Note from Editor: As a general rule Rye News is just that, news from Rye and the surrounding area – national and international matters are more than adequately covered in the national press. However, just occasionally it does no harm to allow readers to air their views, and perhaps start a conversation going, on wider matters. Rye, after all, is part of the wider world and we also have readers in many parts of that world, including, in this instance, the US who might be interested in what ordinary people – not just politicians – think.
While Rye News publishes stories about what happens locally, I do feel that at times it’s important to speak out about news and decisions made in the wider world which might affect us globally and seem to me to be unjust. To quote Martin Luther King Jnr: “When you know something is wrong and you don’t speak up, you become part of it.”
I am referring to the action of President Donald Trump, who without thinking or awareness of the sensibilities of the Israel-Palestine situation, announceD that the US endorses Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that he will relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He could have just simply said he will relocate offices.
Without trying to disentangle the history from years back, as there are too many differences of opinion, the fact is that East Jerusalem used to be Palestinian territory though occupied like the rest of the West Bank. Trump suggests he is doing something for the peace process. This is laughable, as he has alienated most of the Arab world and has been criticised by the West.
Instead, what would have helped is endorsing the stopping of illegal settlements and stopping the occupation and oppression of another people. Palestinians cannot freely move to hospital, see their friends and family or go to work on their olive groves without permission of the gatekeepers at the checkpoints. Indeed, many of their homes have been destroyed.
The Balfour Declaration promised a two-state solution and should be reiterated and negotiated with both countries (not giving up at the first hurdle), and accept the recognition of the State of Israel alongside the State of Palestine on the basis of the pre-June 1967 borders, as most UN members have done. President Trump has pushed the peace process way back and in my mind is playing a dangerous game that may affect us all eventually.
And just to stop any accusation of bias, I have a Jewish background that had grave consequences for my family.
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Photos: Library images
Photos: Library images
I fully agree with this opinion. This is a decision of such magnitude that it affects not only the future of the Palestinian and Israeli people, but the whole of the Middle East and the world. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a bleeding wound in the Middle East and the world. It lies at the heart of so many other problems that we face today. Trump violated UN resolutions calling for a two state solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict and a negotiated solution to the future status of Jerusalem. He has displayed not only ignorance and arrogance by this decision, but also total irresponsibility. What is almost worse is that we saw today that the US tried to blackmail UN member states not to support the resolution put forward at the general assembly – a resolution that went against the US decision. The US openly threatened member states with cutting future trading and aid if they were to vote against the US. I found that shameful and unacceptable in international politics. Such behaviour would have been unthinkable under the previous US administration.
This subject is a minefield but Heidi is right to remind everyone of the glaring injustice of the situation Palestinians find themselves in. Their land on the West Bank has hundreds of settlements illegally built by Israel and enforced by their army.
Palestine, which is now internationally recognised, has no sea port or airport and even people attempting medical procedures in Israel are held at the borders.
One is open to accusations of being anti Semitic by criticising Israel but that is not the case – I can criticise Trump’s USA without being anti-Christian.
Rye News is ,most of the time, an oasis of calm in a world of horrors and cruelty. It informs us of LOCAL happenings and contains a fair bit of local history. Please keep it that way.
World affairs and politics are available when we want in newspapers, on radio and TV news programs , even on Twitter, I believe! If we want to comment , we can do so in an apprpropriate way.
I for one will unsubscribe , if you sully this unique organ!
In 2016 the US gave Palestinian government 712 Million dollars for aid. Today, not one Palestinian children’s education book even mentions that Israel exists. Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for 3000 years. The Palestine Prince sold the Gaza strip to Israel decades ago. Now that Israel has created infrastructure making the land usable, Palestine wants it back. I am Christian and live in the US. I really do not care who owns it. But I will tell you this. Every other US President has avoided this (already agreed upon decision that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel). By the way Palestine has been using the money to fund terrorism. Trump is putting an end to it.
Re: Some news has to be talked about
Response to Comments. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond.
To Gary Smith I would answer, without getting into the historic truths, Why do you think the past US Presidents have not made the announcement re Jerusalem, because they are intelligent enough to know that it would create a further rift and do nothing for the peace process except set it back.
To Sheila Somerville I would like to respond that I hope she will continue to enjoy reading Rye News even if just occasionally we allow a more global view/opinion amidst the many Rye news/cultural events we publish.