Reasons for NOT Moving the Embassy to Jerusalem

 

This has been the most and greatest coverage we have seen since the Inauguration of President Trump when covering his promises and the possibility that he might falter. Every article has mentioned different choices predicting which promises the President Trump would renege upon. Many claimed he would never build the wall along the Mexican border. Some kind of cheated by claiming that he would merely use a fence or even cameras with computer monitoring for motion detection and alerting the Border Police instead of building a wall along the entire border. Some would claim that the terrain would prevent it being a wall along the entire border but these arguments were disingenuous as the wording of a “wall along the Mexico border” simply meant closing the border through the use of combined deterrents, walls, fences or monitoring through advances of technology in the most difficult terrain or least used crossing locations and simply closing the border using all means necessary and required. Others claimed he would be unable to deport all the illegal immigrants as promised. First off, that was not the promise. He promised to deport illegal immigrants with felony convictions and to work at finding an equitable solution in which deportation may be an integral part of the equation.

 

The one item which made virtually every article’s list was the promise to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Almost, well, honestly every article we read claimed that President Trump would not be capable of moving the embassy as the threats, dangers, political pressures or even that Trump would use moving the embassy to force the Israelis to make the next concession of dividing Jerusalem and returning to the 1949 Armistice Lines with very minor land swaps making a final peace deal. What the problem with the claim is that the Congress passage and the signing into law of the Jerusalem Act “recognized Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel, under Israeli sovereignty.” That makes an undivided Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty United States law and thus holds any President to standing either actively for the undivided capital of Israel as being all of Jerusalem or remaining silent, no matter how President Obama attempted to divide Jerusalem as he disregarded numerous laws including the United States Constitution. Even some Israeli media has come up with lists for why President Trump will not, or should not (Haaretz), move the embassy to Jerusalem claiming things so extreme as stated by Haaretz, “Relocating its embassy to Jerusalem would mean the U.S. taking a partisan stance on a central and sensitive issue, a source of controversy between Israel and the Palestinians, and between Israel and the international community.” That is a falsehood unless moving the embassy to western Jerusalem would be taking a position that western Jerusalem would remain part of Israel. Is Haaretz indicating that Israel should leave western Jerusalem and if that is the meaning, then what else should Israel surrender or does Haaretz stand with the most extreme position such as that expressed by Helen Thomas who stated on May 27, 2010, when asked whether she had any comments on Israel? “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine,” she replied. “Remember, these people are occupied and it’s their land. It’s not Germany, it’s not Poland.” When further asked where they should go, she answered, “They should go home.” When asked where’s home, Thomas replied: “Poland, Germany and America and everywhere else.”

 

 

The American Embassy could easily be moved to even the most western edge of Jerusalem and be as far as possible from any lands under dispute and still there would be whole hosts of people screaming that the United States is persecuting the Palestinian Arabs and determining to cheat them out of their homeland. This might at first glance appear as a ridiculous position to take as it could be so easily repudiated except that the Palestinian Arab claims include all of Jerusalem. The reality is the United States has already made a statement that is determined to cheat the Palestinian Arabs out of their homeland by leaving their embassy in Tel Aviv as the Arab claim is to all of Israel just as the students chant in campuses across the United States, Europe and beyond, “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free.” The Palestinian Arabs are actually the entire Arab world’s crowbar and will be their implement by which they continue to wage their war to destroy all of Israel. The truth is the existence of a United States Embassy is an affront to the Palestinian Arab claims to their “rightful” country which would be built on the ruins of the Jewish State as anything less would be an aberrance to their stated demands and eventual goals. This is part of why Mahmoud Abbas, and Yasser Arafat before him, refused even offers which granted them with over 90% of Judea and Samaria along with all of Gaza and east Jerusalem as their capital when offered in 1999, 2000 and in 2008.

