(JNS-Israel Hayom) Evelyn Gordon - It is true that only Guatemala has followed America's lead in moving its embassy to Jerusalem, but this misses the point and thereby obscures the real and lasting gains of the embassy move. If it took America more than two decades to move its embassy despite a bipartisan consensus that was codified in legislation, it will clearly take time for countries that have only just started considering the issue to reach the point of being ready to actually make the move. What the U.S. decision did accomplish was to break the global taboo on thinking and talking about this idea. Never again will recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital be an inconceivable option. In the space of just one year, in many countries, it has already become a hotly debated one. And the more the idea is discussed, the more realistic the possibility becomes. The embassy decision also slayed the myth that recognizing Jerusalem would spark massive violence in the Arab world. The move sparked no violence anywhere except among Palestinians, and even that was short-lived. Consequently, no country contemplating such a move will be deterred by fear of a bloody reaction.
2019-05-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive