(Huffington Post) Abraham Wagner - Israel declared its independence as a sovereign nation in 1948 and shortly thereafter declared Jerusalem as its capital - which is the right of any sovereign state. If North Korea, Iran, Cuba and other nations get to decide what their own capital is, why not Israel? When Israel was admitted to the UN in May 1949, a number of UN members recognizing Israel refused to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, citing various UN resolutions calling for an international status for the city. Over half a century and several wars later, this pipedream has yet to materialize. No question exists as to whether Jerusalem is in fact Israel's capital and this issue is not even a subject of any negotiation. The proposed move of the U.S. Embassy is now getting pushback from opponents less worried about international law than some prospect that this would somehow make the Palestinians unhappy and lead to additional violence in Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu, who strongly embraces the move, has stated that Israel is capable of dealing with any possible disturbances. Other opponents are concerned that the move will anger Arab states allied with the U.S. Let them be angry - it will pass. In a region that is in great turmoil, they desperately need the U.S., and where the American Embassy in Israel is located just isn't up to them. The writer is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies on Terrorism.
2017-01-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive