Trump’s decision about recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has become a reality. The official opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem was celebrated by the US administration. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, her husband, attended the ceremony. Trump addressed a speech via video conferencing.
In this step, the Palestinian cause has now reached a new historic turning point. The US can no longer be an unbiased mediator in the Palestinian issue.
The Arab and Muslim world has failed to convince Trump to withdraw the decision or postpone its implementation until a just settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is achieved.
This failure was due to the absence of a strategy of collective Arab and Islamic work to face the US’ decision.
Arabs and Muslims have missed strategic planning on how to deal with the US’ position. Most reactions in the Middle East have been restricted to slogans and resorted to rhetoric.
They have forgotten that this is not an era of slogans or of grandstanding. Every era has its mechanisms and patterns of thinking. The Arab world should have adopted a more rational political language far from verbal violence and extremism that only serves to spread terrorism.
The Palestinian cause has been hijacked by various organizations and countries that use it for political reasons, as in the case of Iran. Tehran claims defending Jerusalem and the Palestinians. The mullahs’ regime has never provided support to the Palestinian people but to organizations loyal to Iran. Turkish president is taking the Palestinian cause as a political gain. Erdogan does not play the strategic cards his country possesses, both regionally and internationally, in the interests of the Palestinian people. He did not place the recognition of Jerusalem at top priority of his international policy. The conference held in Istanbul was only to address his voters and touch their feelings with slogans in support of Jerusalem. The urgent summit produced only some snapshots of the audience.
The Arab and Islamic world cannot regain Jerusalem by force nor by negotiation. Those claiming Palestine as their priority are addicted to the fiery statements and cursing the US and Israel without giving any serious solution to the issue.
There was an absence of the united Arab and Islamic diplomatic response to Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem. The joint-action institutions have failed to provide a constructive political stance based on a clear realistic strategy to deal with this impasse. Statements of condemnation and denunciation have spread like fire. But the US administration went on to implement its decision. The White House would not have made this decision before considering the situation and assessing its consequences.
There is no need to cry over spilled milk. The US embassy move has had an irreversible and profoundly negative impact on the course of the Palestinian cause. But this does not mean the Arab world must surrender to reality. Serious and intensive work should be done in accordance with a realistic and accurate strategy based on Arab and Palestinian’s pressure, despite their limited impact.
The starting point should be to stop trading the Palestinian cause and uphold the interests of the Palestinian people. The division of the Palestinians has played the biggest role in their great loss. Palestine must be restored from the inside first. Palestinians must be united and possess a united speech, then the next step to regain the legitimate Palestinian rights will take place.
