Donald Trump’s Recognition Of Jerusalem As The Capital Of Israel Will Shake The Middle East To The Core

By Michael Snyder, on December 5th, 2017

This is one of the most historic things to happen in the Middle East in decades. Just a few days ago I reported that Donald Trump would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel “in December”, and now we are being told that Trump will make this announcement at 1 PM eastern time on Wednesday. Administration officials are stressing that this move is a “recognition of reality”, because of course the seat of the Israeli government has been in the holy city for a very long time. But without a doubt this announcement will shake the Middle East to the core, because Israel’s neighbors are extremely displeased that Trump is doing this.

According to the Jerusalem Post, President Trump phoned leaders all over the Middle East on Tuesday to inform them about what would happen on Wednesday…

US President Donald Trump called the leaders of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Egypt on Tuesday to inform them of his intention to move the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, 22 years after the US Congress called on the White House to do just that.

What Trump didn’t say, however, was when the move would take place, something that could provide some maneuvering room for him to try to tamp down Arab anger over the highly contentious step.

The recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will be immediate, but the U.S. embassy will probably not be moved for six months. The following comes from CNN…

The President is expected to make a public announcement Wednesday declaring his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his intent to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv, diplomatic officials and a person familiar with the plans tell CNN. Trump is also expected to sign a waiver delaying the embassy move for six months, citing the logistical challenges of moving US personnel.

By not moving the embassy immediately, administration officials are hoping that this will pacify Israel’s neighbors a little bit.

Unfortunately, that may not work. One prominent Arab leader has already stated that he believes that Trump is “a pyromaniac who could set the entire region on fire with his madness”, and the Saudis are calling this “a flagrant provocation of Muslims”…

In Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency said that King Salman bin Abdul Aziz had received a call from Trump, as well, and that the two discussed the potential moves. Using the Arabic name for Jerusalem, the king “reiterated that such a dangerous step of relocation or recognition of Al-Quds as the capital of Israel would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims, all over the world,” the agency said.

Once Trump’s announcement is made, all eyes will be on the Palestinians, and Palestinian leaders have already planned for protests to begin on Wednesday…

The Palestinian factions said protests will start on Wednesday and last until Friday at the very least. According to Palestinian leaders, marches against the decision are being backed by the Palestinian Authority.

Fatah Central Committee member Jamal Mahisan told Haaretz that Trump’s decision was an inflammatory material that will inspire Palestinians to take to the streets in rage. “The Palestinian people know how to protect their rights and we are in consultations regarding [our moves] in the coming days.”

The three days stretching from Wednesday to Friday are being called “three days of rage”, and it is very likely that we will see widespread violence. The following comes from the Jerusalem Post…

In a joint statement, the Palestinian “national and Islamic forces” announced three days of rage that would begin Wednesday and end on Friday. “We call on all our people in Israel and around the world to gather in city centers and Israeli embassies and consulates, with the aim of bringing about general popular anger,” the statement said.

The statement added that “a huge protest should be launched in order to reject out of hand the attempts of the US administration to transfer the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem or recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel. The right of the people and the nation to act in all legal and diplomatic ways within the international community, the international law in the Hague, in order to torpedo this attempt,” the statement said, calling for an emergency meeting of the leaders of the Islamic countries and the Jerusalem Committee to emphasize their rejection of the American moves in Jerusalem.

Some U.S. officials had urged Trump not to make this sort of a move, but it is the right thing to do. U.S. policy should never be dictated by threats of violence, and I greatly applaud President Trump for refusing to be intimidated.

Hopefully things will not get too crazy over the next few days, but without a doubt U.S. facilities around the world will need to be on very high alert. In fact, one anonymous State Department official is concerned that U.S. embassies all over the globe could be targeted by violence…

“The impending Jerusalem announcement has me very worried about the possibility of violent responses that could affect embassies,” one State Department official told Politico. “I hope I’m wrong.”