 

So, why should President Trump move the United States Embassy to Jerusalem according to us here at Beyond the Cusp? Well, we could use our favorite reason when trying to win an argument as kids with our parents when life got between us and a promise to go somewhere fun, “But you promised,” but we know that does not wash when things are on this level. First, it would send a message that there really has been a change in Washington D.C. and that the change will very likely be permanent for all intents and purposes. The world’s train is racing towards oblivion and nobody is manning the breaks. The old steam engine is racing with its speed balls spinning full out threatening to blow off their spinners. Everything about the old globe is screaming, whistles blowing and rivets near popping and the boiler exploding and the Deadman’s switch rig disabled and there is nobody in the cabin. Well, there was nobody in the cabin. This was the picture of the world not long ago and hopefully things will be saved before we hit a sharp curve and it all goes off the tracks. Brexit was step one and President Trump is step two but nobody knows how many steps it will require for sanity to rescue the world. Will the needful steps be taken or will the next cataclysm strike before the world regains sanity. What are the necessary steps that will bring the world back within the bounds, who can tell? The world has been slowly gaining reckless speed slowly slipping out of control and towards untold violence. There are those forces which would welcome the untold violence. They loudly proclaim their love for violence and the death it brings. They claim to worship death and that this allows them power over all who worship life. Their claim is that death conquers life. Those who love life claim that death is the rest one receives after a full, long and hopefully well spent life. These are opposing views which cannot be reconciliated, one must prevail. The good news is that President Trump is aware of the challenge though he has spoken only about it through allegory and indirect references. Moving the United States Embassy would be a strong message when it is announced as a definitive and executable policy decision. Perhaps that is the future for the moving of the United States Embassy, a declaration that the United States and life will declare over death and those who believe it is primacy. Yes, perhaps the moving of the Embassy will be a greater declaration than what the debaters believe it will be. Perhaps there is a grander plan than we are aware, perhaps the plan is greater than men and from beyond our understanding. This may be a greater issue than a mere embassy and the city in which it sits. Jerusalem had been more than a city and perhaps this is more than a simple embassy. Lastly, if the reason not to move the embassy to Jerusalem is because it reportedly will inflame Muslim passions moving them to further animosity and in turn greater acts of violence, then there is no reason not to move the embassy as from all observations of the Middle East, especially Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Libya and both Sudan and South Sudan as well as the levels of terrorism in Europe, more so Western Europe and also in the United States, though there it has been reported as anything but terror, especially Islamic driven terror, the levels could not conceivably be any higher. Violence, thy name is Islam, has become a truism of our times and thus simply move the embassy as there is no possible additional levels other than war, and that will happen whether the embassy is moved or not. If we had our way and the United States had not already purchased the land, then we would call for the embassy not only to be moved to Jerusalem but to the Jewish sector of the Old City as well. After all, did not Trump promise that his Presidency would be a brave and bold rebeginning for America and her relations with her friends? Well then, let’s get it off on the right foot.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Anti-Semitism’s Israeli Amplifier of Inaction and Timidity

 

The existence of anti-Semitism across Europe, Canada, the United States and the rest of the developed world, particularly on college campuses, is growing and will soon be beyond control and spread throughout society. The first waves will soon break out as today’s college students being steeped in anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic programs and virtual pogroms graduate and bring their toxic views into the political world and then the workplace and society as a whole. These indoctrinations are presented as presumed pro-Palestinian protests such as Israel Apartheid Week, mock checkpoints, demonstrations blocking campus access portraying the Israeli security barrier as the modern version of the Berlin Wall or the Warsaw Ghetto Walls as well as faux eviction notices placed on Jewish and pro-Israel students’ dorm rooms claiming their rooms are to be demolished as protest of terror home demolitions and simple, straight out physical intimidation of Jewish and pro-Israel students. For further observations and documentations one can start with these two articles; Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain and Hotbeds of Anti-Semitism in British Academia or use the results from a simple search engine results for anti-Semitism on college campus we performed as a free service to make life easier.

 

This article is not out to bang the drum which already has been accomplished to the point that a complete percussion section has been added to the anti-Semitism orchestrated noises around the world just covering college campuses and in some cases it spreading to public high schools. This is following a normal progression for many politicized items as has been tracked with other subjects such as global climate change, equal opportunity, affirmative actions, LGBTQ rights and other highly charged political subjects from our modern societies. We will be taking a different tact driving to perceive what is probably the one major change which if taken would help rid the entire developed world from this pernicious evil. We will leave the proof to the links above and what will probably be more than sufficient numbers of articles which are sure to continue to surface. That could change and do so with a rapidity that would astonish the world and could be right around the corner if only some specific events and particular actions taken by some crucially critical people would materialize, but such things are unfortunately not looking ready to occur. So, let’s dive in and see what needs to be shaking.

 

Anti-Israel Protests

 

One of the first items which everybody a week ago thought was fair accompli and about to happen as soon as all the arrangements were done and ground was broken was the repeated statement once more by a candidate for President of the United States that the American Embassy in Israel would be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Candidate Donald Trump promised, and we quote, “We will move the American Embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem,” speaking to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in March. Further he stated this important add-on stating, “The Palestinians must come to the table knowing that the bond between the United States and Israel is absolutely, totally unbreakable.” Well, here we are in week one and already the moving of the American Embassy to Jerusalem has gone from we will to a process where ramifications and complications must be weighed and a cost/benefit analysis performed and all the other irrelevant items being spit out all in an effort to say we are going to do the same old same old. We have already heard of Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and other Arab allies having warned the White House of severe repercussions should it proceed with the move. The threats included a threatened review of bilateral relations with both the US and Israel plus warnings of an upsurge in violence should the embassy be relocated. Please do not tell us that the Trump campaign were not aware of these ramifications when they followed the well-worn path of lying to AIPAC knowing full well that they would turn everything over to the State department and Pentagon and either or both would come back with a report warning against such rash actions as they would inflame the world and the ramifications far outweighed any benefit if there could even be an argument that there exists a benefit. Further, they would question the expense and warn that such simply was politically risky should any of the threats of violence be traced to having moved the Embassy, which the State department would warn they would most likely find as the cause of any terrorism targeting American facilities overseas.

 

So, Trump is not going to be as pro-Israel as advertised, and why should he? Expecting President Trump to be more pro-Israel than Israel is ridiculous, as it should be. We learned this centuries ago and it was most succinctly stated by Rabbi Hillel who wisely asked, “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?” When, as we mentioned yesterday, the Israeli Security Cabinet voted unanimously to delay discussion on any law annexing Maaleh Adumim, can we expect for President Trump to stick his neck out and move the American Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem when the Israelis main decision makers unanimously refused to even consider annexing just a suburb of East Jerusalem? Of course that would be ridiculous. For proof just read Hillel above and it plainly states that step one will always be us being for what we hold dear before we can expect others to act similarly in our interests. Perhaps it would be a good idea to inundate the members of the Knesset’s e-mails with copies of Hillel’s quote followed by a simply Yiddish question, “Nu?” implying to ask what have you done recently which changes anything. Israel acting weak and timid reflects on everything worldwide simply because Israel is the exemplary representation of Jewish pride and strength and of late Israel has shown neither for quite some time.

 

