Why would Trump insist Jerusalem is Israeli capital?

World
Europe

Israel is in trouble, so are American nationals as soft target in up to 40 countries as US authorities have warned. Why? President Trump says the US accepts Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

China voiced concerns over the US decision. Geng Shuang, the FM spokesman, says China stands behind Palestine in building an independent, full sovereignty state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Since the Arab Revolution some six years ago, Tel Aviv is relieved that Israel has been put aside by the sectarian violence among Arab countries and with the Persian state.

But protests have broken out in the old city of Jerusalem, and many Arab countries. One Palestinian has been killed. Will there be another Intifada? Probably not. Arabs beset by their own domestic problems may not be able to get united and launch a crusade.

Jerusalem is a volcanic flashpoint as it is the convergence of three major religions, and oversees centuries of feud as well as mistrust between Jews and Muslims. ISIL which has been driven out by coalition forces from Iraq and basically from Syria might use the issue of Jerusalem to arouse anti-US sentiments.

Terrorists may come back. The online hate speech may fuel the political Islamic movement and endangers stability in many European countries and in the Middle East. That is why an embattled EU has to be very cautious and some of its core member states such as France, Italy and Britain have openly opposed Trump’s decision.

Why has President Trump chosen to anger Arabs and all Muslims? Many believe he wants to honor campaign pledges and to please Christian evangelicals seeking to consolidate his power base when approval rating slides.

Will his political calculations which were based on a 51-49 vote in the senate help shore up his presidency? Can the US media be diverted from current investigation of Russian contacts? We don’t care. But we do care about an Israel that comes under huge pressure and whose investment environment might be compromised at the cost of China’s presence and stakes in the region.

What’s more, the Belt and Road Initiative would be put into danger following an early warning about terrorist attacks against Chinese nationals in the all-weather friendly host country. Trump is a smart guy. But we need to adopt a smarter diplomacy in times of upheavals in the Middle East.