And according to CBS News, U.S. government officials are being ordered to stay away from the Old City and the West Bank for now…

U.S. government employees and their families are being banned by the U.S. from personal visits to Jerusalem’s Old City and the West Bank, including Bethlehem and Jericho, amid the potential for demonstrations. The demonstrations are being planned as President Trump indicated that he intends to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He’s also expected to announce that the U.S. will recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a move that’s inflaming Arab sentiment against the U.S.

It takes a lot of courage to do the right thing even though you know that the other side may resort to violence.

Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is going to tremendously shake the entire Middle East, and nobody is quite sure what will happen next.

Let us pray that peace will prevail, but even if it doesn’t, Donald Trump has made the right choice and for that he should be greatly commended.

Dianne Feinstein warns Trump it’s ‘terrible’ to move Israel embassy - too bad she voted to do it in 1995

By Robert Laurie

Earlier, Dan did a fine job of outlining the unarguable fact that - according to United States law - our embassy in Israel was already supposed to be in Jerusalem. Every six months for almost two decades, Presidents have been signing waivers delaying the inevitable, but the law clearly states that the move was supposed to happen. Democrats, who are desperately trying to make people forget the last eight years of Middle East policy, want to gin up as much fear as possible. To that end, they’re acting like the move is the end of the world.

Eternal hypocrite and waffler, Dianne Feinstein, has been outspoken in her belief that Donald Trump is going to make a “terrible” mistake by doing what the law called for.

Reports indicate the president will move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I wrote him last week to explain why that would be a terrible decision. pic.twitter.com/MV1o73nyDk
— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) December 5, 2017

“Terrible” is the word of the day, uttered by panicked Dems who fear something might upset their do-nothing world. Sadly, as the Washington Free Beacon reports, this is a new position for Feinstein. Guess who, back in 1995, voted to do exactly what Trump has announced…

Moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem would be in line with a law that Congress passed in 1995 requiring “the relocation of the United States embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.” The measure, which also called for the U.S. to recognize the city as the undivided capital of Israel, passed the Senate by an overwhelming 93-5 margin.

Among the senators who voted for the initial Jerusalem Embassy Act was one Dianne Feinstein.

Whoops! She even voted, earlier this year, to reaffirm the plans contained in the 1995 law.

After Trump signed one such waiver in June, the Senate voted 90-0 on a resolution marking the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification and calling for the embassy to move.

So, What could have changed? Oh, that’s right. In 1995, there was a Clinton in office. More importantly, it was a President with a ”(D)” after his name.

As always, it looks like Dems are lining up to “stick it” to Trump in any way they can. Previous positions don’t matter. Legal compliance doesn’t matter. If they can create a wedge issue and use it to undermine the current administration, there’s no platitude they won’t abandon. That they get to shaft Israel in the process? That’s just a bonus.

But really, is it possible that anyone could screw up the Middle East more than Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton?

Probably not.

'He's declaring war on 1.5billion Muslims': Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital TODAY despite international fury from the Pope, the UK, Russia, China and Palestinians

America's friends and foes unleashed fierce criticism on Wednesday ahead of President Donald Trump's announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital which is expected lunchtime Wednesday.

While Israel welcomed the news, Palestinian officials declared the Mideast peace process 'finished' and Turkey announced it would host a meeting of Islamic nations next week to give Muslim countries' leaders an opportunity to coordinate a response.

In Gaza, U.S. and Israeli flags were burned and in the West bank Hamas declared Friday a 'day of rage', raising the specter of mass violence in the occupied territories.

The Pope made a plea for Trump to rethink urgently and spoke out at his weekly general audience in Rome .

'I make a heartfelt appeal so that all commit themselves to respecting the status quo of the city, in conformity with the pertinent resolutions of the United Nations,' Pope Francis said.

The Pope told thousands of people at his general audience: 'I cannot keep quiet about my deep concern about the situation that has been created in the last few days.'

A Turkish government spokesman said that the move will plunge the region and the world into 'a fire with no end in sight'.

In the UK Prime Minister Theresa May said she would challenge the country's closest ally.

