Will the Occupied Eastern Jerusalem become the capital of the Palestinians?
US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is being widely criticized worldwide.
The Palestinians, describing Jerusalem as the capital of its future, performed in protest against President Trump’s decision. Palestinian Islamic group Hamas has been appealing for the people’s movement.
Trump’s decision has alienated America on one of the world’s most sensitive regional issues. Because of this, the US has been facing strong criticism of many international leaders, including its traditional partners.
The trump is being condemned on one side, but the real question is what will change after the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital?
The President of the United States said in his speech at the White House, “This is like recognizing the truth.”
Israel has been regarding Jerusalem as its capital, although its claim on international grounds has not received any support.
A divided city
Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world. After the war between the Arabs and Israel in 1948, it was divided into eastern and western parts.
In order to make Jerusalem two pieces, a green streak was drawn, which was to keep the armies on both sides away.
The Jewish-majority western region came under Israel. Whereas the eastern part of the Palestinian Muslim and Christian population came under the control of Jordan.
After this, the Arabs living around the western area had to leave their place and go to the eastern part. The Jews living in eastern areas had to settle in West Jerusalem.
Between 1949 and 1967, Jordan was controlled by Israel on the western region and in the eastern region. There was also the ancient city of Jerusalem in the eastern area, where Islam is a very important place of Jewish and Christian religions.
But during the six-day war in 1967, Israel also occupied the eastern region. In 1980, Israel passed a law and said, “Jerusalem was an integral part of Israel and the long-term capital.”
‘Illegal’ possession
After the Battle of the Sixth Day of the War of 1967, Israel had occupied East Jerusalem. Israel expanded the boundaries of its municipalities and captured all of Jerusalem.
In the year 1980, Israel passed a law and declared the city its indivisible capital.
After this there was a dispute over Jerusalem. Internationally, Jerusalem was not recognized as the capital of Israel and international law considered Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem as illegal.
Since then, Jerusalem has become the main reason for the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians. This city is still divided into eastern and western parts. The western part is home to some five million Jews, whereas in the eastern region, nearly three million Palestinians sit.
Politically, Israel’s Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Office and Israel’s Supreme Court are in West Jerusalem. The meeting of world leaders and diplomats on the tour of Israel is in West Jerusalem, although the embassies of all countries are in Tel Aviv.
Stress near holy place in Eastern Jerusalem
This year, Russia had recognized West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
In 1993, the Israel-Palestinian peace agreement was reached, according to which the decision of the status of Jerusalem is to be decided only after the peace talks proceeded.
But Trump did not make any difference between East and West Jerusalem in his speech this week.
Rather, he stressed that his decision will not affect the existing geographical and political boundaries and he is ‘committed’ to take forward the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
Trump said that his government is not taking any side on the issue of its status, including the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty on Jerusalem, on its status.
Experts say that after these words of Trump the possibility of final settlement of this dispute is likely, in which Palestinians may find the eastern part of Jerusalem as their capital.
American President Trump did not mention “undivided Jerusalem” anywhere in his speech, as Israeli leaders do.
In addition, the President has said that the status quo will be retained in the old city and its Muslim religious sites. An Islamic Trust does manage these sites.
good or bad?
Analysts say that this decision of Trump can have both positive and negative impact on the decades-old dispute. Many US presidents tried to solve this issue but failed.
The solution to this dispute is hidden in ‘Two Nation Policy’.
“The question is not whether West Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, but the question is whether captive East Jerusalem will be the capital of the Palestinians,” BBC correspondent Barbara Plate Usher in New York says.
She says, “Trump administration is not saying anything on the condition of the city, from which it is going to mean that the issue of Palestinian claim on East Jerusalem will remain in the future.”
Trump said that the United States is committed to pushing the peace agreement and if both countries agree then it can be resolved with ‘two nation policy’.
However, some knowledgeable people also say that the United States has validated the construction of Israeli settlements in the eastern region by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. But Trump argues that the decision to recognize Jerusalem will accelerate the peace process.
But according to the BBC correspondent, the presidential decision has not given the Palestinians anything. Their speech is believed to be the support of Israel.
Now in the coming weeks, it is necessary to see whether the efforts of his peace in the Middle East color or not.
