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Is It Really about Jerusalem?

(Gatestone Institute) Bassam Tawil - The protests in the aftermath of President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital provide further evidence that many Arabs and Muslims still have not come to terms with Israel's right to exist. Trump's announcement is just another excuse for them to vent their long-standing hatred for Israel and the U.S. Last week, PA President Abbas spoke before the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Turkey and claimed that the Jewish history of Jerusalem is false. He was simply reiterating official, long-standing PA policy. Where has the West been when Palestinian leaders have declared outright, decade after decade, that Israel has no right to exist and Jewish history is nothing more than lies? Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims are furious not because of any purported change in the status of Jerusalem. They know full well that Trump's announcement will not change anything on the ground and is mostly symbolic. But the protesters were chanting: "Palestine is 100% Arab and both parts of Jerusalem, east and west, will be the eternal capital of Palestine!" They cannot stomach the fact that Israel exists, period. The conflict is not about an embassy or a settlement or a fence, but about the very presence of Jews in this part of the world.
2017-12-22 00:00:00
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