'I'm intending to speak to President Trump about this matter,' May told MPs.

'Our position has not changed, it has been a long standing one and it is also a very clear one.

'It is that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately form a shared capital between the Israeli and Palestinian states.'

The harsh global reaction cast questions about the feasibility of a brewing U.S. peace plan that is expected to be presented by the White House in the near future.

Trump would effectively be making a declaration of war, the Palestinians' chief representative to Britain said Wednesday.

'If he says what he is intending to say about Jerusalem being the capital of Israel, it means a kiss of death to the two-state solution,' Manuel Hassassian said in a BBC radio interview.

'He is declaring war in the Middle East, he is declaring war against 1.5 billion Muslims [and] hundreds of millions of Christians that are not going to accept the holy shrines to be totally under the hegemony of Israel,' Hassassian added.

The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state and fear that Trump's declaration essentially imposes on them a disastrous solution for one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

'There is no way that there can be talks with the Americans. The peace process is finished. They have already pre-empted the outcome,' said Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi. 'They cannot take us for granted.'

The U.S. decision 'destroys the peace process,' added Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. Top Palestinian officials were meeting Wednesday to plot their course forward.

U.S. officials said late Tuesday that Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. Trump was expected to unveil his plan in a speech later Wednesday.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Facebook that 'Our historical national identity is receiving important expressions every day.' He said he would comment further later in the day.

Other members of his Cabinet were more forthcoming. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the nationalist Jewish Home party, praised what he called Trump's 'bold and yet natural' move.

'The sooner the Arab world recognizes Jerusalem as our capital, the sooner we will reach real peace. Real peace that is not predicated on an illusion that we are going to carve up Jerusalem and carve up Israel,' Bennett told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference.

International leaders, however, swiftly criticized Trump's plan.

China, which has good ties with Israel and the Palestinians, expressed concerns over 'possible aggravation of regional tensions.'

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said during a news briefing that the status of Jerusalem was a complicated and sensitive issue and China was concerned the U.S. decision 'could sharpen regional conflict.'

'All parties should do more for the peace and tranquility of the region, behave cautiously, and avoid impacting the foundation for resolving the long-standing Palestine issue and initiating new hostility in the region,' Geng said.

Russia, a key Mideast player, expressed its concern about a 'possible deterioration.'

Two leading Lebanese newspapers published front-page rebukes of Trump.

Britain's Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, who had already expressed concern about the U.S. decision, on Wednesday said it was now time for the Americans to present their peace plan for the region.

'Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians - a negotiated settlement that we want to see,' Johnson said.

'We have no plans ourselves to move our embassy.'

In Brussels Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried to dampen down the reaction.

'The president is very committed to the Middle East peace process,' Tillerson told reporters at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

He said a small team led by Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner - a 36-year-old former property developer - has been 'engaged in a quiet way' in the region to try to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

'We continue to believe there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved and the president has a team that is devoted to that entirely,' Tillerson said.

Trump's Mideast team have spent months meeting with Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders. Details of their long awaited plan remain a mystery.

'Clearly this is a decision that makes it more important than ever that the long-awaited American proposals on the Middle East peace process are now brought forward,' Johnson told reporters in Brussels.

In his speech, Trump was expected to instruct the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. It remained unclear, however, when he might take that physical step, which is required by U.S. law but has been waived on national security grounds for more than two decades.

The officials said numerous logistical and security details, as well as site determination and construction, could take three or four years to sort out.

To that end, the officials said Trump would delay the embassy move by signing a waiver, which is required by U.S. law every six months. He will continue to sign the waiver until preparations for the embassy move are complete.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity pending Trump's announcement, said the decision was merely an acknowledgment of 'historical and current reality' rather than a political statement and said the city's physical and political borders will not be compromised.

They noted that almost all of Israel's government agencies and parliament are in Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv, where the U.S. and other countries maintain embassies.

Still, the declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital carries deep symbolic significance and could have dangerous consequences. The competing claims to east Jerusalem, the section of the city captured by Israel in 1967, have frequently boiled over into deadly violence over the years.

