RE: U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem is understandable, March 8-14
On Feb. 23, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration announced the move of its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It is set to take place on May 14, coinciding with Israeli Independence Day, but as people often forget to mention, also coinciding with the Nakba or the ‘Grand Catastrophe,’ as the thousands of Palestinians who have been forced out of their homes refer to it.
The decision was controversial, attracting a lot of media attention, as it caused an outbreak of protests around the world. Hashtags such as ‘#HandsOffJerusalem’ and ‘#JerusalemIsTheCapitalofPalestine’ went viral on social media. While some have pointed out in various media outlets as well as in an opinion letter from an issue of the Charlatan from two weeks ago, that the decision was completely legal and “understandable,” many have a different view on why the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem is harmful.
Firstly, the United States’ ability and power to make this decision does not justify its legitimacy, especially after taking into consideration that many countries in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly—most being developing countries and not as powerful as the United States—have voted to condemn the decision. According to international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, as Jerusalem became part of the occupied territory after 1967, eastern Jerusalem was to be freed by the occupying forces of Israel and to join the Palestinian territories. By moving its embassy to Jerusalem, the U.S. has taken a step in granting Jerusalem to the occupying State of Israel.
Also, the Oslo I accord of 1993 states that the peace process must be concluded by declaring Palestine an independent state, with eastern Jerusalem being its capital. The move of the embassy defies these steps that were taken in order to improve the state of the conflict, therefore proving itself harmful.
The U.S. has not only discredited itself as a neutral mediator by making this decision, but it has also broken the aforementioned UN resolutions, and therefore, has further hindered the opportunity for both parties to engage in a peace process. While some have argued in the Charlatan that there is in fact no peace process taking place, the logical follow-up would be that it was wrong of Israel to make the situation worse, simply because it has not been getting better, especially for the Palestinians.
The decision has unfortunately led to further tensions between Palestinians and Israelis and their respective supporters. Aside from breaking the aforementioned UN resolutions, Israel has broken international law by building illegal settlements in the West Bank, and has repeatedly destroyed schools, most of which were built by the UN or a non-governmental organization, among other aggressions against Palestinian civilians. The move of the embassy is a step away from empowering Palestinians to overcome the daily struggles imposed on them by the occupying forces and to rightfully claim eastern Jerusalem as their capital.
Finally, holy places are not a justification to continue a conflict that has lasted for 70 years. The use of religion to advance political gain must be condemned and not in a selective matter. Jerusalem is not just a holy place rightfully for the Jews, but also to Christians and Muslims. Under Israeli rule, Palestinian Christians’ and Muslims’ access to the holy site is highly limited, and this is but one of many issues that come with the Israeli military occupation.
The U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem is therefore harmful, as it not only breaks UN resolutions 242 and 338 and the Oslo I agreement of 1993, but it also hinders opportunities for peace for both parties and disregards the Palestinians’ struggle for freedom and independence.
