Daily Times

The Palestine-Israel conflict came about as a product of another defective Imperial British strategy. As American academic and author Stanley Wolpert allegorise it, Britian’s ‘shameful flight’ has sown the seed of perpetual misfortune, continued conflict, and the legacy of half a century of hatred and obstruction of peace for generations to come.

Most recently, Trump’s disastrous announcement of permitting the American embassy to move to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv reflects the official US policy of declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and has helped produce a more resilient movement of the Palestinian uprising.

An outbreak of another wave of anti-Americanism all over the Muslim world, and international outrage over Trump’s unilateral motion that tore international diplomatic consensus apart can be foreseen as far as he keeps his promises made during the presidential campaign.

At this time last year, the United Nations Security Council approved the resolution against Israel’s settlements on Palestinian territory occupied since the Six Day War in 1967 as having no legal validity

President Trump in his business advice book, ‘The Art of the Deal’ confesses doing things in a little outrageous, bold and controversial manner as he believes that the controversy helped keep him in the news. But his controversial move won plenty of disapproval by inflaming the religious sentiments of the Muslims. This seems to have jeopardised the American role and security in the Middle East, its relations with the Muslim world and undermined the American image of global peace mediator.

At this time last year, the United Nations Security Council approved the resolution against Israel’s settlements on Palestinian territory occupied since the Six Day War in 1967 as having no legal validity.

Ratifying this resolution was exceptional but what made it more interesting was that the United States who provides Israel with consistent diplomatic support through 42 veto attempts in the favour of Israel since 1972, went into abstention. Subsequently, Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has challenged the credibility and reliability of the United Nations Security Council itself which is considered the most powerful institution in the world.

For the past many decades, even though the security and unwavering support to Israel have remained consistent in Washington, Jerusalem’s move was unprecedented in the history of American foreign policy. While keeping the strategic importance of the Middle East in perspective, Trump’s unilateral move on Jerusalem has an unequivocal impact on the region.

Washington’s support of Israel demonstrates how powerful the Israel lobby is in preventing the Arab states from convincing Trump. The prime purpose of getting a two-state solution is becoming more like a dream for which they have suffered three embarrassing defeats against Israel.

Not long ago, Saudi Arabia hosted a reception during Trump’s maiden presidential visit to the Kingdom to attend the Arab-Islamic-American Summit. Some now wonder whether the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who conferred the kingdom’s highest civilian award on him would revoke the prize.

As a matter of fact, the Kingdom’s actions which is meant to show a closer relationship with the United States has been part of a secret growing alliance between the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia to counterbalance Iran. This is because Saudi Arabia considers Iran the single greatest threat to its ideological supremacy in the region. Otherwise, such rivalries and proxies within the Muslim world instead of pushing the two-state solution, severely damage the cause of two-state solution for Palestine Trump’s choice to play the wild and wicked card at a time when the entire Muslim world is at odds and splitting into countless groups and ideologies.

Washington’s support of Israel demonstrates how powerful the Israeli lobby is in preventing the Arab states from convincing Donald Trump. The two-state solution for Arab states have suffered three embarrassing defeats against Israel is fast becoming a distant dream

At the same time, the dead duck and divided Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which seldom functions has no wider leverage to exercise in global affairs in order to arbitrate in a dispute, nor is it able to adopt any inclusive policy mechanism to keep the pressure on the United States to reverse the decision.

Many rational voices consider Trump’s Jerusalem move immoral and unjust must understand the anarchic nature of international politics in which moral ideals have persistently been absent. Justice in international disputes has always been of a special kind which is determined by the standing status of any state in an international , not by the compelling moral imperatives.

On the completion of one hundred years of the Balfour declaration, no matter what the ramifications will be, Israel gets the deal. Trump has given Israel wider latitude as a fitting gift in bargaining with the occupied territories which will leave Palestinians more vulnerable, whether it is the beginning of the third phase of ‘Intifada’ or otherwise. Dangerous times are ahead and the fate of the Palestinians will involve more suffering and oppression.

The writer is a freelance writer tweets at @ranasarfraz3417

Published in Daily Times, December 15^th 2017.