US President Donald Trump’s recognition of the city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital may well serve the interests of his domestic political base. But it will jeopardise ongoing peace efforts in the Middle East as well as worsening the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A Palestinian strike and a call for a new “intifada” or uprising following Mr Trump’s announcement of the decision show how the region is now bracing for another round of upheaval.
Moving to fulfil one of his election campaign pledges, the announcement by Mr Trump came despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition. He decided to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city, a plan that will take some time for it to be fully implemented.
The US embassy move has been in the pipeline for years but every six months the US president had to sign a waiver maintaining the (former) status quo.
Mr Trump says his decision will lead to the "ultimate" deal to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlikely. Instead, it isolates the US from its allies who maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. The international community has always called for a peaceful solution through talks on the fate of the city.
With the exception of Israel, which has welcomed the moved and long claimed the holy city as its capital, world leaders have reacted to Mr Trump’s decision with dismay and criticism, calling it a mistake.
Expressing his "deep worry" about the city that is held in sacred regard by Christians, Jews and Muslims, Pope Francis called to maintain its ambiguous status to avoid further conflict.
The pope was not alone in his call for Mr Trump to keep the lid from blowing. Heads of state in the Middle East and other world leaders, including some of America's closest allies, have heaped criticism on Washington's shift in foreign policy.
The European Union has called for calm and restraint as it expressed "serious concern" about the move. In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Theresa May said it was "unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region". German Chancellor Angela Merkel "does not support" the move.
King Abdullah of Jordan and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came out to say Mr Trump's decision could have dangerous consequences. And they were right. The region has been in a state of uncertainty, and now is even more so.
Yesterday, Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, called for a third uprising against Israel. The Israeli military deployed more troops to the occupied West Bank. A mass demonstration has been planned, and several thousand people marched in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday night, burning US and Israeli flags. Moreover, an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq threatened to attack US forces in the country.
As the world moves forward with the region enjoying a period of relative calm, historical claims alone should not dictate the city's fate. Israel seized east Jerusalem in a 1967 war — and that is also a historical fact. Therefore, countries such as United States should not start to make decisions based on historical claims because if that is the case then China’s claim to almost the entire South China Sea should also be recognised.
What is paramount in this day and age of increasing violence and hatred is that all efforts should be made to keep the world free from increasing tensions.
Powerful countries such as the United States should play their role in fostering peace, not appeasing their funding sources.