Trump pretends to do something different, in order to get attention and pander to his base. The facts as I understand them are that the USA has recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital since 1995, but every president has signed a waiver of that every 6 months. Even now, the US Embassy isn’t moving to Jerusalem immediately, but several years from now. Or never. Trump won’t be around to see it happen, even if it does. And if history repeats itself (The Wall, Lock Her Up, Repeal and Replace) Trump has no intention of making this happen.
“However, moments after the announcement, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of State (Presidential Determination No. 2018-02): a waiver that again effectively stops the U.S. Embassy from being moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.”[7]
Even as a symbolic act this completely, possibly irrevocably, destroys whatever remaining chance the U.S. had at being a credible arbiter of the peace process.
Plus it actively provokes the kind of people who express their disillusionment with the political process by blowing things up. Make no mistake, Trump’s words today will get people killed. And for what? A moment of adulation from his far-right evangelical base?
I’ve observed before that the Trump administration not only sucks at diplomacy, it seem outright hostile to the very CONCEPT of diplomacy. Especially considering Trump’s supposed deal-making prowess was touted as his main qualification for the job.
He’s giving the go-sign to the more radical Zionists who will thereby inflame the Palestinians to violence which will in turn inflame the Israelis across the board with that leading to an uptick in tensions and violence that would 1) give him an opportunity to play the decisive “leader” when he inevitably roars to one and all his support for the “embattled” Israelis, 2) create distraction from his current troubles, 3) shore up his wobbly base along with Evangelicals who were growing a bit shaky on Trump, and 4) benefit the military-industrial complex which the Trumps may have investments in.
To all BBS’ers out there: Whenever I post anything about Trump that appears to make him out to be clever in any way, please correctly assume that I’m giving 100% credit to others.
Unfortunately, this foments more crisis in the Middle East, and that’s great for business. Halliburton, Xi (or whatever Blackwater are calling themselves now), etc - the business of war is so much more than soldiers.
Basically, Trump and his buddies will make a lot of money throwing the Middle East back 40 years.
It’s so hard for us regular people to keep mental focus on this, but we must never forget that he’s a narcissistic sociopath, and no more cares about deaths of Palestinians or Israelis than he cares about the temperature on Jupiter.
I was intrigued by the variety of reporting on this issue - which is explosive - eg NYT did not initially outright condemn as others, given the Israeli connection. BBC carried balanced and informed views.
