Trump's Embassy Move

The relocation of the US' embassy in Israel

When former President Donald Trump moved the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018, he was met with mixed reactions. While the Israeli government fully supported the move, Palestinian citizens protested the embassy's relocation for weeks before it was established in Jerusalem. Many Christians and Jews praised Trump for his decision, but many Muslims either opposed the move or remained indifferent to it. Political scientists and researchers have also expressed concerns regarding the impact the embassy's relocation will have on peace talks between Palestine and Israel. 

The Israeli government has expressed great support for the embassy's relocation, as have many Christians and Jews around the world. Many Orthodox Jews were present at the embassy's induction ceremony, expressing their support for its relocation. By moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and therefore gained the support of both the Israeli government and a large portion of the worldwide Jewish community (Underwood 2018). The embassy move is also regarded as the fulfillment of divine prophecy by both Jews and Christians, and it has received widespread support from both communities. 

Though many Jews and Christians support the embassy move, the Muslim community has a more complex view on Trump's decision. Many Muslims worldwide joined in the Palestinian protests against the embassy's relocation, and condemned Trump's decision (Underwood 2018). However, leaders of primarily Muslim countries have gradually expressed increasing support for Israel, and as such remain indifferent in regards to the embassy's relocation (Underwood 2018). The conflict between Israel and Palestine remains an important issue in Western Asia, and the embassy's relocation has greatly exacerbated rising tensions between the two groups (Underwood 2018). Therefore, though they may remain neutral in the embassy debate, leaders of primarily Muslim countries are keeping a close eye on the situation in Jerusalem (Underwood 2018). 

Though Trump has received much support for the embassy's relocation to Jerusalem, many political scientists are concerned about the impact his decision will have on the Palestine-Israel conflict. Though Trump claimed that moving the embassy would hasten movement towards peace, the widespread violence on the day of the embassy's inauguration suggests otherwise (Underwood 2018). Many political scientists view the embassy move as an expression of the US' support for Israel over Palestine, so the embassy's relocation has obliterated the United States' neutrality in the conflict, and has left Israel and Palestine without a neutral mediator to help them work towards peace (Underwood 2018). Furthermore, because no Palestinian officials were consulted on the effect the embassy's relocation would have on their community or invited to its inauguration, any potential peace talks with Palestine were shut down before they even began (Underwood 2018). Due to the absence of a neutral arbitrator and official's ignorance of Palestinian voices, negotiations between Palestine and Israel have completely stalled (Underwood 2018).

Additional Sources: 

Underwood, Alexia. 2018. "The controversial US Jerusalem embassy opening, explained." Vox, May 16. https://www.vox.com/2018/5/14/17340798/jerusalem-embassy-israel-palestinians-us-trump

Image source:  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Relocation_of_US_Embassy_in_Israel_from_Tel_Aviv_to_Jerusalem_IMG_9268_(42112603761).jpg