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A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in the foreground as the Dome of the Rock, located on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, is seen in the background December 10, 2017. Picture taken December 10, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Image Credit: REUTERS

The irony is that after scores of resolutions in favour of a just settlement for the Palestinians have been vetoed by the US at the United Nations, the Arab League has threatened to take the matter to that very forum, knowing very well what the result will be, noted Lebanon’s Daily Star.

“It is truly tragic that the Arab and international outrage in the wake of Trump’s decision to recognise [occupied] Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has been defused by Arab League resolutions that failed to include any punitive steps against the US, such as a call for a boycott of American products, or the suspension or downgrading of ties with Washington. The holy city, as Lebanon has insisted, is not just ‘an’ issue, but ‘the’ issue, and is the embodiment of the identity and integrity of every Arab. To treat this matter as anything less tantamounts to treason.”

“Trump dropped this bombshell last Wednesday, and as can be expected triggered widespread tremors across the globe, said the Jordan Times. “The UN Security Council met on Friday upon the request of eight members of the 15-member council to discuss the legality and far-reaching implications of Trump’s decision to recognise [occupied] Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to announce his intention to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem as soon as possible. It came as no surprise therefore that the overwhelming majority of the council members reaffirmed their commitments to [occupied] Jerusalem, including its resolution last December and voted once again to reject the attempt by Trump to rewrite international law and international jurisprudence on the status of [ocupied] Jerusalem. The message to Washington on the [occupied] Jerusalem issue was, therefore, loud and clear. The world awaits what Trump will do next.”

“It is hard to think of anything less wise than Donald Trump’s decision to have the US recognise [occupied] Jerusalem as the capital of the Israeli state and thus relocate the American embassy there, said the Saudi Gazette. “Trump’s move on [occupied] Jerusalem would appear to be the surrender of a key bargaining chip for no apparent return whatsoever. And Trump has also sacrificed considerable US influence in the Arab world. He has played into the hands of terrorists and those, like Iran, who characterise America as the Great Satan. There is no discernible geopolitical gain from what he has done. Indeed, his action has served to undermine moderate regional opinion that still seeks negotiated peace. Trump has pulled the trigger for more violence, more bloodshed, more misery and more disaster.”

“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a long and ongoing one, and Trump’s position is a mere episode in this lengthy crisis,” wrote London-based Pan-Arab paper Asharq Al Awsat. “A position taken by a state, even a superpower, cannot change the nature of things and the course of events. The history of this conflict provides more than a proof of that. Based on Arab, Islamic and international reactions, it is clear that there is a firm conviction among most of the countries of the world that this conflict cannot be resolved on the basis of the vulnerability of a party and by forcing it to recognise the status quo,” the paper commented.