Home Viet Nam Human Rights » Analysis-Comment » News » Jerusalem embassy: An American irresponsible move can trigger humanitarian crisis

Jerusalem embassy: An American irresponsible move can trigger humanitarian crisis

12/12/17

U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Wednesday brought global criticism, with some countries urging Washington to reverse course. Standing in the White House Diplomatic Reception room with Vice President Mike Pence behind him, Trump said that “today, we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital”.
Right after Trump’s declaration, hundreds of angry Palestinians took to the streets to denounce Trump. Demonstrators burned tires in the towns of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, across Gaza City and in the southern Gaza Strip’s towns of Khan Younis and Rafah.Protests were also reported in Turkey, and images circulated online of demonstrations breaking out throughout the region.
The international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, believing its status should be resolved in negotiations. No other country has its embassy in Jerusalem.
Important U.S. allies in Europe and the Middle East such as Britain, France, Germany and Saudi Arabia criticized Trump over his decision and questioned the wisdom of such a move, both prior to and following the announcement. Saudi Arabia’s Royal Court issued a statement Thursday, calling the decision “dangerous” and  “irresponsible.” Similar concerns were voiced by the United Arab Emirates.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel responded to the pronouncement on Wednesday evening, saying that the “German government does not support this position, because the status of Jerusalem is to be resolved in the framework of a two-state solution,” according to a tweet by her spokesman.
Her words were echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who criticized the move as “a regrettable decision that France does not approve of and goes against international law and all the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council.”
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson similarly indicated that such a move could further disrupt efforts to reach peace in the region.
In the Netherlands, criticism of Trump was unusually strong. “We think it’s an unwise step and a counterproductive step. If we want to solve at some moment the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis, we need a two-state solution, and a one-sided step is not going to help,” Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra said in an interview.
Perhaps the strongest warning came out of Sweden, where Foreign Minister Margot Wallström said the changes are “obviously going to lead to massive effects and unease.” “It’s catastrophic,” Wallström said.
Belgium’s Foreign Minister Didier Reynders criticized Trump’s move as “very dangerous,” adding that it made a surge in violence in the region more likely.
“This step is prejudging, dictating, closing doors for negotiations and I think President Trump tonight disqualified the United States of America to play any role in any peace process,” said Saeb Erekat, the main Palestinian peace negotiator.
That may be why Arab leaders, even key U.S. allies, protested the move so strongly, knowing the president’s move won’t play well among their populations. Turkey’s top diplomat, Mevlut Cavusoglu, was unsparing in criticism that was far harsher than any the U.S. is accustomed to from a NATO ally.
“The whole world is against this,” Cavusoglu told reporters as he awaited Tillerson’s arrival for their meeting. He said he had already told Trump’s chief diplomat that it was a “grave mistake.” Cavusoglu said he planned to “tell him again.”
Indonesia joined a chorus of criticism from Muslim-majority countries, with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi saying that Indonesians “condemn” the decision. “Democracy means respecting the international law, (and) the recognition does not respect various U.N. Security Council resolutions,” Retno said at a democracy forum in Jakarta while wearing a Palestinian scarf. “As a democratic country, the U.S. should know what democracy means,” she said.
The rebukes, made at an emergency Security Council meeting called over Mr. Trump’s announcement, constituted an extraordinarily public denunciation of American policy on the world’s most prominent diplomatic stage, leaving the United States alone on the issue among the council’s 15 members.
One by one, the ambassadors of Sweden, Egypt, Britain, France and Bolivia, among others, reiterated their view that President Trump’s announcement had subverted the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a longtime bedrock of the United Nations position on resolving it. The ambassadors of Britain, France, Sweden, Germany and Italy issued a joint statement outside the council’s chambers condemning their American ally’s change of position, saying it was “not in line with Security Council resolutions and was unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region.”
“This is a dangerous precedent,” the Egyptian ambassador said. “These are the resolutions of the Security Council.” He said the resolutions constitute “the law that governs the status of Jerusalem. All countries have pledged, according the U.N. charter, to implement and abide by it.”
Pope Francis voiced "profound concern" over the move, making a "heartfelt appeal to make everyone's commitment to respect the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions."
Critics have said that recognizing Israel’s claim to Jerusalem without acknowledging a Palestinian claim broke with international consensus and prejudged the outcome of any negotiations.
There are fears Trump's action will trigger violence against Americans and US interests and a wider Middle East conflagration, especially in countries where leaders support the US government. The US Consulate in Jerusalem warned Americans to be wary of demonstrations after Palestinian factions called for "three days of rage" across the West Bank.
"These procedures do also help in the extremist organizations to wage a religious war that would harm the entire region, which is going through critical moments and would lead us into wars that will never end, which we have warned about and always urged to fight against," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a televised address following the US announcement.
"President Trump tonight made the biggest mistake of his life," Erekat told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. "Instead of encouraging the parties to sit together, the parties to put all core issues including Jerusalem on the table and negotiate in good faith, he dictates."./.


Chia sẻ bài viết ^^
Other post

All comments [ 4 ]


Vietnam Love 12/12/17 20:16

The move is in full disregard of all international resolutions concerning Occupied Jerusalem and reveals the absolute US bias towards Israel and is a nail in the coffin of the already stalled negotiations process between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Voice of people 12/12/17 20:40

It will likely throw "fuel on the fire" and lead to a new escalation in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. U.S. always claims itself as human rights protector, but it turns out that they just protect Israel, their ally.

Red Star 12/12/17 20:48

It is irresponsible and will cause a "drastic regression in the efforts to move the peace process forward and catastrophia to the region and the world.

John Smith 12/12/17 20:54

The US decision is against all international treaties and decisions which recognise Israel as an occupying power, which highlights the fact that US disrespects the international legitimacy.

Your comments