Recognizing Reality

No Jewish connection to the Temple Mount? Really?

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. That is about the most natural statement one could ever make about a country and its capital. It rolls off the tongue. Kind of like love and marriage; horse and carriage. I can’t think of anything more natural than considering Jerusalem the capital of Israel. 

Anyone - Christian or Jew - that has ever studied the bible should feel the same way. Even if they are not religious. Jerusalem has always been Israel’s capital ever since King David conquered it in ancient times. It is also the case that ever since we - the Jewish people - have been in exile, we have been yearning for a return to Jerusalem at least 3 times daily. 

And yet in just about every media report on what President Trump is about to do, you would think he was declaring Raqqa the capital of the Islamic State.

I understand what all the concern is about. I have expressed that concern myself. I too have wondered whether this gesture by the United Sates will cause bloodshed… and whether at the end of the day, will what is gained be worth the spillage of blood. 

That said, it is one thing to worry about it. It is another to taint every report about this as though it were pure evil to  declare Jerusalem Israel’s capital. As though Palestinians had some sort of legitimate exclusive religious claim to the city – just because they have lived there for so long. 

To the best of my knowledge Muslims consider Jerusalem of value only because they believe Mohammed ascended to heaven from there - right on the Temple Mount. There is no mention of Jerusalem at all in the Quran – their bible. 

Let us be honest.  Palestinians are upset by this – not because they think Jerusalem should not be the capital of Israel. They are upset that Israel exists at all. And that any step recognizing that is a step in the wrong direction.

What about the rest of the nations of the world that are all screaming bloody murder about this? For me it just reaffirms what I have always believed about Europe. Antisemitism is in their mother’s milk. (Yes, I know there are many exceptions. But they are exceptions.)

Oh… they talk a good show. And most of them at least pay lip-service to our right to a Jewish State. Many of them even have economic ties with Israel. But deep down they simply don’t like us. Just like their parents didn’t like us. The difference is the Holocaust. At the end of the day, they do have a bit of a conscience about it. But deep down…  

Let us just use Turkey as an example of this. They have already said that if the US recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, they will sever ties with Israel. Not the United States. But Israel! Even though Israel did not initiate this - nor has it been a priority for them except in ideological terms.

Let us also see how the United Nations sees Israel and the Jewish people. Half the time they treat Israel as though it were Nazi Germany in the 30s. Then there is the recent declaration by UNESCO that Judaism has no connection to the Temple Mount. Does that not say it all about Israel’s international ‘friends’?

I used to give the media the benefit of the doubt whenever they were accused of bias against Israel. But  the bias on this issue is so blatant, I can’t give them a pass here. Even though they are probably not even aware of it as bias. They probably think they are just reporting facts when they tell us how bad this decision is.

They all seem to believe that Jerusalem should not be in Jewish hands. That each side has the same legitimate claim to it. How sad that - unlike Evangelical Christians - the majority of people that make up the mainstream media (who are nominally Christian) have abandoned as archaic and irrelevant -many of their biblical teachings.

It would have been nice to hear at least one reporter say something more positive than Trump is only doing this to appease his base and right wing supporters of Israel (read: Orthodox Jews). It would have been nice to hear them say something other than this is the biggest mistake America has made since Israel declared itself a State. 

It would have been nice if they didn’t say that this is a reversal of 70 years of US foreign policy towards Israel. It would have been nice if they would have mentioned that the ‘darlings’ of the mainstream media – Israel’s left wing - are in favor of it too.  It would be nice if they said that Jerusalem has been the defacto capital if Israel and the seat of power since its inception. And that recognizing it is merely recognizing a realty they are all aware of. A realty that would be the case even in a 2 state solution.  

But No. The mainstream media insists on painting this in the worst possible light. So much for their supposed objectivity!

Please do not misunderstand where I am coming from. I supported Oslo. Which divided Jerusalem – giving Palestinians the ‘Old City’ (East Jerusalem) with a proviso they agreed to at the time that would have given Jews the right to freely access all Jewish holy sites whenever they chose. 

For me an environment of peaceful co-existence that would have ended the bloodshed and saved Jewish lives was worth the cost of the bricks and mortar of the old city. I still feel that way. I just don’t believe it is possible anymore. Doing that would do the opposite and probably turn the West Bank into another Gaza - as things stand now.

Despite my personal misgivings about this move because of this exact problem (the spilling of Jewish blood) I can honestly say that I have a tremendous sense of pride in America for what is about to happen. And if done the right way we may be spared any long term violence.

What is the ‘right way’?  I believe that the President should make this announcement in a way that will mollify Arab fears about abandoning the peace process or the possibility of a 2 state solution. He should  make it clear that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is merely the recognition of the status quo and does not reflect the future status of East Jerusalem – one way or the other. A status that should be negotiated by the two parties – Israel and the Palestinians. Perhaps that will prevent the much anticipated bloodshed this move might entail.

But I am not going to hold my breath. It doesn’t take that much to incite Palestinian violence against Jews. Nor does it help that Palestinian President, Mahmood Abbas has called for 3 days of rage if this happens! (Something the mainstream media has failed to criticize the way they are Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.) Instead I will pray that God will protect His people from any harm via Israel’s prudent use of its police and military power. God bless Israel, the Jewish people, and the United States of America.

Update
Shortly after noon today (Central Standard Time) President Trump pretty much followed the above script and announced US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital - while emphasizing that the US has not taken a position on Jerusalem's final status; nor abandoned the peace process or the ‘2 state solution’.

Thank you Mr. President for being the first to keep your campaign promise on this issue - unlike all previous Presidents that made a similar campaign promise but never kept it. It appears that at least on this issue, you are more honorable than them all.