East Jerusalem is home to the city's most sensitive Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, as well as its 330,000 Palestinian residents.

The United States has never endorsed the Jewish state's claim of sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem and has insisted its status be resolved through Israeli-Palestinian negotiation.

The mere consideration of Trump changing the status quo sparked a renewed U.S. security warning on Tuesday. America's consulate in Jerusalem ordered U.S. personnel and their families to avoid visiting Jerusalem's Old City or the West Bank, and urged American citizens in general to avoid places with increased police or military presence.

Trump, as a presidential candidate, repeatedly promised to move the U.S. Embassy. However, U.S. leaders have routinely and unceremoniously delayed such a move since President Bill Clinton signed a law in 1995 stipulating that the United States must relocate its diplomatic presence to Jerusalem unless the commander in chief issues a waiver on national security grounds.

Key national security advisers – including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis – have urged caution, according to the officials, who said Trump has been receptive to some of their concerns.

Trump has spoken of his desire to broker a 'deal of the century' that would end Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

U.S. officials, along with an outside adviser to the administration, said the president's speech was not aimed at resolving the conflict over Jerusalem.

He isn't planning to use the phrase 'undivided capital,' according to the officials. Such terminology is favored by Israeli officials and would imply Israel's sovereignty over east Jerusalem.

One official also said Trump would insist that issues of sovereignty and borders must be negotiated by Israel and the Palestinians. The official said Trump would call for Jordan to maintain its role as the legal guardian of Jerusalem's Muslim holy places, and reflect Israel and Palestinian wishes for a two-state peace solution.

Elsewhere, however, reactions were skeptical, especially across the Muslim world. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the 'whole world is against' Trump's move, and the supreme leader of Iran, Israel's staunchest enemy, condemned Trump.

The state TV's website quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying that 'the victory will ultimately be for the Islamic nation and Palestine.'

Iran does not recognize Israel, and supports anti-Israeli militant groups like Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas.

That they claim they want to announce Quds as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure,' Khamenei said, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem.

***************************************************

WHY IS JERUSALEM CONTESTED?

Jerusalem has been a contested site for centuries, and today three major world religions – Judaism, Islam and Christianity – lay claim to various holy sites and monuments there - all of them on the Temple Mount.

The crux is that Jews see the West Wall as their holiest site as this is all that remains of the Jewish temple after its destruction by the Romans, Christians see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as their holiest site because it was there Christ rose from the dead, and Muslims see the Dome of the Rock as their holiest site because the Prophet Muhammad began his journey to heaven there.

But the immediate roots of Trump's dramatic announcement lie more recently in the messy history of the Middle East after World War II.

The U.N. plan which set up separate Jewish and Israeli states in what had been British-controlled Palestine in 947 said Jerusalem was to be a 'separated body' administered by the United Nations.

The State of Israel was declared in 1948 and over the next year recognized by countries including the U.S. - but crucially on the basis of the U.N. plan, meaning Jerusalem could not be the capital.
Israeli soldiers after capturing East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967.

Israeli soldiers after capturing East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967.

Conflict which rolled into 1949 ended in an armistice which left Israel controlling the west of the city and Jordan the east, and Israel's president called the city Israel's 'eternal capital'.

But the world largely did not follow. The U.S., which wanted a negotiated settlement to replace the armistice of 1949, built its embassy in Tel Aviv, and most other countries followed.

The situation was upended in 1967 when the Six Day War's spectacular victories gave Israel control of Jerusalem and the West Bank.

That ushered in a new era for Israel, which took control of East Jerusalem and made it separate legally from the West Bank, and over the years repeatedly rejecting the 1947 U.N. position of the city's special status.

Repeated efforts to settle the issue have involved the final status of Jerusalem being part of the negotiations towards a deal.

The U.S., which has been in support of the major past efforts, kept its embassy in Tel Aviv as a result, and other major countries did the same.

