Speak Up Over Jerusalem

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Editor,

What gives our president the right to defy a United Nation’s vote and declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel?

Israel is barely 70 years old. It was made a state in 1948. Jerusalem has been in existence since 3,000 B.C. and has been a central city and holy shrine for centuries to many religious groups around the world.

“No other place on earth can claim significance to three major religions. Each day Jews pray at the western wall. Muslims bow in prayer at the Al Aqsa mosque and Christians worship at the church of the Holy Sepulchre.”

So what gives Israel exclusive rights to the city? What gives Trump the right to proclaim Jerusalem as the capital of Israel? This is an act of aggression and disrespectful to all the other nations who held sacred claims to the city long before Israel even existed as a legal entity!

Trump’s decision breaks with decades of U.S. policy and defies a United Nations vote of 128 – 9. How does Niki Haley, America’s representative to the United Nations, dare to say that “it is the will of the American people” when the American people have had no voice in the matter. It is solely an aggressive act by a bully purporting to lead the nation.

 Where does Ms. Haley get off accusing the nations of the UN that voted against moving the embassy as disrespecting Trump and therefore subject to penalties. Are you kidding me! Isn’t that just out right despotic?

The Trump administration declares that it was a step in the right direction on the journey to peace while at the same time thousands of Palestinians are being shot at and slaughtered by Israeli forces for simply protesting the taking of what partially belongs to them. How in God’s name can this be a journey to peace? You can squelch those that oppose you and beat them into submission, but that is not peace. That is pure bullying. That doesn’t sound like the rhetoric of a true America president to me. That is the voice of a dictator and a tyrant.

 I am reminded, dear reader, “to be silent is a sign of tacit approval.” What do you think?

Jessica deStefano , Laguna Beach

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4 COMMENTS

    • Civility, please. If there are factual errors in the letter, please enlighten all of us with facts rather than criticizing the letter writer.

  1. Since you asked what we think, I completely disagree with you Ms. deStefano. I think it is long past due that Jerusalem was made the capital of Israel. It’s their country and they get to decide where to put their capital, and world embassies should respect a sovereign nation’s right to declare the location of its own capital.
    The US Congress passed a law in 1995 called the Jerusalem Embassy Act which described Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and said it should not be divided. That law required the US embassy to be moved to Jerusalem by 1999. But this hasn’t happened because every six months, successive presidents have signed a waiver to keep the US embassy in Tel Aviv for national security reasons. In 2008, then Democratic candidate Barack Obama called Jerusalem the ‘capital of Israel’; Bush did the same in 2000, and Clinton did the same in 1993. So you see, President Trump is just finally following through on what should have been done years ago. I applaud him, and we should all be grateful for having Israel as our greatest ally in the Middle East. Having just returned from a trip there, I have very high regards for the people of Israel, their fortitude, intelligence, perseverance and pride of country. Very impressed with their young military, incredibly bright, educated and articulate. These young men and women defend their country from attack every single day, not just the latest attacks from Hamas.
    The Israeli people truly know that freedom is not free, unlike most Americans who have no respect for the sacrifices made on their behalf to keep this country safe and free. God Bless our troops on this Memorial Day, and God Bless our President. Thank you for asking my opinion. : )

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