Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem, considered sacred by three religions, as Israel's capital has provoked discontent around the world. We explore why it is so controversial.
United States President Donald Trump has officially recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, further inflaming the already tense political situation in the Middle East, while going on to clarify that "the United States will do whatever it takes to facilitate the peace process" between Israel and Palestine, supporting the two-state solution.
The decision came after US President Donald Trump had informed Arab and Israeli leaders of his intentions, and one day after the deadline established to decide whether the US embassy should remain in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. It is now official that the United States intends to move its embassy to Jerusalem in the coming months, once the building is ready. They are the first country to make this choice, bringing to an end the diplomatic policy maintained by Trump's predecessors.
The city of Jerusalem lies at the heart of the Middle East conflict because of the religious significance it holds for Judaism, Islam and Christianity, particularly with regard to the holy sites located in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians, backed by Muslim countries, claim as the capital of their future state. Israel, by contrast, asserts sovereignty over the entire city, a status that has never been recognised at the international level. Israeli settlements, systematically built in East Jerusalem since the 1967 conflict, are home to around 200,000 Jewish residents, despite this being illegal under international law: as they expand, Israel's occupation of the eastern part of the city becomes increasingly permanent.
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The decision has been widely criticised, given the fragile nature of peace negotiations in the Middle East. Experts warn that any announcement made before Palestinians and Israelis have reached an agreement will further delay reconciliation. Indeed, the move runs entirely counter to the now firmly established international view that the future of Jerusalem should not be imposed from abroad, but rather that any decision should await the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Among those opposed to Trump's move is Jordanian King Abdullah II, who strongly advised against such a step, "stressing that Jerusalem is the key to achieving peace and stability in the region and in the world", according to a statement released by the royal palace in Amman, Jordan's capital.
In response to Trump's announcement of his intentions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital should be considered a "red line" for Muslims and could push Turkey to break off diplomatic relations with Israel, which had only recently been restored.
Trump's resolute approach towards the Middle East comes as no surprise, given the promise he made during the election campaign to take a strong pro-Israel stance: "When I become president, the days of treating Israel like a second-class citizen will end on day one," he said at a conference the previous year. This does not change the fact that recognising Jerusalem as a capital represents a devastating blow to the ongoing peace process, which risks suffering both from a potential isolation of Israel by the leaders involved in negotiations and from a possible escalation of violence fuelled by public discontent.
Translated by Elisabetta Scuri