Trump plans to announce tomorrow that the US embassy to Israel is being moved to Jerusalem.
Donald Trump appeared on the verge of formally recognising Jerusalem as the “capital of Israel”, in a move that would upend decades of US presidential diplomacy and could trigger unrest across the Middle East.
WHY? No country on Earth has their embassy in Jerusalem. It’s recognized as very delicate bit of diplomacy — all the Islamic nations, including both Iran and Saudi Arabia, are united in their condemnation of such a move, and it would be nothing but a pointless provocation.
Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian legislative council, called the planned relocation “a very reckless and dangerous act from the side of the US president”.
Speaking from Ramallah, he told Al Jazeera that such a move would not “take into consideration what it means to 1.6 billion Muslims, to 2.2 billion Christians, and to 360 million Arabs”.
“It will create a very serious reaction and destabilise the region – and definitely destabilise the situation in Palestine itself,” he added.
“If President Trump proceeds with moving the embassy, he will be killing completely any future American role in any future peace process.”
It gains us nothing to move the embassy, but it will inflame the region and trigger more violence.
It’s almost as if he’s looking for a magic switch he could flip to generate international incidents to distract from the corruption and criminality he’s fomenting at home.
Well, he’s doing it to please the right-wing Christian nutjobs, who think that the Jews ruling again in all of Eretz Israel will bring the End Times. Trying to boost the Moore campaign among other motives. Also pleases the Zionist Organization of America and other mad dog Zionists who have hitched themselves to him. Remember that antisemitism in the U.S. is good for their cause because it means that that the Jews all need to move to Israel. They’re big fans of Steve Bannon, BTW.
Not hard to explain at all.
Yeah, it’s not like conservatives have a problem with terrorist attacks on embassies. They’re totally chill with security personnel and diplomats being at risk or being murdered. We have no evidence of that ever being a problem. They certainly wouldn’t blame anyone in the government over choices related to that.
Fear the Reichstag fire. He’s just setting out matches and gasoline. Maybe he’s a secret millenialist, or he believes he’s the antichrist.
just like a good carney magician to shout to “look over there”
no sir, I am still watching you!
uncle frogy
Now that might be a reason to do it. What good has America done really? The Middle East will be much better off without the US meddling with their affairs all the time.
rietpluim, trump won’t be killing any future American role in the WAR process. He will be expanding that.
No, seriously. Western intervention caused this mess in the first place. We should stop thinking we can contribute to the peace process. We can’t. Now I do understand that moving the embassy may be just another stupid intervention, but if the result really is that the US’ role is over, that would be good news.
I think he just wants an excuse to use nukes. The Tiny Tyrant has an itchy trigger finger.
rietpluim @ 7:
That won’t be the fucking result. The result will be to foment unrest, make a whole lot of people even angrier at Amerikka, and increase the possibilities of yet more war and terroristic acts. And a hell of a lot of people will suffer over this move, mostly Palestinians, and how in the fuckety fuck could that be viewed as a positive?
In addition to pandering to the Christian right, this will help to start another war. At least, that’s certain to be the unstated intent. Why, the US hasn’t had a ‘good war’ in years. Our bombs will be getting dusty, what with not being dropped on brown people in mind-boggling quantities for over a decade. Sure, we still blow up a few people here or there, but it’s not like “Shock and Awe,” where we destroyed a whole country’s infrastructure. The hard-on that shitshow gave the chickenhawks must be almost gone now.
So, if and when something happens to the Jerusalem
provocationembassy, we’ll probably be going to war with Iran. It matters not if Iran will have had a hand in whatever happens; we’ve been wanting to go to war with Iran for decades, and Netanyahu has been wanting us to go to war with Iran for decades. It’s on the fascist wishlist, and Trump is like Santa with swastika.How is Israel an ally? It committed an act of war against the US when it murdered 34 US sailors aboard the USS Liberty and has murdered many other US citizens including Rachel Corrie.
Hey! Those fighter-bombers and missiles and armored vehicles aren’t gonna sell themselves!
The dog does what its owner wants… this fucks up America’s standing and influence there as good as can be done in one little executive action, beyond scutiny. Russia can only profit…
@William Webb: “Ally” doesn’t mean “friend”.
Israel:
– is an oppressive, colonialist, expansionist and supremacist Jewish State;
– has been stealing, occupying and colonizing Palestinian land and
oppressing, torturing and killing Palestinians for over 60 years;
– refuses to honor its obligations under international law;
– refuses to accept responsibility and accountability for its past and on-going war crimes; and
– refuses to enter into sincere negotiations for a just and mutually-beneficial peace.
See http://www.ifamericansknew.org and http://lawrenceofcyberia.blogs.com/photos/maps/landloss.html for more information.
@William Webb:
I’d say that’s basically accurate, though in Israel’s defense they’re in a genuinely awful geopolitical position with neighbours that would quite like to drive them into the sea. That sort of situation is bound to turn anyone a bit reactionary. Imagine how insane US politics would get if there was a real, credible, genuinely dangerous external enemy to be concerned about, rather than the made-up ones people are currently voting fascist over.
But what bearing does it have on them being US allies, either way? You don’t ally with people because they’re nice.
“It’s almost as if he’s looking for a magic switch he could flip to generate international incidents to distract from the corruption and criminality he’s fomenting at home.”
Hmmm. Not “almost”. It’s EXACTLY as if.
Until further notice, US government workers and their families are prohibited from going to Bethlehem. Merry Christmas!
I agree that it’s a distraction but on the other hand it’s not like the Quakers or the Pope are threatening to become Terrorists. I say use the Arabs’ fanaticism against them. Rename Jerusalem “Mohammed”. Then what can they do?
http://thenewporphyry.blogspot.com/
Run along, troll.
Here’s why — Max Blumenthal found out about it: http://vridar.org/2017/12/06/why-why-of-course-now-it-makes-sense/
@ joewallack, #18
Yes, nowhere in the world, and certainly not in recent history, have protestants or Catholics engaged in terrorism. Certainly, there have been no instances of Christian terrorism in the US. Except for… well, most of them, actually.
Also? “Arab” isn’t a religion, and “Pope” isn’t a race. It is (almost) refreshing of you to make plain that your problem is with race, though.
Ass.
“Event Canceled A Bethlehem Christmas on the Hill”:
I think you’re giving Trump too much credit. He made this decision because every sane person told him not too, and this is insulting/provoking to Muslims. He just wants to say, “fuck you, I’ll do what I want, and you can’t do a damned thing about it.” Maybe those who convinced him to do it have some strategy, but for Trump this is just dick waving.
He wants to fight a war that history will put his name to. He’s tried to pick fights with North Korea, Venezuela and probably a few other countries I’ve forgotten. Now he’s hoping for better luck with the Arabs. He may get it, unfortunately.
The world will not forgive the USA for electing Trump.
And of course, some right wing conservative christian politician in our parliament think it’s a good idea, because King David or something.
Why do it? Because Obama didn’t do it, of course.
Every despot in the middle east, plus Russia, wants a war between US and Iran. It give the hardliners in Iran an excuse to crack down on the liberals there who are slowly gaining power, and lead Iran to look to Russia for protection. It will cause oil prices to spike, which helps Russia and Saudi Arabia. ISIL in Iraq and Syria benefits from the resulting chaos and dysfunction. Every ruling caste in the region comes out ahead. They are manipulating Donny T to make it happen, and he is putty in their paws. Yeah, millions will die and stuff, the US debt will jump another ten trillion or so, but whatevs. We can say “Merry Christmas” again so it’s all good.
He clearly hates Muslims and openly sucks up to Israel…racist acts follow racist thoughts.
He’s just too ignorant to understand exactly what he’s done, and too racist to care about the opinion of the Muslims or the rest of the world.
Plus he knows damn well terrorist acts will follow this poking of the bear, afterwards he’s proclaim that “SEE, i told you they were unreasonable, now can I expand my wall and travel ban to protect you? I AM YOUR SAVIOR!!!”
What a pathetic, shallow, stupid man. America, have you seen enough yet, or does he truly represent you?
I’m still too pissed off over Trump giving OUR federal lands to the Mormon exploiters in Utah! Our asshole president won’t be happy till he’s covered the earth with his shit.
Why? To stir a hornet’s nest with a poking stick. People who are busy dodging hornets are too busy to notice other things. Also, a mean child’s glee in poking things.
Trump’s evangelical base wants a religious war in the Middle East to usher in their vaunted end times. Trump just wants a war.
TRUMP SMASH!!!
Because he needs enemies. All authoritarians do.
To unite his followers against a label, to legitimise his power and his policies.
To distract from the internal scandals, robberies and failures.
Power-hungry authoritarians thrive on chaos, violence and uncertainty.