And Such a Sacred City Should
Call Forth the Best in Humanity
Donald J. Trump
The US President during his speech about Jerusalem
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
An Editorial Note:
On December 6, 2017,
the President of the
U.S. Donald J. Trump
formally recognized
Jerusalem as
Israel’s capital. Speaking from the
White House’s
Diplomatic Reception Room, Trump
made a historic announcement
with several reflections
of theosophical
importance. He said, for instance:
“…The Israeli people have built a country
where Jews,
Muslims, and Christians - and people of all faiths -
are
free to live and worship according to their conscience
and according to their beliefs. Jerusalem is today -
and
must remain - a place where Jews pray at the Western
Wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross,
and where Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
See below the
full transcription of Donald Trump’s words.
(Carlos Cardoso
Aveline)
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Thank you.
When I came into office, I promised to look at the
world’s challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking. We cannot solve our
problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed
strategies of the past. All challenges demand new approaches.
My announcement today marks the beginning of a new
approach to conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. In 1995, Congress
adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act urging the federal government to relocate the
American embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize that that city - and so
importantly - is Israel’s capital.
This act passed Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan
majority, and was reaffirmed by unanimous vote of the Senate only six months
ago. Yet for over 20 years, every previous American president has exercised the
law’s waiver, refusing to move the US embassy to Jerusalem or to recognize
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city.
Presidents issued these waivers under the belief that
delaying the recognition of Jerusalem would advance the cause of peace. Some
say they lacked courage, but they made their best judgments based on facts as
they understood them at the time.
Nevertheless, the record is in. After more than two
decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between
Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the
exact same formula would now produce a different or better result.
Therefore, I have determined that it is time to
officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While previous
presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver.
Today, I am delivering.
I’ve judged this course of action to be in the best
interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between
Israel and the Palestinians. This is a long overdue step to advance the peace
process and to work towards a lasting agreement.
Israel is a sovereign nation with the right, like
every other sovereign nation, to determine its own capital. Acknowledging this
as a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace.
It was 70 years ago that the United States under
President Truman recognized the state of Israel. Ever since then, Israel has
made its capital in the city of Jerusalem, the capital the Jewish people
established in ancient times.
Today, Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli
government. It is the home of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, as well as
the Israeli supreme court. It is the location of the official residence of the
prime minister and the president. It is the headquarters of many government
ministries. For decades, visiting American presidents, secretaries of state,
and military leaders have met their Israeli counterparts in Jerusalem, as I did
on my trip to Israel earlier this year.
Jerusalem is not just the heart of three great
religions, but it is now also the heart of one of the most successful
democracies in the world. Over the past seven decades, the Israeli people have
built a country where Jews, Muslims, and Christians - and people of all faiths -
are free to live and worship according to their conscience and according to
their beliefs. Jerusalem is today - and must remain - a place where Jews pray
at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross, and where
Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
However, through all of these years, presidents
representing the United States have declined to officially recognize Jerusalem
as Israel's capital. In fact, we have declined to acknowledge any Israeli
capital at all. But today, we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem
is Israel’s capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of
reality. It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done.
That is why, consistent with the Jerusalem Embassy
Act, I am also directing the State Department to begin preparation to move the
American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This will immediately begin the
process of hiring architects, engineers, and planners so that a new embassy,
when completed, will be a magnificent tribute to peace.
In making these announcements, I also want to make one
point very clear: This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a
departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement.
We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for
the Palestinians.
We are not taking a position on any final status
issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in
Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the
parties involved. The United States remains deeply committed to helping
facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. I intend to do
everything in my power to help forge such an agreement.
Without question, Jerusalem is one of the most
sensitive issues in those talks. The United States would support a two-state
solution if agreed to by both sides. In the meantime, I call on all parties to
maintain the status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites, including the Temple Mount,
also known as Haram al-Sharif. Above all, our greatest hope is for peace - the
universal yearning in every human soul.
With today’s action, I reaffirm my administration’s
longstanding commitment to a future of peace and security for the region. There
will, of course, be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement. But
we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we
will arrive at a peace and a place far greater in understanding and cooperation.
This sacred city should call forth the best in
humanity - lifting our sights to what is possible, not pulling us back and down
to the old fights that have become so totally predictable. Peace is never
beyond the grasp of those willing to reach it. So today we call for calm, for
moderation, and for the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of
hate. Our children should inherit our love, not our conflicts.
I repeat the message I delivered at the historic and
extraordinary summit in Saudi Arabia earlier this year: The Middle East is a
region rich with culture, spirit, and history. Its people are brilliant, proud,
and diverse, vibrant and strong.
But the incredible future awaiting this region is held
at bay by bloodshed, ignorance, and terror. Vice President Pence will travel to
the region in the coming days to reaffirm our commitment to work with partners
throughout the Middle East to defeat radicalism that threatens the hopes and
dreams of future generations.
It is time for the many who desire peace to expel the
extremists from their midst. It is time for all civilized nations, and people,
to respond to disagreement with reasoned debate, not violence. And it is time
for young and moderate voices all across the Middle East to claim for themselves
a bright and beautiful future.
So today, let us rededicate ourselves to a path of
mutual understanding and respect. Let us rethink old assumptions and open our
hearts and minds to possible and possibilities. And finally, I ask the leaders
of the region - political and religious, Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish and
Christian and Muslim - to join us in the noble quest for lasting peace.
Thank you, God bless you, God bless Israel, God bless
the Palestinians, and God bless the United States.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
(Donald J. Trump)
000
Watch the above
speech at YouTube.
000
See in our associated websites the articles “Jerusalem, the Capital of Israel”, “Israel as a Utopia” and
“Israel and the Law of Cycles”.
000
