By Lloyd Levy
LONDON, England — There is hysteria in much of the British press, and BBC, to the USA recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital. This is almost to be expected. The British Government under Theresa May, is pro Israel, but opposes the move. Our Prime Minister takes every opportunity to oppose President Trump, which is absurd if she wats to keep good ties with USA after Brexit (If it ever happens in any meaningful fashion.)
What is surprising in my view, is the hostility to the recognition of Jerusalem, by some Jews and Jewish publications.
In contrast, the response from the Arab World has been very muted. A few youths throwing stones in Palestinian areas, is hardly anything new.
By raising the spectre of the Arab street rising up, to attack the Jews of Israel, it seems to me that people are actually willing it on.
Let us be absolutely clear about Jerusalem. These facts should not need stating to a Jewish audience, but clearly they need to be reiterated. Jerusalem is at the core of Jewish tradition since King David captured it 3000 years ago. It is now 2000 years since its destruction by Rome, and no outside major power has recognised it as the Jewish Capital since then.
The British Peel Commission, during the Mandate, split the country into an Arab and a Jewish area, but Jerusalem was to remain under Mandate control. The UN Partition , similarly split the country , but Jerusalem was to remain International.
So this recognition by President Trump, is a major historical event, to be viewed in the context of thousands of years of Jewish history. It is almost biblical in its significance.
It also has to be appreciated as a step in settling the Israel-Palestinian conflict. It is putting pressure on the Palestinians to come to terms with the Jewish State, after almost 100 years of refusal to do so, since Mandate times. The Iran threat is paramount, and the Sunni States need the Palestine problem to be settled, and for Israel to be brought on side against Iran. This Jerusalem recognition is undoubtedly a chess move in the game.
This is a major move even by the standards of the Jew’s millennia long history. Let us not have such a curmudgeonly attitude.
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Levy is a freelance writer based in London. He may be contacted via lloyd.levy@sdjewishworld.com