Less than a year in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday dramatically overhauled the American policy on matter of Israel.
Less than a year in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday dramatically overhauled the American policy on matter of Israel.
In an announcement with far-reaching effects, President Trump announced that the US would now recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
While the eight nations have called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations, many including India have given as cautious response to the development.
Even as the global diplomatic arena ponders of this latest Trump move, here's your five-point guide to understand why Jerusalem's 'capital' move matters:
1: History of Jerusalem: The fact that Jerusalem is the home to the most sacred sites for Christians, Jews and Muslims shows its significance. From Romans to British, from Crusaders to Ottomans, each empire has tried to control the ancient city. The city is home to three most holy sites revered by the three religion. The hill in the Old City is sacred both to Muslims and Jews. The Western Wall is scared place for Jews where they can offer prayers. For Muslims, two major sites namely: Dome of the Rock and the Al-Asqa Mosque. The mosque is third holiest site for Muslims after Mecca and Medina. For Christians, the city has deeper significance as it is connected with the life of Jesus Christ. It is believed that Jesus preached, died and resurrected in Jerusalem.
2: Beyond belief, what's the modern history of Jerusalem: The modern conflict traces its origin in the year 1948 when the British rule ended in the area. Soon after the British rule, the Jordanians invaded and occupied the Old City and the Arab East Jerusalem. After almost two decades, Israel annexed the city and captured it in 1967. Though this move was not recognised globally, it didn't stop Israel from passing a law in 1980. It was then that the state of Israel declared Jerusalem as its capital and 'complete and united' city of the country.
3: What is United Nations' stand on Jerusalem? The United Nations still regards East Jerusalem as an 'occupied region'. The world organisation says that the status of Jerusalem is still disputed. It also advocated a bilateral resolution between Israel and Palestine over the issue.
4: Read between the lines: Though everyone is looking at the 'Jerusalem as the Israeli capital bit', however, the details lie in President Trump's words. He, very carefully, didn't call Jerusalem as the 'undivided' capital of Israel. He also said that the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty and Jerusalem are subject to final negotiations between the two sides.
5: What next? The immediate step is relocating the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Beyond logistics, the move will help Israel to firm up its claim over the city. The city of 8,50,000 people has seen its share of violence and the future, to put it mildly, doesn't look so pleasant. While Hamas has said that President Trump's move would open the 'gates of hell', there were no violent protests reported so far.
Watch India's reaction to Trump's Jerusalem move:
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