Tel Aviv is the undoubted economic capital of Israel but the country's parliament and president are in Jerusalem and diplomats have to go there to be officially recognized and for many meetings with the country's government.

A handful of smaller countries have from time to time recognized Jerusalem as capital and even had embassies there, but no major country has until now made that declaration.

In Israel and Palestine both sides appear determined to have Jerusalem as their capital and no peace plan has ever got far enough to test whether potential compromises which have been offered - such as an international trust administering the holy sites, and the creation of a Palestinian capital in the suburbs - would actually happen.

Currently the city is roughly two-thirds Jewish and one third Muslim, and the historic Christian community makes up just two per cent of the population.

With all the uproar over this, no one is mentioning that this move received 90 votes in the Senate. Nothing gets 90 votes in the senate.

I suspect that folks will scream and holler about this for a while, and then it'll all be forgotten. But then, my ESP has never been all that great.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Erdogan calls Islamic summit next week on Jerusalem

Jerusalem is red line in sand for Islamic states


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is calling a summit of the main pan-Islamic body in Istanbul on December 13 to discuss the expected US move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, his spokesman said on Wednesday.

"In the face of developments that arouse sensitivity over the status of Jerusalem, Mr President is calling a leaders' summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in order to display joint action among Islamic countries," presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters in Ankara.

He said the summit meeting would take place on December 13. There was no immediate confirmation from Muslim leaders if they would come.

Turkey currently holds the chairmanship of the OIC.

The recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the moving of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem -- expected to be announced by President Donald Trump later Wednesday -- would be a "grave mistake" against international agreements, Kalin warned.

"Jerusalem is our honour, Jerusalem is our common cause, Jerusalem is our red line," he added, urging the Trump administration to "return from this grave mistake immediately".

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said the expected US move risked igniting a "fire" in the Middle East and will prove a "great disaster".

The recognition will "throw the region and the world into a fire and it's not known when it will end", Bozdag, also government spokesman, wrote on Twitter.

Bozdag said such a step which showed "great intolerance and mindlessness" would "destroy the peace process".

- 'Chaos and instability' -

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Brussels ahead of meeting US counterpart Rex Tillerson that the move is a "mistake" that "will not bring stability and peace but rather chaos and instability."

Asked whether he would bring the issue up with Tillerson, the minister said: "I have already told him and I will tell him again."

Erdogan had warned Tuesday that the status of Jerusalem is a "red line" for Muslims and could even prompt Turkey to cut ties with Israel.

The Turkish leader -- who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause -- is due to hold talks later in Ankara with Jordanian King Abdullah II who is also a strong opponent of the move.

Last year, Turkey and Israel ended a rift triggered by Israel's deadly storming in 2010 of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead and led to a downgrading of diplomatic ties.

The two sides have since stepped up cooperation in particular in energy but Erdogan is still often bitterly critical of Israeli policy.

The United States supports a strong relationship between Turkey, the key Muslim member of NATO, and Israel, which is Washington's main ally in the Middle East.

hello almost never post so here goes... now that Pres.Trump has officialy recognised jeruselum as the capital and the muzzy terrorists have decided to throw a screaming bitch hissy fit.israel now has the perfect oppertunity to see exactly who the enemies are while they are out in the open. take them out like the pests they are of the world,,,CUT THEM DOWN LIKE RABID DOGS...want to hurl a rock shoot them in the nuts throw a fire bomb throw a round straight to the forehead end of story do it until they stop or none are left...end of rant.155 arty out,

155,
The muslum's fate was preordained and sealed long ago.


Hamas leader calls for ‘new intifada in the face of Israel’

“We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy”

RT - December 7, 2017

Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has called for a new uprising against Israel following US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as capital of the Jewish state.

“We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy,” said Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, in a speech in Gaza Thursday, Reuters reports.

World leaders expressed serious concern over the decision and its potential to destabilize the region.

Anti-US protests erupted almost immediately after Trump’s declaration Wednesday, with Palestinians first to take to the streets, calling for three days of rage against the move.


