US President Donald Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and relocate US embassy to the holy city has outraged the Muslim world. It has also been met by a strong disapproval in the Europe. At United Nations Security Council, America found itself isolated over the decision. France and other allies accused Mr Trump of violating international law. In fact, Frances UN ambassador Francois Delattre called the American recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital null and void because it contradicted a 1980 UN Security Council resolution on the status of Jerusalem. “At stake is respect for international law, Delattre said.
There has been widespread condemnation of the Trumps decision. Though recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital was Trumps campaign promise, nobody expected him to fulfil it. For far from contributing to the peace, this will further fan the conflict in Mideast. It has also set back the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. In the still unfolding fallout of the decision, Hamas has called for a third Intifada. And in the fresh violence, three Palestinians have been killed. Israel carried out airstrikes in Gaza in response to rockets fired from the territory. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has decided not to meet the US Vice President Mike Pence who is scheduled to visit the region. The graffiti on the walls in Bethlehem has made it clear that Pence was unwelcome in Palestine.
Biggest loser in the Trumps announcement has been the US image itself. The worlds lone superpower which only has the power and influence to broker a peace between Israel and Palestine has dented its credibility to act as an honest mediator, perhaps irreparably so. It has uninhibitedly thrown its lot with Israel by unilaterally gifting it Jerusalem. Though Jerusalem has been the Israeli seat of power for decades, the Jewish country occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it. Now the US recognition has legitimized Israeli occupation. However, while there have been protests all over the Muslim world with the leaders issuing statements against Trumps decision, there is little that Muslims can do about it. If anything, Trumps effortless and wilful announcement yet again highlights the weakness of the Muslim world. All the Muslim countries combined wield little geo-political power to stall such a move, let alone force a rethink on the decision. After all the protests and the rounds of condemnations, Muslim world will have little choice but to fall in line. True, Trumps decision is a disaster for the prospects of the peace but the implications of the consequent conflict will largely play out in the Muslim world. The state of chaos that currently marks the Islamic world will only further deepen and tear apart the societies.
But Muslims can choose to respond differently to the state of affairs. Protesting, condemning or a violent response will change so little for them. It will only lead to more suffering for them without changing the world a tad better for them. What will change is the educational and economic progress of the Muslim world. This alone will give them enough leverage in the geo-politics to pre-empt the moves that undermine the Muslims. But sadly Muslim response for the past two centuries has largely been to their detriment. It is time that the community stops acting predictably and instead focus on education and development. That alone will enable it to regain its lost glory.
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