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Claims that Relocating the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem Will Derail a Comatose Peace Process Ring Hollow

(Financial Times-UK) Amos Yadlin - The decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be a long-awaited recognition of Israel's historic capital by its closest ally. Although the proposed relocation is accompanied by some risks, smart and co-operative diplomacy can mitigate the dangers. Opponents of the proposal note that it risks obstructing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, would cause the deterioration of Israel's relations with its Arab neighbors, and could incite Muslim terror groups worldwide. But all these warnings are overblown. Claims that the embassy move will derail a peace process comatose for nearly a decade ring hollow. The exact opposite might be true: the decision could prompt the Palestinians to re-evaluate their strategy of refusing direct negotiations, which has paralyzed the peace process. Predictions of a looming intifada ignore reality: the Palestinians have little interest in escalating the conflict in light of the meager results that violence has achieved compared with the heavy toll it has taken. Consultations between the U.S., Israel, Egypt and Jordan should clarify that relocating the U.S. embassy does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city of Jerusalem, nor does it affect Jordan's role in administering - or Muslims' access to - holy sites. Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin, former chief of Israeli military intelligence, heads Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies.
2017-02-24 00:00:00
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