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Thread: Trump Declares Jerusalem the Israeli Capital

  1. #1

    Trump Declares Jerusalem the Israeli Capital


    Officials: Trump Might Declare Jerusalem the Israeli Capital
    Trump's announcement is expected next week and follows months of internal deliberations.
    By MATTHEW LEE Published on December 1, 2017
    https://stream.org/officials-trump-m...raeli-capital/

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is considering recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, officials say, a highly charged declaration that risks inflaming tensions across the Middle East but would be a way to offset a likely decision delaying his campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy there.

    Trump's announcement is expected next week and follows months of internal deliberations that grew particularly intense in recent days, officials familiar with the talks said Thursday. They described the president as intent on fulfilling his pledge to move the embassy but also mindful that doing so could set back his aim of forging a long-elusive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, who claim part of Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual state.

    The officials, who weren't authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the outlines of Trump's plan emerged from a meeting of his top national security advisers at the White House on Monday. Trump himself was expected to drop by the meeting for 15 or 20 minutes. He ended up staying for at least an hour and grew increasingly animated during the session, according to two officials briefed on what happened.

    Trump is likely to issue a waiver on moving the embassy by Monday, officials said, though they cautioned that the president could always decide otherwise.

    The White House also is considering a possible presidential speech or statement on Jerusalem by Wednesday, according to the officials and an outside administration adviser. Another possibility involves Vice President Mike Pence, who is set to travel to Israel in mid-December, making the Jerusalem announcement during his trip, one official said. Pence said Tuesday that Trump is "actively considering when and how" to move the embassy.

    The Trump administration insisted the president hasn't made any decisions on the embassy.

    White House spokesman Sarah Sanders on Wednesday called an earlier report saying Trump would order an embassy move as "premature."

    "No decision on this matter has been made yet," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Thursday.

    Moving the embassy could spark widespread protest across the Middle East and undermine an Arab-Israeli peace push led by president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. ...



    ....Under U.S. law signed by President Bill Clinton in 1995, the U.S. must relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem unless the president waives the requirement on national security grounds, something required every six months. ...


    ...All presidents since Clinton have issued the waiver, saying Jerusalem's status is a matter for Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate. Trump signed the waiver at the last deadline in June, but the White House made clear he still intended to move the embassy....



    ...At Monday's White House meeting, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made the case that moving the embassy in Israel would pose a grave danger to American diplomats and troops stationed in the Middle East and Muslim nations, the U.S. officials said.

    King Abdullah II, who met Pence and Tillerson this week in Washington, made the same argument...

    ...After a lengthy back and forth at the White House meeting, Trump and his inner circle appeared to accept those concerns but insisted that the president had to demonstrate his stated commitment to move the embassy, the officials said. The discussion then turned toward waiving the embassy move for another six months but combining it with recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's eternal capital, which the Israelis have long sought....



    ....The State Department recently advised American diplomatic posts in predominantly Muslim nations that an announcement about the embassy and Jerusalem's status is possible next week, and advised them to be vigilant about possible protests, officials said.

    Inside the Trump administration, officials said debate now centers on how to make a Jerusalem announcement without affecting Israeli-Palestinian "final status" negotiations. One option under consideration is to include in any such statement a nod to Palestinian aspirations for their capital to be in east Jerusalem.

    The U.S. also faces legal constraints. Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital without a peace deal could run afoul of U.N. Security Council resolutions that don't recognize Israeli sovereignty over the city. Washington has a veto on the council and could block any effort to declare the U.S. in violation, but any such vote risks being an embarrassment and driving a wedge between the United States and many of its closest allies.







    This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind, having the understanding darkened...
    (Ephesians 4:17-18)

    Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly...
    (Psalm 1)

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  3. #2
    Senior Member Tehilah Ba'Aretz's Avatar
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    With Vice President Pence planning to be in Jerusalem tomorrow, one can only hope. We all know there will never be a convenient time for this. But there is something delightful about the idea that the US may do the right thing just because it's the right thing to do.
    I wish one of the super moral European countries would have led the way. And why not Australia? Wouldn't be amazing if Japan showed the US how to do it?
    I plan to be out of town tomorrow. Just in case all hell breaks loose as the terror empires have threatened. It should be an interesting day.

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    Senior Member Ezekiel 33's Avatar
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    Hey Tom, ZZ Top called. They want their beard back!

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  7. #4

    Jerusalem IS Israel's capital': I will move our embassy there AND make peace with the Palestinians says Trump as he defies the world's warning he will set the Middle East on fire with dramatic change of policy

    • President Trump announced he's recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital city, and starting the process of moving the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv
    • 'Today we finally acknowledge the obvious, that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality,' he said
    • 'Many presidents have said they want to do something, and they didn't do it; whether it's through courage or they change their mind I can't tell you,' he said during a cabinet meeting before his world-shaking speech
    • Palestinians said it would be 'a kiss of death to the two-state solution' and Trump is 'declaring war in the Middle East'
    • Hamas said Trump has opened 'the gates of hell'
    • Pope Francis said he was 'profoundly concerned' and appealed that 'everyone respects the status quo of the city'
    • China, which has good ties with Israel and the Palestinians, expressed concerns over 'possible aggravation of regional tensions'
    • Iran's supreme leader said Trump's new stance represented 'incompetence and failure'; Russia expressed concern about a 'possible deterioration' there
    • Moving the embassy to Jerusalem will unfold over 'years,' a senior White House official said; 'It won't be immediate, it won't be months, it won't be quick'

    By David Martosko, Us Political Editor For Dailymail.com and Wires
    Published: 13:13 EST, 6 December 2017 | Updated: 13:58 EST, 6 December 2017
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...s-capital.html

    President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that America formally recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital city, changing decades of U.S. policy in a brief afternoon speech and casting the move as a bid to preserve, not derail, aspirations for regional peace.

    Appearing in the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room against an elaborate backdrop of Christmas decorations, He also said the United States embassy in Israel would, over time, be moved there from Tel Aviv.

    Israel is the only country where the United States has an embassy in a city that the host nation does not consider its capital.

    'I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,' Trump said. 'While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today I am delivering.'

    'When I came into office I promised to look at the world's challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking,' he said, leaning heavily on a mid-1990s federal law that demanded the embassy's relocation.

    'We have declined to acknowledge any Israeli capital – at all,' Trump added. 'But today we finally acknowledge the obvious, that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality.'

    'It is also the right thing to do. It is something that has to be done.' ....







    This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind, having the understanding darkened...
    (Ephesians 4:17-18)

    Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly...
    (Psalm 1)

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  9. #5
    Hey GIMJ...I changed the title from "Officials: Trump Might Declare Jerusalem the Israeli Capital" to Trump Declares Jerusalem the Israeli Capital. :)


    'I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,' Trump said. 'While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today I am delivering.'

    'When I came into office I promised to look at the world's challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking,' he said, leaning heavily on a mid-1990s federal law that demanded the embassy's relocation.

    'We have declined to acknowledge any Israeli capital – at all,' Trump added. 'But today we finally acknowledge the obvious, that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality.'

    'It is also the right thing to do. It is something that has to be done.' ....

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  11. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by krystian View Post
    Hey GIMJ...I changed the title from "Officials: Trump Might Declare Jerusalem the Israeli Capital" to Trump Declares Jerusalem the Israeli Capital. :)


    Excellent! Thank you!

    I almost started another thread, but wanted to maintain continuity.
    This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind, having the understanding darkened...
    (Ephesians 4:17-18)

    Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly...
    (Psalm 1)

  12. #7

    President Trump's Speech: Transcript / Video

    Here is a transcript of the President's remarks:

    When I came into office, I promised to look at the world's challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking.

    We cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strategies of the past. All challenges demand new approaches.

    My announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

    In 1995, Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act urging the federal government to relocate the American Embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize that that city, and so importantly, is Israel's capital. This act passed congress by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. And was reaffirmed by unanimous vote of the Senate only six months ago.

    Yet, for over 20 years, every previous American president has exercised the law's waiver, refusing to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem or to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital city. Presidents issued these waivers under the belief that delaying the recognition of Jerusalem would advance the cause of peace. Some say they lacked courage but they made their best judgments based on facts as they understood them at the time. Nevertheless, the record is in.

    After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

    It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result.

    Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

    While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver.

    Today, I am delivering. I've 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. This is a long overdue step to advance the peace process. And to work towards a lasting agreement.

    Israel's Right to Determine Its Own Capital

    Israel is a sovereign nation with the right, like every other sovereign nation, to determine its own capital. Acknowledging this is a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace. It was 70 years ago that the United States under President Truman recognized the state of Israel.

    Ever since then, Israel has made its capital in the city of Jerusalem, the capital the Jewish people established in ancient times.

    Today, Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. It is the home of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, as well as the Israeli Supreme Court. It is the location of the official residence of the prime minister and the president. It is the headquarters of many government ministries.

    For decades, visiting American presidents, secretaries of State and military leaders have met their Israeli counterparts in Jerusalem, as I did on my trip to Israel earlier this year.

    Jerusalem is not just the heart of three great religions, but it is now also the heart of one of the most successful democracies in the world. Over the past seven decades, the Israeli people have by the a country where Jews, Muslims and Christians and people of all faiths are free to live and worship according to their conscience and according to their beliefs.

    Jerusalem is today and must remain a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the stations of the cross, and where Muslims worship at Al Aqsa Mosque. However, through all of these years, presidents representing the United States have declined to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In fact, we have declined to acknowledge any Israeli capital at all.

    But today we finally acknowledge the obvious. That Jerusalem is Israel's capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It's something that has to be done.

    That is why consistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act, I am also directing the State Department to begin preparations to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers and planners so that a new embassy, when completed, will be a magnificent tribute to peace.

    Our Commitment to Lasting Peace

    In making these announcements, I also want to make one point very clear. This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement.

    We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians. We are not taking a position of any final status issues including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved.

    The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement.

    Without question, Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in those talks. The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides. In the meantime, I call on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites including the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al-Sharif. Above all, our greatest hope is for peace. The universal yearning in every human soul.

    With today's action, I reaffirm my administration's longstanding commitment to a future of peace and security for the region. There will, of course, be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement. But we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a peace and a place far greater in understanding and cooperation. This sacred city should call forth the best in humanity, lifting our sights to what is possible, not pulling us back and down to the old fights that have become so totally predictable.

    Peace is never beyond the grasp of those willing to reach it.

    So today we call for calm, for moderation, and for the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate. Our children should inherit our love, not our conflicts. I repeat the message I delivered at the historic and extraordinary summit in Saudi Arabia earlier this year: The Middle East is a region rich with culture, spirit, and history. Its people are brilliant, proud and diverse. Vibrant and strong.

    But the incredible future awaiting this region is held at bay by bloodshed, ignorance and terror.

    Vice President Pence will travel to the region in the coming days to reaffirm our commitment to work with partners throughout the Middle East to defeat radicalism that threatens the hopes and dreams of future generations.

    It is time for the many who desire peace to expel the extremists from their midsts. It is time for all civilized nations and people to respond to disagreement with reasoned debate, not violence. And it is time for young and moderate voices all across the Middle East to claim for themselves a bright and beautiful future.

    So today, let us rededicate ourselves to a path of mutual understanding and respect. Let us rethink old assumptions and open our hearts and minds to possible and possibilities.

    And finally, I ask the leaders of the region political and religious, Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish and Christian and Muslim to join us in the noble quest for lasting peace.

    Thank you. God bless you. God bless Israel. God bless the Palestinians and God bless the United States.








    This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind, having the understanding darkened...
    (Ephesians 4:17-18)

    Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly...
    (Psalm 1)

  13. #8
    Senior Member Cardinal TT's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ezekiel 33 View Post
    Hey Tom, ZZ Top called. They want their beard back!





    Rip van Winkle would be proud of that beard

  14. #9
    Senior Member Tehilah Ba'Aretz's Avatar
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    You know? For some reason small children either love the beard or hate it. There doesn't seem to be anything in between. And it's sort of odd when a guy wants to touch. But this is slightly off topic.
    The "Rage" of the arabs has begun with rioting in their own neighborhoods and rockets launched at Israeli civilians. In other words, just the usual stuff. It may take a week or so to get the heavy attacks armed and organized. The Moslems have exhausted a lot the resources they would normally use against Israel by fighting and killing each other. Rocket alarms went off about 15 times this evening. If they really get organized they could probably launch as many as 200,000 rockets and missiles. I really don't want to be a witness to that but I have no intention of leaving at all. (Well, actually, I have plans to visit Missouri in January.)

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    Administrator fuego's Avatar
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    You kinda favor David Letterman in your pic now. lol.

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