State Dept Issues ‘Worldwide Caution’ Alert After Trump's Jerusalem Declaration

Security warnings, travel advisories triggered across globe

By Dan Lyman Thursday, December 07, 2017

The U.S. State Department has announced an updated 'Worldwide Caution' for American citizens immediately after President Trump's announcement regarding Israel's capital, Jerusalem, which has prompted vows of retaliation by Islamic governments and terrorist groups around the globe.

"As part of the Department of State’s continuous efforts to provide U.S. citizens traveling abroad with information about safety and security events, we are updating the Worldwide Caution with information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions, political violence, and criminal activity against U.S. citizens and interests abroad," reads the alert. "U.S. government facilities worldwide remain in a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens."

Associated Press diplomatic writer, Matt Lee, reports that this is the first time a worldwide caution has been issued in response to a U.S. policy decision since the start of the Iraq War in 2003.

The last time the @statedept issued a "Worldwide Caution" because of a US policy decision was March 2003 at the start of the Iraq war.
https://t.co/ZbPhKfhrxA

— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) December 7, 2017


The general alert does not cite the Jerusalem decision directly, but its timing cannot by mistaken, and it comes on the heels of warnings by the U.S. Embassy in Israel regarding mass protests and potential violence in the region, including multiple security messages forbidding U.S. government employees and their families from personal travel to sensitive regions of Israel.

"The recent announcement that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and plans to relocate the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem may spark protests, some of which have the potential to become violent," reads the most updated notice from December 6th. "In view of this announcement and the potential for protests, U.S. government employees and their family members are not permitted to conduct personal travel in Jerusalem’s Old City and in the West Bank, to include Bethlehem and Jericho. Official travel by U.S. government employees in Jerusalem’s Old City and in the West Bank is permitted only to conduct essential activities and with additional security measures."

The State Department's Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) has also issued security messages for specific cities and countries around the globe that could see unrest as a result of the Jerusalem announcement, saying, "Security Message from U.S. Embassy in [location] reminds of the need for caution and awareness of personal security, notes Jerusalem recognition may spark protests, some of which have the potential to become violent."

Possible hot spots, as identified by OSAC, include Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Morocco, London, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belarus, and Germany. A comprehensive updated list can be found HERE.

Additionally, "protest activity" brewing near U.S. diplomatic offices has already been identified in multiple cities in Turkey.

🇹🇷 Security Message from U.S. Embassy in #Ankara notes protest activity this evening in the vicinity of several U.S. government diplomatic offices in #Turkey. https://t.co/qZY4tUEdbb pic.twitter.com/AQlyXoFI1G

— OSAC (@OSACState) December 6, 2017



Palestinian jihadist organization, Hamas, is demanding a Palestinian-Islamist uprising, with their leader, Ismail Haniyeh, saying, "We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy."

Turkish President Erdogan is organizing a summit of Islamic governments in Istanbul next week, and Ankara has declared, "The United States has pulled the pin on a bomb ready to blow in the region."

Other than whizzing off Muslims, who cares that the United States recognizes anything in the Middle East?

Why is our recognition so valuable? We don't speak for the world.

About damn time, this is looooong over due and I'm happy to see Trump finally start delivering on his campaign promises .

No we don't.

Neither does the world speak for Israel.

Israel is a sovereign nation. It is none of the UN, the pope or the muslum's business where they chose to have their capital. Their seat of government is and always has been Jerusalem.

Trump merely recognized it as such. Something which has been US law since Congress passed it in 1995. It is also none of the rest of the worlds business who or what we chose to recognize.

Most politicians, though they deny it overtly, realize who the United States really is.

Ronald Reagan was the last major leader that gave us a clue:

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29650

it looks like Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the Philippines will soon move their embassies as well.

Onward and upward,
airforce

While I'm glad it finally happened, the reason it got 90 votes is because most of the Senate didn't think it would ever happen...the cowards.

