‘Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel and remain undivided’

December 10, 2017

PAST SUPPORT: “On vote after vote I have demonstrated my support for the State of Israel, so the way you know where somebody is going is where they’ve been and I’ve been with Israel for many, many years now. What is also true is that I strongly believe in the interests of Israel’s security to arrive at a lasting people with the Palestinian people. I don’t think those positions are contradictory, they are complementary.” – Former president Barack Obama when speaking in the city of Sderot, Israel in 2008. Picture by Pete Souza. 

 

CONTINUED ACCESS: I also want to make clear there will be no change to the status quo of the Holy Sites. Israel will always ensure freedom of worship for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.” – in part of Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s on access to holy sites of Jerusalem. Picture by Andrew Sheva.

MILLENIAL LEGACY: “Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years. It has been the capital of Israel for 70 years. It is here that our temples stood, our kings ruled, our prophets preached. Jerusalem has been the focus of our hopes, dreams and prayers for three millennia.” – Israel Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. Picture courtesy of US State Department.

 

 

PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by moving its embassy there has received backing from an unlikely source.

This subject is being touched upon on this site and community page as it is constantly being talked about on dinner tables and there are people I know from Dorset who are in Israel right now when this announcement was made, and interestingly many people who are not religious at all have very strong opinions on this.

The following quotes emerged from speeches made from former president Barack Obama made to the America Israel Public Affairs committee as a senator in 2008 and also from another speech as a Democratic presidential candidate in the city of Sderot, when visiting the country in the same year.

‘Israel’s security is non-negotiable’

In his speech, Mr Obama said at the time: “Let me clear, Israel’s security is sacrosanct – it is non-negotiable. The Palestinians needs a state that is contiguous and cohesive and that allows them to prosper but any agreement with the Palestinian people must preserve Israel’s identity as a Jewish state with secure, recognised defensible borders and Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided.”

‘Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel’

“I continue to say that Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel and I have said that before and I will say it again but it is also important to say that we don’t simply slice the city in half and that is a final status issue that has to be done by the parties involved – the Palestinians and the Israelis and it is not the job of the United States to dictate that form in which that will take support that are being made right now to support these very difficult issues.

“In the past week we passed out of the US Senate Banking Committee – which is my committee – a bill to call for divestment from Iran as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don’t obtain a nuclear weapon when Israel invaded Lebanon in response to the kidnapping of Israel’s soldiers I was one of the first people to state that Israel had an unequivocal right to defend itself and captured and that is what any country would do.

‘My position is not contradictory, it’s complementary’

“On vote after vote I have demonstrated my support for the State of Israel, so the way you know where somebody is going is where they’ve been and I’ve been with Israel for many, many years now.

“What is also true is that I strongly believe in the interests of Israel’s security to arrive at a lasting people with the Palestinian people. I don’t think those positions are contradictory, they are complementary.”

And as this footage also shows, former presidents George W Bush and William (Bill) Jefferson Clinton also made similar pronouncements but admittedly didn’t follow them through.

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu made the following speech on the day President Donald Trump made this historic announcement said access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Temple Mount for Muslims Christians and Jews will carry on as usual.

‘Jerusalem has been focus of Jews for 3,000 years’

“Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years. It has been the capital of Israel for 70 years. It is here that our temples stood, our kings ruled, our prophets preached. Jerusalem has been the focus of our hopes, dreams and prayers for three millennia.

“From every corner of the earth our people yearned to return to Jerusalem to touch its golden stones and walk its hallowed streets. We are profoundly grateful to the President for his courageous and just decision.

‘Israel will ensure freedom of worship’

“This decision reflects the President’s decision on an ancient and enduring truth to fulfilling his promises and to advance peace. There is no peace that doesn’t include Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.

“I call on all countries that seek peace to join the United States in recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to move their embassies here. I also want to make clear there will be no change to the status quo of the Holy Sites. Israel will always ensure freedom of worship for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.”

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Rebecca Goodlad December 10, 2017 at 4:45 pm

Thank you for summarising an important news item. Matt.

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