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WATCH HISTORY! President Trump Recognizes Jerusalem As The Capital Of Israel


(FULL SPEECH IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

Defying dire, worldwide warnings, President Donald Trump on Wednesday broke with decades of U.S. and international policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Despite urgent appeals from Arab and European leaders and the risk of anti-American protests and violence, Trump declared that he was ending an approach that for decades has failed to advance the prospects for peace. He also for the first time personally endorsed the concept of a “two-state solution” for Israel and the Palestinians, provided both sides agree to it.

“I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” he said in a White House address, calling it “overdue” and in the best interests of the United States. He said recognition acknowledged the “obvious” that Jerusalem is the seat of Israel’s government despite the disputed status that is one of the key elements in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“This is nothing more or less than the recognition of reality,” he said.

Trump also directed that the State Department begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as required by U.S. law. Officials said, however, that the move will take years to complete.

Trump maintained that his decision would not compromise the city’s geographic and political borders, which will still be determined by Israel and the Palestinians.

On the campaign trail, Trump took a strongly pro-Israel stance and promised to relocate the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, where most countries keep their embassies, to Jerusalem. Since taking office, he has learned that such a move is easier to talk about than to carry out.

Under American law, the president must sign a waiver every six months that leaves the embassy in Tel Aviv. In June, Trump renewed the waiver, as a string of predecessors has done. This week, another six-month deadline passed without Trump renewing it.

Earlier, U.S. officials said the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will be an acknowledgement of “historical and current reality” rather than a political statement.

Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital could allow Trump to say that he kept a campaign promise. It also will thrill Israel, whose prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is one of Trump’s biggest supporters on the global stage.

TEXT: Thank you. 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. Old 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 a 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 is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital. Acknowledging this as 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 built 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 preparation 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.

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 it 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 midst. 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. Thank you very much. Thank you.



20 Responses

  1. Why jewish people should be happy or proud of that recognition, are we asking esav to say us if Jerusalem pertain to us ?
    That decision should be regarded to my opinion as dangerous for all Jerusalem residents, what kind of exemple will they give in a mokoim kadosh and influence neighborhoods. That kind of decision shall be regarded carefully with daas torah stay vigilant.

  2. in honor of this monumental decision, we the residence of jerusalem, ask the jews all over the world to pray for us that the city remain safe from those who are not happy with it

  3. such nonsense all this is accomplishing is being misgarus baumos antagonizing other nations and causing them to get upset with us. completely ridiculous. Since when did a hardened kibbutznik like ben gurion give 2 hoots about how he looked on the world stage other then to get funds when needed, or have a say at the Un in world affairs. This accomplished nothing of that sort. We get no closer to getting cooperation and approval from nations that oppose Israel, and no extra funding and a bigger say with nations that agree with our existence. just a symbolic thing which tough Israelis don’t care about anyway. COMPLETE SHTUSIM. ywn you are dumb and stupid to think this really matters. wow you got approval in the eyes of the goyim. Now for sure you will never get persecuted again like what happened to us yidden in ww2 .

  4. In response to white eagle, the unstated topic is (unfortunately) the fact that UN has just “voted ” the unspeakable resolution denying any Jewish historical or religious connection to Jerusalem. The vote was 151 for, versus a mere 6 (including Israel) voting against the resolution (9 votes abstained and the remaining 26 votes I guess were absent).

  5. AlterGolem,

    I wasn’t either so sure what to make out of this news…Good or bad?

    However, once you have spoken I can rest assure its GREAT News!

  6. Trump is a seasoned wheeler dealer. He has now given bibi a big carrot but tomorrow will come with along list of ‘concessions’ like giving away 28% of his tiny country so that the west bank is a stones throw from population centres. And how can Israel then have any demands. We dont need his embassy in Jerusalem it makes no difference to anyone but he will soon be back with threatening demands. Bibi should know better then to trust this trickster.

  7. Thank you President Trump! We must show Appreciation, Hakaras Hatov! It is G-d Who has made Jerusalem our great holy city. King David has made it Israel’s capital. It is expressly refrenced in the Bible numerous times as the sites of the Capital and where the Temples stood. We do not “need” others to acknowledge it. BUT!!! at the UN the vast majority of nations, including the West, repeatedly vote that all the Holy sites of Israel are really MOSLEM sites. That is war against Hashem – not just Jews. The US can normally be counted to Stand Out from the rest on Israels side! NOW – for the first time it went even further – when the US president anounced Jerusalem is the capital of the Jews! That is COURAGE and SIgns of Deep Friendship. And we should show Hakaras HaTOv – Appreciation – Such A Difference from the Obama era!

  8. Here come the cold water throwers ( who have an excellent chance of being in something very, very, hot at Judgement Day). Here come the pshetlach and toiralach with or without the “das Torah” addendums.
    Can’t some of you accept that the leader of the of the most powerful country in the world has officially recognized Yerushalayim, in spite of world opposition, as the eternal capital of the Jewish people?
    You’re so frum and righteous, so hostile to the State, so wedded to now irrelevant shittas and svoros , that you fail to even for a microsecond consider that there’s Yad Hashem here .
    “You could think Moshiach came,” writes one guy above.
    Wow ! Isn’t that what a frum Yid is supposed to hope and think, especially when a historic moment happens?
    Let me get some Tums. My stomach is turning.

  9. I am sickened to see the picture of this vile degenerate filth touching the holy wall. His announcement no doubt was to provide another distraction from the Russia investigation with the guilty plea and cooperation of a major conspirator.

  10. MTAB – “this isn’t good news
    israel is a secular state, no need to have its capital in jerus” – Your comment is absolutely absurd. Jerusalem is the capital of Eretz Yisroel whether you hold of the state or not. That won’t change the fact.

  11. @annoyed
    why are you getting so worked up at YWN’s reporting, all they did was report a historic development, which is what it definitely is any way you look at it.
    I reread the piece and did not see any commentary as to whether it is a positive or negative move…

  12. This is epic. With United Jerusalem officially recognized as the capital of the Jewish people, our cousin Abu Mazen will need to stop pretending that he’s interested in a two state solution. He’s now free to show his true colors and express himself similar to his mentor Yasser Arafat before him. This all would be to the benefit of the Jews living in the Holy Land for they could then recognize the monsters for who they are, and stop deluding themselves with appeasing murderers. Once they come to this recognition, Israel can finally cause peace the old fashioned middle eastern way. Another point. I don’t think anyone expected Trump to announce to the whole world in middle of his tenure that Jerusalem United is the capital of the Jewish nation. I humbly suggest that this is open Hashgacha Elyona and one must be in denial not to give praise to Hashem. And just as Hashem put in the heart of Trump to make this epic announcement, he can put it in his heart to carry through on moving the embassy.

  13. @rt. Perhaps you should be sickened that this Holy wall was built by king Herod. Maybe you would be sickened that Antoninus thought it an honor to hang out and have a few beers with Rabbi Yehuda Hannasi.

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