When Israel acts decisively and boldly projects strength and confidence taking whatever steps necessary to protect their people and the future of the Jewish State, it becomes reflected in the actions by Jews in the world and affects the way Jews are treated. When Israel demands respect as she did during the first half of her brief history, the world respected the Jews and allowed for Jews to be proud and live holding their heads high. As Israel has mired herself and given concession after concession with nothing to show for any of it as the land for peace more represented land for terrorism and Israel appeared weak and Jews started to wear long faces and are soon, if not already, hang their heads and shuffle along giving once again the image of the Jew ready to be kicked and ill-regarded. The ghetto Jews, as it had been called throughout much of modern history, was again the view. The Jews were those people who are to be blamed for all the ills in the world, all the wars, all the hatreds, all the destitution, all of any and every evil imaginable and the Jew could be kicked and spat upon and they would shuffle off accepting any scorn. This persona has become accepted on all too many college and university campuses in the developed world. As Israel is demeaned and seen as threatened and not really taking actions to protect themselves, this places the Jews across the world in jeopardy of attack and other forms of anti-Semitism. These acts have already made numerous cities across Europe actually dangerous to Jews to even so threatening that, as in Malmo, most of the Jews are packing up and departing. The numbers of Jews making Aliyah from France this past year was the highest since the end of World War II and many times the average for any year in the past half century. Further, the Arab world is using their oil wealth to finance those NGOs who coordinate numerous campus groups in anti-Israel and anti-Zionist programs with very obvious and well-coordinated demonstrations and events demeaning Israel and Zionism and by an extension anti-Semitism as many times these actions also lead to direct targeting of the Jews on the campus sometimes placing their lives and health in danger.

 

As noted in the articles linked above, there are campuses in Britain where Jews do not even apply as the atmosphere is that toxic. This is a direct result of Israeli passive resistance to terrorism and apparent trepidation to acting boldly to suppress those acting against her. This has to end but for that to come to pass Israel will need to elect a far more active and bold leadership. This can be done but first an election is necessary and the Israeli Zionists and related activists will need find and promote someone to lead one of the existing parties and then support that party with sufficient votes that they either are the party making the coalition or be the main partner in a coalition with sufficient influence to force definitive action. The United States election set in place an opportunity of a lifetime. The election of Donald Trump as President and the fact that for the first time in memory the House of Representatives, the Senate, the White House and soon even the United States Supreme Court will be Republican or conservative making support for Israel, especially as a fair percentage of Democrats in Congress also support Israel, a given, freeing Israel to act without any ramifications from Washington. This is a situation which has not been seen since the founding of the modern state of Israel and may never return again should it disappear in the next election, a certain possibility as the opponents to President Trump will throw everything they have to at least take back the House of Representatives if not also the Senate. There are no guarantees in American politics but the stars and planets have aligned along with the Congress and White House to favor a bold and take-action Israel, now all that is necessary is leadership willing to take action which will define the state of Israel and the state of Israeli politics for the foreseeable future.

 

The unfortunate unanimous vote by the Prime Minister’s Security Cabinet to delay considerations on annexing Maaleh Adumim must be laid in the lap of Prime Minister Netanyahu as well as any leaders of the presumed Zionist and Religious Zionist parties who are represented in the Security Cabinet such as Naftali Bennet. There can be no excuse other than fear of retributions from European nations who are acting with ill will already towards Israel and also allowing similar disregards for their Jewish citizens throughout their college and university communities and even in many cities and towns. The BDS movement is making strides thanks to the recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2334 which was facilitated by President Obama who had been rumored was personally involved along with his Secretary of State John Kerry as a means of tying incoming President Trump’s hands in dealing with Israel and in the Middle East. The best way to counter the disastrous implications of that UNSC Resolution is strong and defined actions performed as an in your face Israeli response. The UNSC will not be following up and passing any similar or other damaging resolution against Israel as President Trump will reinstate the American veto of such damaging resolution in the UNSC. The message must be delivered to the Knesset that the irons are hot and it is time to put the hammer to anvil and beat out a favorable fait accompli. The time to annex not only Maaleh Adumim, but Bet El, Ariel, Betar Illit, Modi’in Illit, Har Gilo, Gush Etzion at the least and all of Judea and Samaria returning the PLO, Fatah, and all other terrorist affiliated persons to Tunis or wherever in Europe they would be welcome and give the Arab Palestinians their first hopes for a bright and unencumbered future free of the kleptocracy which has stolen all hope from them for the past near quarter of a century. Will the world, particularly Europe, explode in indignation? Probably, but ride out their initial explosion and with time they will tire of complaining and when things here in Israel settle and the Arabs are slowly but surely incorporated into Israeli society and their lives improve immeasurably, there will be less and less reason to protest eventually leaving no reasons to protest. The future with a secure Israel, and this should be the sole consideration of the Knesset, is with Israel with all the lands promised us between the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and not sharing it with any terrorist nest guaranteed to feed the world’s need to hate Israel, and by equal measure hate Jews. Israel could do more to guarantee her future and destroy anti-Semitism by simply annexing all of Judea and Samaria, removing those who would continue being a menace and reward those Arabs who desire living in peace with equality and security for all. By acting to assure Israel’s future and boldly protecting Israel, Israel would herself be combatting anti-Semitism in the world with better efficiency than any other actions could dream of accomplishing. The first question is can Netanyahu act or is he so damaged by the strains of leadership that he is no longer capable of acting definitively and securing the Israeli future? The last question is are the Zionist Israelis organized enough to start and continue programs and demonstrations demanding that the Knesset and the Prime Minister with his Security Cabinet act definitively with a minimum of delay as time is precious, and if we might repeat Rabbi Hillel, “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?”

