Memorandum
TO: President Donald J. Trump
FROM: Joanna Vodola
DATE: March 15, 2018
SUBJECT: Memorandum on U.S. policy on Jerusalem
On December 6th, 2017, President
Donald Trump declared that he will honor the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995
and recognize Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel as well as move the
U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. President Trump promised to allocate
funding for this project through the protection of the Jerusalem Embassy Act
of 1995. Despite warnings from many different nations, political figures,
and other actors on the political stage, President Trump announced his
decision. This memo was drafted to urge President Trump to reconsider his
position on the issue to help protect U.S. international economic interests in the
Middle East and elsewhere as well as the lives of the employees of the U.S.
Embassy to Israel.
Context
On the morning of
December 6th, 2017, President Trump announced his decision to move the
U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in an effort to emphasize the
United States recognizing Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel. After nearly
three-quarters of a century, the U.S. Embassy in Israel will begin the process
of moving to Jerusalem, the official capital of Israel. While the United State
Congress has a long history of supporting this idea, there has never been a
president who supported it. In 1995, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy
Act in both houses almost unanimously. The Act stated that the United
States officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and specifically
allocated funds to begin building an embassy in Jerusalem. However, no
president has followed through with plans for an embassy in Jerusalem until
today.
Task and Solution
While President Trump recognizes this occasion as “…nothing more
or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do”, many
other political leaders disagree including Pope Francis and the Chinese foreign
ministry who came out against the decision almost immediately. The European
Union, as well as NATO, came out against the decision as well insisting that
these actions are a “threat to peace in the Middle East”. Without any formal
resolution involving the city of Jerusalem and other controversial territories,
such as the West Bank and Gaza, the United States has been premature in its
decisions. The United States must encourage peace in the Middle East through
different means such as encouraging the United Nations to pass resolutions definitively
dividing the territories between Israel and Palestine. The United States Congress
along with the President must act accordingly.
In order to defuse the
tension that has already been caused by this decision, I urge President Trump
to reconsider his position and look for a more peaceful solution to Middle
Eastern affairs. According to the New York Times, President Trump already has
been working towards a negotiation between the Israelis and Palestinians.
However, the President undermined his own efforts by making this announcement. Peaceful
and diplomatic solutions that work with all involved parties; i.e. the United
States, Israel, and Palestine, and possibly the United Nations; are the only
way to create lasting peace in the Middle East. With the recent decisions
surrounding Jerusalem, which were made with consulting any nation of than Israel,
there has been an increase in violence in the region which will escalate when
the move has been made.
Evidence
Along with the Chinese
foreign ministry and Pope Francis many other political actors have come out
against President Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of
Israel and move the United States embassy there. For example, Federica
Mogherini, one on the European Union’s top diplomats said that, “We believe
that any action that would undermine these efforts must absolutely be avoided,”
when criticizing President Trump’s announcement. Furthermore, since the
announcement in December, there has been increased terrorist activity in Gaza
as well as inside the city of Jerusalem, including a recent attack which killed
two Israeli Police Officers.
Many Arab nations have
also been urged to cease trade with the United States until they retract the
statement. The unstable nation of the region will soon force the economy to further
destabilize creating greater issues without reachable solutions in site. Furthermore,
the reason Jerusalem is at the center of great controversy stems from its
religious symbolism, in all three Abrahamic faiths. Without a formal solution
about the future of the holy sites in the city, the United States cannot infringe
on the sovereignty of the nation of Israel or surrounding nations in making
their decision for them.
Implementation
Should President Trump
listen to my recommendations, the United States to postpone all efforts to
build an embassy in Jerusalem until a peaceful solution has been agreed upon by
both Israel and Palestine. The United States Diplomat to Israel should work
with the Israeli government to find compromises that they are willing to take
for the sake of peace and economic stability in the region. The Israelis and
Palestinians need to come to a peaceful agreement facilitated by the United
Nations or the United States before the United States starts making all their
decisions for them.
I agree that Trump's public decision to move the United States embassy in Israel to the controversial city of Jerusalem has posed significant issues for residents of the city, for Israelis, and for Palestinians in areas such as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Considering that the United States has not always taken the most neutral stance on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, this bold move to suddenly follow through on a resolution made in 1995 has consequences for more than just the United States and the relocation of its embassy.
ReplyDeleteI like how you recognize that in some ways, the damage has already been done by President Trump speaking publicly about this decision, but also that there are ways to diffuse the violence of the situation at this time, as the embassy has yet to move. I like how you view this as an opportunity to inspire diplomatic relations between Israel and Palestine, and that you suggest that the United States could be effective in bringing the parties to a solution. I am wondering if a peaceful agreement in the near future would be attainable in the near future, however, considering that diplomatic efforts in the past have been unsuccessful and that Trump's recent actions have complicated the situation and lead to an increase in violence. I like the idea of using the threat of the relocation of the United States embassy to Jerusalem as leverage in an effort to reach an agreement, but I wonder how realistic a solution is at this time, as President Trump has not established himself as a reliable diplomat.
I agree with you Nicole. I also think the important question is how does the United States propose peaceful and diplomatic solutions when President Trump isn't a reliable diplomat? His decision to acknowledge the embassy act of 1995 has caused a lot of violence and terrorist attacks in Jerusalem, that I am almost afraid of what else Trump and his decisions could cause. Although, I do agree this could be a great opportunity for Israel and Palestine to come together and negotiate, but the how is still up in the air.
DeleteI agree that certainly the US must consider the effects of moving the US embassy to a new location that has been plagued by conflict. While I don't know that a peaceful agreement will happen anytime soon I think that would be the ideal situation. As Nicole and Adeline mentioned President Trump has been somewhat aggressive and swift in his actions towards other nations, which isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to diplomacy. I think the solution you mention in your post would be a wise one. As the US it is important for our diplomats to be cautious when addressing conflict areas so as not to make them worse.
ReplyDelete