A picture shows the exterior of the US embassy in Tel Aviv on December 6, 2017.; Credit: JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images
AirTalk®According to reports, President Trump is planning to start the process of moving the american embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as well as to recognize the city as the capital of Israel – a decision that has raised alarm among leaders in the Middle East, as well as some U.S. foreign policy experts.
Trump is still expected to defer the immediate move of the embassy for another six months, but his announcement today to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will have major repercussions, since the Palestinian Authority hopes that East Jerusalem will one day be the capital of a future Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority has threatened to pull out of any peace negotiations if Trump makes the announcement. Some foreign policy experts have also said that any pronouncement on the status of the volatile city of Jerusalem will bury a chance at peace in the region.
Some groups in Israel and the U.S. have welcomed the move, saying it’s a recognition of reality and a diplomatic tactic that might force otherwise stalled peace negotiations.
We listen to Trump’s address and debate the repercussions of his announcement.
Guests:
Miriam Elman, associate professor of political science and research director in the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration at Syracuse University
Brian Katulis, senior fellow focusing on U.S. national security policy in the Middle East for the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C.
This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.