Israel Retaliates With Airstrikes as Hamas Announces Third Intifada

Hamas positions in the Gaza strip were targeted by Israeli Air Force strikes on Tuesday night

Sputnik - December 13, 2017


Hamas has announced the beginning of the third “intifada” a week after Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It didn’t take long for Israel to respond.

Hamas positions in the Gaza strip were targeted by Israeli Air Force strikes on Tuesday night, hours after a Palestinian rocket attack on Israeli territory. It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties on the Palestinian side.

The official Israel Defense Forces Twitter account has specified that the attack targeted the movement’s military compound:

In response to the rocket fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel earlier today, the IAF targeted a Hamas military compound in the southern Gaza Strip

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) December 13, 2017

President Trump’s move has exacerbated tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist organization, leading to an intensified trade of fire. The Israeli army has enforced its presence in Jerusalem and has been conducting operations against Hamas, mainly destroying their military tunnels in the Gaza strip. Palestinians have been protesting against Trump’s decision all over the country, which resulted in Hamas announcing the beginning of the third intifada.

Many ethnic Arabs hope to see a two-state solution and a return of Palestinian land located behind the ‘1967 Lines’, re-establishing borders from before the Six Day War, when Israel captured the Gaza Strip from Egypt and the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, as well as the Golan Heights from Syria. Since that date, Israeli groups have continued to establish new communities in the West Bank, something Palestinians consider an act of aggression.

“All Red Lines Crossed”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Trump’s decision to recongize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was the “greatest crime” and a violation of international law. Delivering a speech at an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Wednesday, he said that the US could not play the role of mediator in the Middle East peace process, as it was “biased in favor of Israel.”

“Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of Palestine,” he said, adding that the US “has crossed all the red lines.”

War of Stone Intifada

The first Palestinian mass revolt happened in 1987, which saw the “genesis” of the State of Palestine in 1988. To the outside world, the first intifada is associated with so-called war of stones, when rocks were Palestinians’ main “weapon.” The first uprising, lasted until the 1991 peace talks at the Madrid Conference, although some date its conclusion to 1993 and the Oslo Accords, which offered mutual recognition to the warring parties. During the six years of the first intifada, the Palestinian death toll rose to 1,162-1,204; additional intra-Palestinian violence claimed nearly 1,000 lives. Conversely, 100 Israeli civilians and 60 members of the Israeli Defense Forces were reportedly killed.

Al-Aqsa Intifada

The second mass uprising started in the year of 2000, when Hamas involved itself in the struggle. It started when Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a holy place for all Muslims, is situated. The move was considered a provocation among Palestinians. The indignation bred violence; approximately 1,000 Israelis were killed in terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas in public places. Israel responded with airstrikes; an estimated 3,000 Palestinian civilians were killed. The 2005 Sharm el-Sheikh Summit is considered to have ended the Al-Aqsa intifada, when both sides agreed to a cease fire.

ISIS Threatens U.S. Attacks Over Trump’s Jerusalem Decision

“We will do more ops in your land, until the final hour and we will burn you with the flames of war…”

Mikael Thalen | Infowars.com - December 14, 2017


The Islamic State threatened to carry out new attacks inside the U.S. Thursday in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

According to Reuters, a message posted in a public channel on the Telegram instant messaging service warned of new operations on U.S. soil.

“We will do more ops in your land, until the final hour and we will burn you with the flames of war which you started in Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Syria and Afghan. Just you wait,” it read.

The message was displayed on an image depicting New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill on his knees next to an ISIS jihadist.



Displayed in two channels entitled “Wait for us” and “ISIS in Manhattan,” another message also featured images of an explosive belt and New York City’s Times Square.

“The recognition of your dog ‘Trump’ (sic) Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will make us recognize explosives as the capital of your country,” the message continued.



Anger erupted throughout the Middle East following Trump’s announcement last week to both recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to begin preparing plans to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv following a six-month hold.

Opponents of the decision accuse the president of sowing chaos in the region while supporters say Trump is merely moving forward with policy former presidents Clinton, Bush Jr. and Obama also vocally backed during their tenures.

