The Consequences of Trump’s Jerusalem Plan

The Consequences of Trumps Jerusalem Plan

Matthew Damien, Staff Writer

It has only been days after President Trump’s remarks on his Jerusalem plan, however, the effects are already being felt in both Israel, Palestine, the U.S., and Europe, as tensions rise between those who claim the ancient city is theirs. Trump made his plans clear in his speech on December 6th, where he stated, “I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.” He also remarked of plans to transfer the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, to the city of Jerusalem. For years, the people of both Israel and Palestine claimed Jerusalem as their capital, sparking violence, racial and religious tension, and protests. This fighting soon led up to the East-West Jerusalem Division in 1949, which split the city into a the western Jewish/Israeli portion and eastern Muslim/Palestinian portion. The compromise attempted to resolve the tensions and fighting on the Benjamin Plateau on which the ancient city of Jerusalem resides. Although fighting for whom the city would belong to continued, the compromise had greatly repaired Israeli-Palestinian relations and created political and some social peace between the two nations. However, after Trump’s historical plan to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, civil fighting has once again skyrocketed in order to preserve the city’s East-West Jerusalem compromise (some Palestinians even claim the city is their capital not Israel’s). Not only has opposition emerged from within Palestine and Israel, but also from many more countries and regions. In Egypt, many politicians and lawyers claim that Trump’s plan completely harms U.S.-Arab relations. The president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, warned Trump that his plans “would undermine the chances of peace in the Middle East.” The E.U. and U.N. had also spoken out against Trump’s plan due to its harm on Arabic relations and peace. Jerusalem will only see more fighting in the coming year as the U.S. Embassy move takes effect, and we may be seeing a new war on the rise. For now, all we can do is keep eyes on the Middle East and Jerusalem as social and political tensions rise.