Running Head: ISLAM 1

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Tutor

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ISLAM 2

On 13th December 2017, Carlotta Gall wrote the article “Muslim Leaders Declare East

Jerusalem the Palestinian Capital” which was published in the New York Times. The article

illustrates the backlash that came days after the US President Donald Trump announced

Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In an unprecedented and a seemingly bold move, Trump had

ordered the US Embassy in Israel to relocate to Jerusalem from the current location of Tel Aviv.

As expected, Trump’s actions drew mixed reactions depending on the side of the faction that one

is on.

The article points out the actions taken by Muslim leaders in response to Trump’s move.

Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted several other Presidents in Istanbul during

which they announced that East Jerusalem is Palestine’s capital. The meeting was attended by

the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in an attempt to come up with a strong, unified response

to Trump's decision. According to the leaders convened in Istanbul, Trump's decision was

unilateral and a dangerous declaration. Furthermore, the move by the US was seen as a violation

of United Nations resolutions. At the same time, the convention pointed out the implications of

the declaration on peace in the region especially hoe the move could change the US’s status as a

sponsor of peace in the Middle East.

The meeting had thirty leaders present as well as officials representing all fifty-seven

members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Erdogan, a conservative Muslim, called for

Muslim leaders to be more bold and strong in resisting the unlawful decision by Trump. He

argued that Trump can’t make such a decision on his own given the weight of the matter and the

fact that Jerusalem isn’t an American city. He called for world leaders to assert their support for

Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital. More so, he pointed out that the US would be responsible for the

consequences of failed peace actions in the region after the move

ISLAM 3

Israel and Palestine are crucial players in the game played out in the Middle East. Often

coming out as adversaries in many aspects such as ideology, religion, politics, and territory, the

two states have certain pieces of land they all claim to possess. Recently, tensions between the

two states have flared out after the US through their President Trump explicitly declared

Jerusalem as part of Israel and more particularly as Israel’s capital. The status of Jerusalem has

been disputed since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. For a long time, the US has adopted a neutral

stance on the issue leaving it up to Israelis and Palestinians to decide. However, Trump’s move is

likely to stir up the murky waters surrounding the issue.

For decades since the Arab-Israel open conflicts, the US has been a key mediator of

peace between the two parties. This position has been cemented by remaining neutral to the

causes being advanced by the polar parties. This has been essential given the mediator’s role in

any negotiating table is to balance out the excesses being brought out and attempt to induce

rationality to the conversation. Jerusalem is an essential religious capital for three major religions

in the world; Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The Christian and Jewish pressure in the US has

prompted a change in policy from neutral to a more pro-Israel policy.

Trump’s decision has sparked protests in many parts of the world especially in Muslim

majority nations. The US is not trusted a lot by Muslim countries in the region after years of

infamous actions such as the invasion of Iraq. As such, it is likely that this move will complicate

regional politics and possibly heighten tensions to create armed conflicts.

ISLAM 4

References

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/13/world/middleeast/muslims-jerusalem-

palestinians.html