulfils a campaign promise and appeals to Mr. Trump’s right-wing base.

    “Today, I am delivering,” the U.S leader said.

    Recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was “nothing more or less than a recognition of reality,” he added. “It is also the right thing to do.”

    He said the U.S still supported a two-state solution to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if approved by both sides, which would essentially see the creation of an independent Palestinian state living alongside Israel.

  • Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel capital

    Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel capital

    President Donald Trump on Wednesday will recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and set in motion the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to the ancient city, senior U.S. officials said.

    The decision would upend decades of U.S. policy and risks fueling violence in the Middle East.

    Facing an outcry of opposition from Arab capitals, Trump, in a landmark speech, will announce he has ordered the State Department to begin developing a plan to move the embassy from Tel Aviv in what is expected to be a process that takes three to four years, the officials said.

    He will not set a timetable for the move.

    Trump will sign a national security waiver that authorizes him to delay the embassy relocation for now, since the U.S. diplomats do not yet have a building in Jerusalem to move into, security arrangements or housing for diplomats, the officials said.

    Still, Trump’s endorsement of Israel’s claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would reverse long-standing U.S. policy that the city’s status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians.

    The Palestinian wants East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

    The international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions.

    The officials, who briefed reporters ahead of Trump’s speech at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) on Wednesday, insisted that Trump’s decision, intended to fulfill a key campaign promise.

    The officials said it was not meant to pre-judge the outcome of eventual talks on the final status of Jerusalem or other major disputes between the two sides.

    Instead, one of the officials contended that Trump’s announcements reflected the “historic reality” of Jerusalem as the center of Jewish faith and the “modern reality” that it is the seat of Israeli government.

    Such arguments are not likely to sway the Palestinians and the broader Arab world.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan’s King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, all received telephone calls from Trump on Tuesday.

    They, however, joined a mounting chorus of voices warning that unilateral U.S. steps on Jerusalem would derail a fledgling U.S.-led peace effort that has stymied previous U.S. administrations and unleash turmoil in the region.

    The White House said Trump had also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close U.S. ally and longtime proponent of a U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem.

    Netanyahu was the only leader whose office did not release a statement following the call.

    A senior Israeli minister welcomed Trump’s decision while vowing that Israel would be prepared for any outbreak of violence.

    Trump appears intent on satisfying the pro-Israel, right-wing base, including evangelical Christians, that helped him win the presidency but was disappointed when he delayed the embassy move in June.

    No other country has its embassy in Jerusalem.

    Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, an action not recognized internationally.

    But Trump’s decision could also upset the peace effort led by his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, in pursuit of what the U.S. president has called the “ultimate deal”.

    Still, internal deliberations over the status of Jerusalem were tense.

    Vice President Mike Pence and David Friedman, U.S. ambassador to Israel, pushed hard for both recognition and embassy relocation.

    Meanwhile, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis opposed the move from Tel Aviv, according to other U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

    An impatient Trump finally weighed in, telling aides last week he wanted to keep his campaign promise.

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  • Jordan urges US not to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital

    Jordan urges US not to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital

    Jordan’s foreign minister has warned the United States of “dangerous consequences” if it recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

    Ayman Safadi said he had told U.S Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, such a declaration would trigger great anger in the Arab and Muslim world.

    Speculation is mounting that President Donald Trump will announce the move soon, fulfilling an election pledge, the BBC reports.

    Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, said no decision had yet been made.

    In a tweet, Mr. Safadi said: “Spoke with US Secretary of State Tillerson on dangerous consequences of recognising Jerusalem as capital of Israel. Such a decision would trigger anger across #Arab #Muslim worlds, fuel tension and jeopardise peace efforts.”

    There was no public response from the U.S State Department on the matter.

    Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, is trying to rally international support to persuade Mr. Trump not to make the announcement.

    His office said he made phone calls on Sunday to world leaders including French President, Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

  • Al Jazeera vows legal action over Jerusalem Bureau shutdown

    Al Jazeera vows legal action over Jerusalem Bureau shutdown

    Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera on Monday vowed to take legal action against Israel after the Israeli government’s decision to close the TV network’s bureau in Jerusalem.

    “Al Jazeera denounces this decision made by a state that claims to be ‘the only democratic state in the Middle East’,’’ the broadcaster said in a statement on Monday.

    Israeli Communications Minister Ayoub Kara, said that he has demanded the Government Press Office rescind the reporters’ press cards from Al Jazeera’s staff; Kara said he is working with cable and satellite providers to remove Al Jazeera’s broadcasts in Israel.

    Al Jazeera, which has been repeatedly accused of bias by the Israeli authorities, said that the “Israeli minister could not substantiate his comments by referring to a single news bulletin or situation that proved Al Jazeera had not been professional nor objective during its coverage in Jerusalem.’’

    The Qatari network said that the decision comes in the context of a campaign initiated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accused Al Jazeera in a statement of inciting violence during its coverage of the al-Aqsa Mosque crisis.

    Al Jazeera, a main conduit for news from Israel to the Arab and Muslim world, extensively covered tensions in Jerusalem over Israeli security measures at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

    The news network has been banned in several countries including Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Syria and has been accused of being a mouthpiece for Islamist groups.

    Al Jazeera has denied the charges.