Jerusalem the Capital of Israel

Dear editor: 

While there is no question that Jerusalem is the ancient capital of the State of Israel, and is forever indivisible, Mr. Trump has made a major timing misstep in declaring the US recognizes this fact and will move our embassy there from Tel Aviv, where it is presently situated. As a result, he is causing further destabilization in an area already aflame religiously. 

As a result, the United Nations, as it continues to do, has passed another one of its Anti-Israel resolutions denouncing the U.S. action and once again backing Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem, and an end to Israel’s occupation of its ancient homeland.  Of course, history does not back up these claims and requires us to ask the following questions (which have no positive answers):

·         When was the ancient country of Palestine founded and by whom?

·         What were its borders?

·         What was it capital?

·         What were its major cities?

·         What constituted the basis of its economy?

·         What was its form of government?

·         Can you name just one Palestinian leader before Arafat, excluding the Grand Mufti who sat out World War II as a guest and supporter of Hitler?

·         Prior to 1947 was Palestine ever recognized as an independent state by another country?

·         What was the language of Palestine?

·         What was the name of its currency?

·         And finally, since there is no such country today….what caused its demise and when did it occur?

While we agree that there can be, and should be, a homeland for these people, we wonder why they have turned down every opportunity that has been presented to them.  In 1937, the Peel Commission under the British Mandate, ruling the holy land after the First World War, offered a plan that gave over 70% of the territory to the Palestinians, less than 20% to the Jews and the balance to remain under English control, including Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah.  The Jews accepted the plan and the Arabs categorically rejected it, demanding all of the land be placed under their control and that most of the Jewish population be “transferred” out of the country.

In 1947 the United Nations planned a partition of Palestine (for lack of a better word) giving the Arabs half of the land area, including all of Judea and Samaria (Jerusalem, Beersheba, Hebron, Bethlehem) and the West Bank.  They turned it down, the Jews accepted it, Israel was born, and the Arab nations surrounding the new state attacked and tried to drive the Jews into the sea.  What later followed was the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War.  That is when Israel reclaimed its capital of Jerusalem, from which it had been banned. Except for Jordan and Egypt all the Arab nations are still at war with Israel. 

I am all in favor of a homeland for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.  I am all for a peaceful solution that guarantees safety for the State of Israel and a peaceful, fruitful life for the Palestinians.  But our president has muddied the waters and endangered any possibility of peace in the area.  By his actions the chance of another war increases, and people will unnecessarily die on both sides.