"President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser, Jared Kushner, plans to travel to the Middle East this week to try to advance U.S. efforts to reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, a White House official said Sunday." WSJ, June 18
Trump has taken some controversial stances concerning Israel:
Trump broke with U.S. foreign policy by stating that he would move Israel's capitol city to Jerusalem.
He has also said that he will look at a 'One State Solution,' as opposed to the traditional U.S. insistence on a 'Two State Solution.'
He has appointed David Friedman as the ambassador to Israel.
Why are these statements controversial?
A U.S./Israeli embassy in Jerusalem:
Many people might think that Jerusalem is the natural capitol of Israel, but this concept reflects a religious understanding of the region, not a realist political view.Jerusalem is not legally the territory of any state, though popular understanding has been that the city would be split between Israel and Palestine as part of a two-state solution.
In the religious view Israel has always belonged to all Jewish people, and the capital of Jerusalem is the rightful jewel of Israel's crown.
In the realist political view, the land was an eclectic mix of Arabic speaking, Middle Eastern communities, including a 20% minority population of Jewish Arabs. Immigration of other Jews to the area, coordinated by the Russian Zionist Congress and international leaders, started in the late 1800's and has grown to the Jewish majority state of Israel we know today. There had not been a Jewish majority in the region for thousands of years before the mid 1900's.
The modern nation of Israel, and modern language of Hebrew, did not exist until the mid 1900's, and has always excluded Jerusalem because of the city's religious importance to Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
Modern Hebrew, Old or New?
The U.S. and Britain played integral roles in shifting the political landscape after the world wars, including creating new borders in the Middle East. The Israel/Palestine borders were of these new demarcations.
Some see Israel in the Middle East as a state surrounded by enemies, and others see Israel as an enemy placed in the Middle East. Millions of refugees still live in camps in countries surrounding Israel as second class citizens. Most terrorist organizations have grown out of these camps and disaffected communities which were expelled from British Palestine upon the UN's grant of an Israeli state.
Read more about U.S. involvement in creating Israel/Palestine here.
Jerusalem is a key issue in the conflict between Israel/Palestine and the region. Both Israel and Palestine see Jerusalem as their capital, linking religious sites there to their national identities.
Initially Jerusalem was supposed to be an international city state to protect access to holy sites for all.
What would the ramifications of officially treating Jerusalem as Israel's capitol? It is an implicit nod to Israel as the rightful protectorate of the holy city.
A One State Solution
The Problem with a Two-State Solution
There is a lot of concern about President Trump talking about a 'One State Solution' for Israel/Palestine, but most people agree that a two state solution is fantasy at this late point in the conflict. Why? Israel has illegally appropriated most of the land marked as Palestine.Read statements from U.S. presidents about Israeli settlements here.
Also, Palestinians have had a hard time creating an effective, sustainable government. Palestinians are separated geographically by the state of Israel, with one section of Palestine being the West Bank, and the other the Gaza. Complicating matters, Palestinians are under Israeli military control (which is condemned by the UN, and the U.S.). They are fractured by walls and checkpoints, without necessary political rights of freedom of association and freedom of movement.
The U.S. and Britain have prevented Palestine from being recognized as a state in the U.N., and Palestinian political groups have been labeled terrorist organizations as 'non-state' militants. It is all very complicated, but at the core are issues of self-determination, human rights, and international laws .
The Problem with a One State Solution
From the Israeli side:A core issue, especially from more right leaning political perspectives in Israel, is the maintenance of a 'Jewish' state.
The government in Israel is majority 'right wing' with Benjamin Netanyahu as the leader.
What does a 'Jewish' state mean? This definition is integral to the Israel/Palestine conflict. For some, it means that Israel must remain a majority Jewish state, with laws that maintain this goal. Israel has several laws that favor Jews over non-Jews including resident restrictions in communities. These sorts of laws have Israelis and others asking, "Can Israel be a 'Jewish' state, and a democracy?" Many say yes, but extremist religious views must be accountable to such an ideal.
The most emotional concern for some Israelis is the notion of 'right of return' of those expelled from their property by Israel. Right of return would effectively make the Jewish culture a minority in Israel. Jews have a long history of being persecuted and some see a Jewish majority as a necessary protection against future abuses against Jews.
From the Palestinian side:
Palestinians are worried that they will not receive full rights in a single state, as reflected in the current system of laws and behaviors. Palestinians also have unresolved issues of compensation for land illegally taken by Israel. However, some Palestinians see a one state solution as the only viable option.
There is deep distrust and tension between the two groups, and the anger directed at Israel for illegal political abuses might not dissipate with the annexation of occupied Palestine.
The U.S. is caught up in the ramifications of any decision, as we have supported and defended the political interests of Israel financially, militarily, and at the UN.
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