Hailey calls it courageous and historic:  The world views it differently

Hamas calls for Palestinian uprising in reply to Trump’s Jerusalem plan

NEW YORK (TIP): While US envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley has hailed President Trump’s decision on Jerusalem as a “courageous” and “historic” step by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel‘s capital, Hamas has urged Palestinians to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as its capital.

Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital December 6, reversing decades of US and international policy on the holy city, in a major announcement which many Arab leaders warned could trigger an upheaval in the already volatile Middle East.

Indian-American Haley said that for 22 years, there had been an overwhelming bipartisan consensus in favor of moving the US embassy in Israel to its rightful place in the Israeli capital city of Jerusalem.

“On Thursday, the President took a courageous and historic step that was long overdue. Across the globe, America has its embassy in the capital city of the host country. Israel will now be no different. It is the just and right thing to do,” she said, December 6.

“This is following members of Congress. This is doing what the American people said. But we are also taking Jerusalem out of the discussion because the two sides have to come together on how they’re going to see Jerusalem, what they’re going to see as their capital,” she said.

Haley said several top American lawmakers have described Trump’s decision as “provocative” and “counterproductive”.

In a joint statement Congressmen David Price, Peter Welch, John Yarmuth, Barbara Lee and Earl Blumenauer said Trump’s announcement demonstrates “his complete disregard” for long-standing American and international diplomatic practice.

“It unilaterally undermines prospects for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and recklessly endangers US, Israeli, and regional security. For more than 50 years, Republican and Democratic Administrations have recognized that the US should stand as a good faith arbiter for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” they said.

The lawmakers said that recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel outside the framework of a final status agreement between the parties does more to sabotage than to advance peace.

Congressman Alcee Hastings warned that the ramifications of the decision could be profound.

“I fear that the President made his decision based on political expediency rather than sound foreign policy,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who hailed Trump’s announcement as a “historic landmark”, said on December 6, many countries would follow the US move and contacts were underway. He did not name the countries he was referring to. “President Trump has immortalized himself in the chronicles of our capital. His name will now be held aloft, alongside other names connected to the glorious history of Jerusalem and of our people,” he said in a speech at Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

“We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada (Palestinian uprising) in the face of the Zionist enemy,” Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech in Gaza. Haniyeh, elected the group’s overall leader in May, urged Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs to hold rallies against the US decision on Friday, calling it a “day of rage”.

Naser Al-Qidwa, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and senior official in his Fatah party, urged Palestinians to stage protests but said they should be peaceful.

India has not made any comment so far.