Because there isn’t already enough strife in the world, President Donald Trump inflamed Middle East passions today by breaking with seven decades of United States policy to officially recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel.

This is a remarkably unpopular move with practically everyone except the government of Israel and evangelical Christians who feel the move will hasten the Apocalypse and subsequent return of Jesus Christ.

The President’s action marks the death of the “two-state solution.”

CNN and other news outlets report on the level of unhappiness and dire warnings inherent in this decision.

“There is no alternative to a two-state solution and Jerusalem is key to any peace agreement,” said Abdullah, speaking in Ankara alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is also opposed to Trump’s expected move.
Jordan’s King Abdullah said he had “re-emphasized our concerns” to Trump about his plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “It is imperative to work fast to reach a final status solution and a peace agreement,” he said.
The Jordanian King added that any such agreement must allow for an independent Palestinian state and that “ignoring Palestinian Muslim and Christian rights” in the holy city “could fuel terrorism.”
Other Middle East allies expressed concern about the move.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that a wrong step taken in Jerusalem would cause a reaction across the Islamic world which could destroy the foundations for peace. Turkey shares the “sensitivity and the same candor with Jordan in terms of protecting the sanctity of Jerusalem and her historical status,” he said.
Regarding Trump, Erdogan said: “No one person’s personal ambitions should be allowed to alter the fates of billions of people. Any such move would only embolden terrorist organizations.”
The New York Times reported Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem isolates the United States on one of the world’s most sensitive diplomatic issues. It has drawn a storm of criticism from Arab and European leaders, which swelled on Tuesday night after the White House confirmed Mr. Trump’s plans.

Pope Francis and the Chinese foreign ministry joined the chorus of voices warning that the move could unleash a wave of violence across the region. At a meeting in Brussels, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson was sternly reproached by European allies.

Trump also ordered the relocation of the American Embassy after a new one is built in Jerusalem.

By Langston Hews, Staff Writer

Always intensely subjective, passionate, keenly sensitive to beauty and possessed of an unfaltering musical sense, Langston Hews has given us a 'first book' that marks the opening of a career well worth watching.

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