THE US President has defied the world opinion by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital early this month. The World this time ignored Mr Trump asking him to rescind his decision at the UN Security Council on Monday. Although the US representative Nikki Haleg vetoed the draft resolution at the meeting, the powerful UN body mandated to keep global peace nonetheless showed Trump has no right to defy global opinion and on this is sensitive issue all countries are united against his whimsical decision as it poses the biggest threat to destroy the Palestine-Israel peace process. Even other veto powers like Britain, France, Russia and China voted against the USA in the historic move as its representative on the Council just rebuffed at it saying it is an insult on her country.
The UN action shows Trump is now left alone except to his sick mind, arrogance of power and hatred towards Muslims. Nobody has so far taken his footprints to recognize Jerusalem as capital of Israel and moving out embassies there; as the world body and almost all the countries believe its status will be decided in final negotiations under two the states solutions. Trump can’t make any unilateral declaration but his action was enough to trigger violence in many capitals and throughout the region. More than a dozen Palestinians were already killed by Israeli military to suppress uprising in occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and the bloody conflict may only aggravate.
We can’t miss the occasion to mention his action prompted 57 members Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to quickly offer recognition to East Jerusalem as the capital of future Palestinian state. It has also urged all other states to offer similar recognition to East Jerusalem. It is indeed time not for indecision but action.
The draft resolution at the Security Council as tabled by Egypt urged the US administration to withdraw recognition of Jerusalem and asserted any decisions on the status of Jerusalem ‘will have no legal effect and are null and void and must be rescinded.’ It further insists that Jerusalem is an issue “to be resolved through negotiations” while expressing regret over the recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem” — without specifically mentioning Trump’s move.
Mentionably, Mr Trump’s decision came breaking with the past policies of earlier US administrations; which were acting as peace mediator and favored a peaceful solution to Israel-Palestine problem. Trump this time openly acted as an Israeli agent sacrificing US role as world leader and its vital national interest.
Regrettably, the USA is increasingly becoming isolated and instead of making America Great, Trump is making it infamous. He has already withdrawn from UNESCO and UN backed Climate Agreement and may further role back US participation from other UN agencies as possible retaliation. But the reading on the wall is that: Trump is taking America to the rat holes from its role as global leader. Sensible Americans also understand it but they are helpless.
