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In a response to President Trump's call to make Jerusalem the capital city of Israel, the Arab League of nations in the Middle East announced their support for the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as the capital city. Officials from Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Palestine joined with the Jordanian foreign minister in making this announcement that the Palestinian state should be based on 1967 borders. The UN General Assembly met last month and denounced President Trump's declaration on Israel 128-9 with 35 abstentions. Jerusalem is a city to all three religions in the region (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and it has been under international control in recent decades.
Discussion Questions
1. Should Jerusalem become the capital city of Israel, Palestine, or should it remain under international control?
2. Who should have a voice in this decision? Israel? Palestine? the UN? Regional Arab nations? the U.S?
3. Are declarations such as Trump's last month or the Arab League's this month likely to lead to war or might they help solve the Arab-Israeli conflict?
After President Trump made his call, Egypt, a member of the UNSC, drafted a resolution calling for Trump to rescind his call. Their goal, although it was partially to pass the resolution, was more inclined towards presenting the fact that even US allies-such as Japan and Britain- were against this move by the US. Because of this, it is crucial that the United Nations are informed of any decision regarding Jerusalem. This conflict does not extend to just Israel and Palestine- it extends to their alllies, which impacts and includes many nations. If only one nation decides the outcome of Jerusalem (as US hinted in their statement earlier on), it will bring forth global exclamation (such as the resolution drafted by Egypt). Hence if the United Nations as a whole is able to draft a resolution regarding Jerusalem that satisfies not just Israel and Palestine but also the global community, another source of tension in the Middle East will most likely be eradicated.
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ReplyDeleteAs Florence said, I agree with the idea that no one country should be able to decide what happens to Jerusalem, especially one like the United States that is only indirectly involved and not suffering any of the consequences. Without declarations like Trump's, regional tensions would certainly not be inflamed, although it remains to be seen if any satisfactory solution can be found. It seems that any solution would have to come from the Israelis, Palestinians, and bordering nations themselves and not external parties because they know their conflicts best. Although a substantial agreement is unlikely due to ingrained cultural differences, any agreement they themselves reach has a much higher potential to be long-lasting and effective than one created by others. However, until then, I believe Jerusalem should be kept under international control though because it is such an important religious and historical landmark that could be easily destroyed in fighting.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I fully understand Florence's point, I think I would have to disagree. It makes sense for the allies of Israel and Palestine to be affected by any decision these nations decide upon. However, I believe when it comes down to making a decision, the countries that should have the most prominent voice should be Israel and Palestine since they would be the ones directly feeling the weight and effect of the decision they agree upon. They will be the ones who will first hand be subject to the changes their decision brings and although their allies will be indirectly affected, I think it is only fair and just to leave this decision in the hands of the two countries that will be affected the most. And to address discussion question 3 on top of this, I think that these declarations are more likely to lead to war than going to resolve conflicts. International affairs such as these get complicated and everyone wants their voice heard. I feel that as a result of this power struggle, a war could potentially erupt either out of anger for the declarations or out of disagreements.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that it should not be up to only one country to decide. Considering, the US is not directly involved, and would not be impacted as heavily as the countries directly involved, this issue should really be resolved by the Israelis and Palestinians. The United Nations may be able to assist in coming to a reasonable solution. However, it should ultimately be left to the people directly involved.
ReplyDeleteAlthough letting Israel and Palestine resolve most of the conflict themselves sounds like a good idea, it would most likely have an adverse effect. Even currently, there is little to no outside involvement in the problem, other than the two countries in dispute and the US. If this continues, war will surely break out, something that neither side wants. A large reason for the whole conflict in the first place is based upon religious differences, which are unlikely to be resolved quickly. If the area is left alone, the issue will definitely continue to expand, which leads to the possibility of war. The declarations made by Trump and the Arab League only serve to exacerbate the situation, by aggravating certain groups and fueling the fire. Ultimately, the decision should be left to the entire world, as this is a deeply rooted issue that should not be ignored, no matter the connection to the dispute.
ReplyDeleteLike Victor, I believe that Israel and Palestine should not be the only countries deciding the fate of Jerusalem. The two groups have been unable to peacefully resolve their conflict for decades, and it is unlikely they'll be able to do so on their own. Jerusalem is a sacred city in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and followers of these religions exist around the globe. Therefore, the entire world should have a voice in what happens to Jerusalem. As for now, the fairest option to all three religions is for Jerusalem to remain under international control, where no one religion can claim rights to the city.
ReplyDeleteThe decision should not be made by one country, as due to the nature and sensitivity of this issue, it would concern multiple groups of people not in Israel and Palestine; however, since this issue is centered around Israel and Palestine, these two nations should have more say than others. Declarations such as the ones made by Trump and the Arab League do more harm than good, as they only provoke the situation as what each proposes only aggravates one group directly involved, or another. In the end, keeping it under international control would be the best option, as it will cause the least amount of conflicts.
ReplyDeleteIsrael and Palestine should have the greatest say in deciding if Jerusalem should become the capital. They are directly involved, so the outcome of the decision would have the greatest impact on them. Other countries should still be able to voice their opinions, but Israel and Palestine should have the overall say.
ReplyDeleteIsrael and Palestine should be able to have the greatest impact on the decision to make Jerusalem the capital city of Israel. While it may be beneficial for the United Nations to be involved in the decision making, it is very important for the major cities involved in the conflict to have a bigger influence on the result. The outcome of this conflict will result in many changes that will greatly impact Israel and Palestine and their concerns should be taken into consideration more than countries that will not be affected by this change.
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