 

Beyond the Cusp 

 

Israel Prepares for New Reality

 

For quite some time Israel has seen the writing on the wall and knew she was not prepared for what lies ahead in her future. She had absorbed influxes of immigrants over the years with varying levels of effectiveness. There was the initial pouring in of European Jews who survived World War II and the European death camps. This is the only influx of immigrants most of the world remembers and thus get the warped opinion that Israel is simply a European colony. The second influx of immigrants laid that misconception aside as false as these were the nearly one million Jews expelled from across the Arab and Muslim worlds from Pakistan to Morocco and Turkey to the Sudan to Yemen and beyond. These Asian, Middle Eastern and North African Jews comprise almost half the population of Israel at the time of the Six Day War in June of 1967. There have been subsequent waves of immigration with the largest single source being Russian Jews many of which spent time in work camps while others simply took advantage of a means to leave the Soviet Union. Other immigrant waves were less in numbers but some of those Israel is most proud to have found the means to settle and incorporate into the population. There were the Ethiopian Jews who have been airlifted from camps in Ethiopia and other Ethiopian Jews have made their way to Israel through airlifts and some by their own volition. There were the Bnei Menashe Jews from India and various other groups of Jews from the world over.

 

Israel is truly a multi-ethnic nation as well as multi-religious with approximately twenty percent of the Israeli population made up of Arabs, both Christian and Muslim, who enjoy the full rights as citizens of the State of Israel. There are Arabs in the Knesset, they are judges, doctors, nurses, teachers and virtually every other profession one can think of and have their own churches and Mosques worshiping as they please. They vote in all elections and are equal citizens in every aspect bar none. There is also a community of Bahá’í who have two shrines in Israel, one near the recognized heritage site outside of Akko on Israel’s northern coast and the other on Mount Carmel in Haifa (see image below). These are the resting places of Baha’u’llah and the Bab, the founders of the Bahá’í Faith. Israel and India are the sole nations with such Bahá’í religious structures and grounds. The Bahá’í Faith was founded in Iran in the mid-19th century in Iran where the religion is all but outlawed today.

 

Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa

 

Things in Israel are about to change with yet two more waves of immigration by Jews to come. The first has already started and will result in the many European Jews and remaining Jews throughout the world with two main exceptions, Canada and the United States, will begin their exodus to Israel though a fair number of European Jews may choose to immigrate to the United States given half an opportunity. The European influx has already begun with France, Sweden, the Ukraine and the Balkan States being the early entries as anti-Semitism grows once again across the continent. Perhaps by now we should call it the Dark Continent of Europe as its history of anti-Semitism dates back to the early Greeks through the Roman and Byzantine Empires and continued through every age of Europe with Jews often keeping a couple of suitcases packed in case the family had no time to pack before leaving. There were those who believed anti-Semitism was a monstrous evil which had been put in its grave but alas that did not even prove true for Europe, let alone the MENA States (Middle East and North Africa). What was disparaging was one particular result of the worldwide anti-Semitism study which found that some seventy percent of those considered anti-Semitic said they have never met a Jew. That has to be one of the most vexing discoveries from the universal study of anti-Semitism in the world today. Still, such does not alter the fact that anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe and if truth be told, also in the United States. There remains approximately one and a quarter to one and a half million Jews across Europe which is one reason there has been such a concentration on building new apartments within the Green Line and any demographic scientist would point out that Israel does not have sufficient lands to support the entirety of the World Jewish population, though that is a definitive possible future. Where Israel would face incredible difficulties would be should the nearly six and a half million Jews from the Americas (North, South and Central America) move in great numbers to Israel as this would be a doubling of the Israeli population when adding in the coming Europeans whether these Europeans first settle in North America or come straight to Israel. These demographic bombs are part of the reason that Israel must insist that she be granted what was promised by the Oslo Accords and be permitted to annex at a minimum the lands of Area C.