Jerusalem, an important site for Jews, Muslims and Christians, is at the epicenter of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Monday 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, a Brooklyn resident originally from Bangladesh, attempted to detonate a pipe bomb in New York City’s Port Authority terminal. The bombing, which injured Ullah and three others, was carried out in the name of the Islamic State.

I wonder just how many times it is going to take the Muslims getting their collective butts kicked every time they mess with Israel, for them to get the message, 'THEIR' God is NOT the BOSS!

Somebody else's turn. I had mine in 73.

Haley warns US ‘taking names’ of UN opponents of Trump's Jerusalem move

By Tovah Lazaroff
December 20, 2017
Monday’s veto at the Security Council marked the first time the US has used its veto power since 2011.

The United States has publicly warned United Nations member states not to support Thursday’s UN General Assembly resolution denouncing US President Donald Trump’s declaration that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital.

The text will also call for nations, including the US, not to relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. To date, the US is the only country who said it will do so.

The UN General Assembly is scheduled to hold a special emergency session to disavow Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem on Thursday at the request of Yemen, Turkey and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The resolution is expected to pass by a large majority.

On Monday the US vetoed the same text at the UN Security Council, after the 14 other member states approved it.

“At the UN we're always asked to do more & give more,” US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley tweeted on Wednesday,

“So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American ppl, abt where to locate OUR embassy, we don't expect those we've helped to target us. On Thurs there'll be a vote criticizing our choice. The US will be taking names [sic],” Haley said.

At the UN we're always asked to do more & give more. So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American ppl, abt where to locate OUR embassy, we don't expect those we've helped to target us. On Thurs there'll be a vote criticizing our choice. The US will be taking names. pic.twitter.com/ZsusB8Hqt4
— Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) December 19, 2017


Haley also sent a warning letter to UN member states, portions of which were circulated on Twitter.

“To be clear, we are not asking for other countries [to] move their embassies to Jerusalem, though we think it would be appropriate. We are simply asking you acknowledge the historical friendship, partnership, and support we have extended and respect our decision about our embassy.

“The president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those who voted against us. We will take note of every vote on this issue,” Haley wrote.

The US has opposed the Jerusalem resolution out of support for Israel but also because it believes that matters involving American sovereignty are at stake as well.

Former Swedish prime minister and Co-Chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations Carl Blidt tweeted, "In UN Security Council US lost by 14-1 on issue of Jerusalem. Now it’s getting nervous and threatening prior to a vote in the UN General Assembly."

After the Security Council vote, Haley said, “The United States will not be told by any country where we can put our embassy.”

She further stated, “The fact that this veto is being done in defense of American sovereignty and in defense of America’s role in the Middle East peace process is not a source of embarrassment for us; it should be an embarrassment to the remainder of the Security Council.”

Monday’s veto at the Security Council marked the first time the US has used its veto power since 2011, when it put a halt to a resolution denouncing Israeli settlement activity.

Over the last ten years, the US has used its veto power only twice at the Security Council.

Russia, in contrast, has vetoed 16 Security Council resolutions in that same period, mostly on Syria and the Ukraine.

Five countries — the US, Russia, China, France and Great Britain — are permanent members of the Security Council and enjoy veto power. The other 10 countries on the council hold rotating two year positions.

The Jihadist are always looking for an excuse to blow themselves up. What a bunch of cowards. Instead of attacking the people they blame for all their inadequacies they target innocent civilians. The world has become tired of these terrorists. Instead of garnering attention and support for their cause they incur wrath and resentment. You would think these idiots would have put two and two together after Afghanistan.

Palestinians are really Philistines; ancient enemies of Israel. God gave Israel to the Jews so Israel's much larger borders that God gave them in ancient times should be restored. God's word the Bible tells that nations that help Israel will be blessed by God. Jihadists should be eliminated.

I see that Guatemala is moving their embassy and Romania is talking about following our lead...

The Arab League (Jordan, Egypt, and...alestinian hysteria over the Trump move.

Read the whole thing at the link.

Onward and upward,
airforce