IMEU Institute for Middle East Understanding
Op-Eds & Analysis
President Trump announced on Wednesday that his administration is making a radical break with nearly 70 years of official United States policy and with the international community: He is recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. This decision will be interpreted by Palestinians, Arabs and the rest of the world as a major provocation.
on December 7, 2017
Op-Eds & Analysis
President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel represents a major break with decades of U.S. foreign policy. It is a final, devastating blow to the prospect of a two-state solution for Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians. The move involves, first, a contemptuous dismissal of Palestinians’ aspirations and rights, a denial of their claim to the city they consider their capital, where almost 400,000 of them live.
on December 7, 2017
Op-Eds & Analysis
Every time it seems Donald Trump cannot outdo himself, he does it again. Now he has announced that his administration will recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, reversing nearly seven decades of American policy. This step will have multiple negative ramifications, many impossible to predict.
on December 6, 2017
News Roundup
There is a small constituency in the United States that genuinely cares about the location of the American Embassy in Israel. Evangelicals and a right-wing, pro-Israel lobby were thrilled by President Trump's campaign promises to reverse decades of U.S. policy by recognizing a “united” Jerusalem as Israel's capital and shifting the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. At a speech on Wednesday, Trump is expected to outline his plans to do just that.
on December 6, 2017
News Roundup
In a move that would break from decades of U.S. policy and potentially trigger major regional turmoil, President Donald Trump is reportedly set to announce that the United States will recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The White House announced that Trump will deliver his remarks on the subject Wednesday, with the New York Times reporting that the president has already informed Israeli and Arab leaders about his plans.
on December 5, 2017
Op-Eds & Analysis
In the days after his election, President Donald Trump bragged that he would achieve “the ultimate deal” for Israelis and Palestinians. But on the ground, his Administration has been supporting an ultimate war on the peace process. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who has been charged with overseeing Middle East peace, has been unforthcoming with details.
on December 4, 2017
Q&As
Political analyst Diana Buttu provides insight on the ongoing protests by Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem provoked by increased restrictions imposed on Muslims who want to worship at the Noble Sanctuary mosque complex, the third holiest site in Islam, by Israel's occupying army.
on July 27, 2017
News Roundup
An adviser to Donald Trump said on Monday that moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would be a “priority” for the president-elect, prompting an angry response from Palestinians who said such a move would violate international law.
on December 13, 2016
News Roundup
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City is Christianity's most hallowed shrine. It's believed that the rock-cut tomb at the heart of the church was where the body of Jesus Christ was once laid.
on November 1, 2016