 

That brings us to the election of Donald Trump, a man who might become the most supportive President concerning Israel. It is undeniable that the Republican Platform plainly states that they no longer support the two state solution. President elect Trump has stated he does not see the “settlements” as a problem for making peace. One advantage Donald Trump has is that he fully understands contracts and can read the Oslo Accords and the promises and preconditions placed into that agreement and the related United Nations Resolution and realize at no point does anything demand Israel vacate all of the lands won in their defensive war in 1967 and the Six Day War and 1973 and the Yom Kippur War. It is obvious that Israel having returned the Sinai Peninsula and given up Gaza has already fulfilled any obligation for returning lands and that the main reason there has been no peace reached between Israel and the Arab Palestinians has been the Arab intransigence demanding the total destruction of Israel as a Jewish State, let alone the Jewish State. Between the Republican Platform and statements from Donald Trump an end to this decades’ long nightmare might actually be forthcoming.

 

This likely also explains the opposite voting patterns between American Jews residing in the United States and American Jews residing in Israel. In the United States it was reported that approximately, if not more than, three-quarters of Jews voted for Hillary Clinton while Israeli Jews and Orthodox Jews in the United States voted over three-quarters for Donald Trump. This last fact, especially orthodox Jews, of Jewish support for President elect Trump should dispel the ugly rumor that Donald Trump harbor anti-Semitic feelings. He will be the first American President with Jewish grandchildren as well as a daughter who has converted to Judaism (see images below). Trump’s chosen Middle East and Israel advisors support Israel and the Zionist enterprise of reestablishing the ancient home of the Jewish People with Jerusalem as its political and religious Capital City. Of course everything remains to be seen and what will be borne out after the State department gets their say into the mix will remain to be seen.

Ivanka Trump with Jared Kushner
and daughter Arabella Rose and son Joseph Frederick
and Ivanka with youngest son Theodore James

The final concern which Israel very well may face in the future would be the near unthinkable of anti-Semitism becoming so strongly engaged by populations the world over that Israel becomes the sole refuge from the storm. This would most certainly double the population of Israel and as what starts with the Jews rarely ends there, the potential for certain, if not all, Christians becoming victims of secular purges where any religion outside secular humanism are chased from the world’s societies. There are many who claim that the numbers of Christians would prevent such from ever coming to fruition in the Western world. The problem is looking at the Western world, especially Europe, and one sees a land destitute of Christians. The churches and cathedrals stand with empty pews Sunday after Sunday with some being sold to be torn down, used for Mosques or any other assorted uses. Should Christianity face the same withering assault from secular purists they too might seek refuge where religion still has a home, Israel and certainly areas in South America and Central and Southern Africa and Asia. There can be little denial that much of Western society no longer finds a place for religion and in a couple more generations such a trend to believe in mankind and the governments that man creates could lead to a cleansing of what would be viewed as a backward and suspicious practice with archaic structures and beliefs which would have no place in the perfect world presumably designed by man dedicated to pure intellect. For me, just leave me be and let me know how that works out in the end. I have my suspicions and they do not appear to be pretty, at least not as pretty as the secular humanists like to paint their bleak existence.

Beyond the Cusp