OPINION:
President Trump is the first president to have the ethical fortitude to proclaim that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel. Jerusalem is important only because the Jews made it important. History proves that Arabs and other Muslims customarily considered Jerusalem a backwater. In 1995 Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, requiring the movement of the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, even 22 years later, affirms Israel’s sovereignty. By removing the United States from the position of pressuring Israel to sacrifice its historic, religious and strategic capital, Israel will now be able to negotiate on its own behalf.
Of course, now the Arab bloc is threatening “spontaneous” violence and, as usual, promoting terrorism as a negotiation tactic. President Trump’s action will defang this blackmail. Recognizing Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel also means cementing the antiIranian alliance.
Thank you, President Trump. Puncturing the Arabs’ delusional pipe dream of Israel’s destruction provides a path toward peace.
ALAN J. WINTERS
Bellaire, Texas
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