U.S. declares Jerusalem the capital of Israel

I think the announcement [by Trump] was ill-timed, it was reckless, and it was made without having a strategy with the end goal being helping foster peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”

Rabbi Dr. Janet B. Liss, Glen Cove’s North Country Reform Temple

In the same year that Israel and Jews across the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, President Trump became the first sitting U.S. leader to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state.

In a nearly 20-minute address from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House on Wednesday, Trump noted that Jerusalem was the ancient and now the modern capital of the country, where the prime minister and president have their official homes, and is the “heart of three great religions” — Christianity, Judaism and Islam — “and the heart of a great country.”

“Today I am declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel and telling the State Department to start the process of moving from Tel Aviv,” Trump said, adding that he is recognizing what has existed for many years, that Jerusalem is the seat of Israel’s government.

He noted that he would sign the required waivers until an embassy opens in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Embassy Act Of 1995 required the U.S Embassy to move to Jerusalem by May 31, 1999. Every six months since, the president has been required to sign a waiver until the embassy opens. Failure to do so would result in massive cuts in State Department funding, including for such things as security for embassies.

U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat who represents the 3rd Congressional District, agreed with Trump’s decision. “I support the decision recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving our embassy to this ancient city,” Suozzi said. “Jerusalem has been the focal point of Jewish religious devotion and has already been reaffirmed by Congress as the Israeli capital. It remains a beacon of religious freedom and safeguards the rights of Jews, Muslims and Christians to visit and pray at their respective holy sites.”

Trump is the first American president to follow through on a promise to declare Jerusalem, a city that is claimed by Christians, Jews and Muslims to be vital to their religious heritage, as the capital of the Jewish state.

“This is a consensus issue in Israel,” said Dov Lipman, a former member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, and the author of seven books on Judaism and Israel. “From the right to the left, we expect our closest ally to respect that Jerusalem is our capital,” he added, referring to the U.S.

“Every Jew knows that the capital of Israel is Jerusalem, and the state of Israel has been functioning since 1948 with Jerusalem as its capital,” said Rabbi Dr. Janet B. Liss, of Glen Cove’s North Country Reform Temple. “I think the announcement was ill-timed, it was reckless, and it was made without having a strategy with the end goal being helping foster peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”

She added that only time will tell what effects the president’s statement will have.

Rabbi Steven Moskowitz, of Oyster Bay’s Congregation L’Dor V’Dor, said he agreed, but acknowledged that he was worried. “Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel regardless of what the world says or does,” he said. “I am more concerned however, about the peace of Jerusalem. I worry that President Trump’s decision will not advance peace.”

In 1967, Israel won the Six-Day War against Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Syria, and gained control of the Golan Heights and Judea and Samaria, Its army also captured the Old City of Jerusalem from Jordan, including the iconic Western Wall — the last vestige of the Second Temple — and more than doubled the territory under Israel’s control. The Jewish state then unified Jerusalem, which came under Jewish governance for the first time in 2,000 years.

Trump sought to assuage Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries, saying that he expected peace negotiations to continue and that only an agreement that satisfied both sides would be acceptable.

However, many Palestinians and leaders of Arab countries said the move undermined the peace process and weakened the U.S.’s role as a moderator of the talks. In a news release issued by the Petra News Agency, Mohammad al-Momani, Jordan’s state minister for media affairs and the Jordanian government’s spokesman, called the decision a “violation of international legitimacy resolutions and the U.N. Charter, which clearly stipulate that Jerusalem’s status is decided through negotiations and deem all unilateral actions aimed at imposing new facts on the ground null and void.” Al-Momani stressed that Jordan would “continue its intensive diplomatic efforts at the regional and international arenas.”

U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, a Democrat who represents the 4th Congressional District, which includes the Five Towns — which has one of the largest Jewish populations in the metropolitan area — supported Trump’s decision, and said she also supported the two-state solution, which would create an independent Palestinians homeland.

“Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and Jerusalem should be the home of our embassy,” she said. “That’s my belief, it’s consistent with U.S. law, and I support the decision to recognize it as official U.S. policy.”

Suozzi said he believed negotiations need to continue. “We must continue to work toward a durable and sustainable peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians resulting in two states,” he said. “A Jewish, democratic state living side by side next to a demilitarized Palestinian state, in peace and security.”