NEWS:  December 29, 2017
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Bird’s Eye View of the News

Atila Sinke Guimarães
JERUSALEM, TRUMP’S FAUX PAS  –   Trump has been a controversial figure since he first decided to run for President. His election helped to polarize an American public opinion that had become completely fed up with the eight long years of the previous administration. Every achievable concession to Socialism and Communism was made by Obama in the political-social realm, in addition to his promotion of the worst possible customs – free-love, abortion, homosexuality and transgenderism, to cite only a few. These actions created among rightists and conservatives a disgust for the leftist agenda, which led to Trump’s election. These people voted for Trump and continue to support him as long as he himself does not shatter their confidence.

Trump shaking hands with Netanyahu

Trump's identification with the Jews has damaged the prestige of his administration. Above, during his visit to Jerusalem; below, a Western Wall criticism

West Wall cartoon depicting Trump kissing Netanyahu
Since he has kept some of his promises or at least tried to do so with relative success, he has made a great deal of the public glad. However, one of those kept-promises did not achieve unanimous approval: the change of Israel’s capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Many of his rightist and conservative followers do not sympathize with Judaism. Some, because they are against Jewish control of international finances, which makes the political-social reality look like a stage where puppets are manipulated by banks. Others are against Zionism, which is the movement that lobbied for the international community to give the Jews the opportunity to have their own State in Palestine.

After Israel was established in the Holy Land in 1948 through the United Nations, it relied preponderantly on the U.K. and the U.S. to survive politically and economically. To this day Israel’s economic dependence from the U.S. is considerable. The advantages the U.S. gives directly or indirectly to Israel are so significant that there are persons who call it our 51st State.

Although the State of Israel has reached a de jure international recognition, its de facto reality is not very comfortable. Indeed, since its establishment in the Holy Land, its presence there has been continuously contested by the Arabs. This contestation is not just theoretical discussions, but translates into continuous unrest and almost uninterrupted wars in its territory. This de facto situation is so extended that, if History is fair, it should consider these 70 years of Jewish occupation of the Palestinian lands as an usurpation.

At any rate, the city of Jerusalem has long had the status of an international city claimed to belong politically to both the Palestinians and the Jews, who both hold it to be their capital. Religiously, it is considered the holy city of Catholics, Muslims and Jews. This status has been recognized by International Law in several treatises.

Now, on December 6, 2017, Trump unilaterally declared Jerusalem as the official capital of the State of Israel and, as a consequence, he determined to move the American embassy to that city. It was a decision meant to contradict the established international treatises and, by a coup de force, impose Jerusalem as the capital solely of the Jewish State. It was a hasty action that disclosed Trump’s dream to act as the dictator over the entire world.

A political cartoon showing Trump killing the dove of peace in Jerusalem

Trump killing the dove of peace and stained with blood as he delivers Jerusalem to the Jews

The dream, however, was short-lived since his decision was strongly opposed by the international community gathering this month in the United Nations.

Indeed, on December 18, Egypt presented to the assembly of the United Nations a document opposed to Trump’s innovation. The Egyptian representative at the U.N. asked the country-members to consider any decision to change the status of Jerusalem as “null and void.” The resolution was approved by a large majority.

Out of 193 countries, 128 voted in favor of that resolution; only nine countries went against it and supported Trump – Israel, Togo, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau Marshall Island, Guatemala and Honduras. The number of abstentions was 35, including Canada and Australia. Traditional allies like England, Germany, France, Japan and even South Korea left the Trump administration initiative to sink in its own fiasco. (Cf. L’Osservatore Romano, December 23, 2017)

Shortly after, on December 19, the U.S. exercised its prerogative as a member of the U.N. Security Council to veto the decision.

On December 21, as a protest against this veto, Turkey and Yemen presented another proposition – unfortunately with only a symbolic effect – to rescind Trump’s decision on Jerusalem and block the U.S. decision to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem.

In this last document, Trump's decision was called “a threat for the stability of the Middle East and for international peace and security. Any decision or action to change the character, status or demographic composition of the holy city of Jerusalem has no legal effect, and is void and invalid.” (L’Osservatore Romano, December 23, 2017)

Next, on December 26, the American government announced a $285 million cut in its contribution to the U.N., stressing that more cutbacks would come if the organization continues to offend the U.S. (Cf. L’Osservatore Romano, December 27, 2017)

In Israel, Trump’s decision produced a wave of Palestinian protests. Local Arab leaders promised to start a new Intifada – or urban guerilla war – against the Jews.

Trump speaking with rabbis at the Wailing Wall

What are the reasons that moved Trump attempt to deliver Jerusalem to the Jews?

So far, the balance of all this turmoil is that the Trump administration has suffered an enormous loss in international prestige, making the U.S. more isolated than ever.

Why did Trump take this unpopular action? To please his Jewish friends/relatives? To obey orders of the financial power to which he is linked? To comply with a religious agenda of Jewish dominance?

I have no elements to respond to these questions. I can simply observe how events develop to see whether some symptoms allow me to recognize who inspired him and for what reason.

What I know for sure is that it was a faux pas that caused a heavy cloud of dislike to fall over Trump’s administration. I would say something of the spell that has fallen over the Jews for centuries.

This faux pas could have been avoided if the occupant of the White House were a little less proud and had a little more sense of reality.

An objector might ask me: So, are you now defending the U.N., a symbol of the One World Order that you have previously attacked?

My answer: Let me distinguish. The U.N. is actually a tool to establish the One World Order and, as such, I am glad to see that Trump is cutting its funds and threatening its existence. However, at this time in History it is an organism that reflects what the ensemble of nations thinks and, as such, should be taken into consideration. From this perspective, Trump made a vast mistake by going against the entire world.

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