After Trump's Israel Move, a Call for an Uprising

Meanwhile, US allies are speaking out
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 7, 2017 9:36 AM CST
After Trump's Israel Move, a Call for an Uprising
A Palestinian paints over a mural of US President Trump during a protest in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Thursday.   (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital is a "war declaration against Palestinians" who should rise up, Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said in a speech Thursday. Though Palestinian forces announced three "days of rage" beginning Wednesday, during which Palestinians are to protest at Israeli city centers and embassies, Haniya said the uprising or "intifada" should start Friday and "last and continue to let Trump and the occupation regret this decision" that "killed" the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, reports USA Today. Israel says it has increased its troops to the West Bank, where there are already injuries on both sides, per the Washington Post. Per Haaretz, at least 19 Palestinians have been wounded so far, one seriously. Here's how others around the world are responding to Trump's move:

  • Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the move as a "reward to Israel" that encourages "continued occupation" of Palestinian sites. He's set to meet Thursday with Jordan's King Abdullah II, who also opposed the move, possibly to "coordinate a response," per USA Today.
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was perhaps most direct in his criticism of Trump. "Political leaders do not stir things up, they seek to make peace!" he said, per the Times of Israel, claiming Trump has thrown the Middle East into a "ring of fire."
  • The UK, France, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates have also condemned Trump's decision, the Guardian reports. Saudi Arabia called it "unjustified and irresponsible," while Russia's foreign ministry said the recognition risked "dangerous and uncontrollable consequences."
  • That won't come as a surprise to the US. Reuters reports a State Department memo sent to US officials in Tel Aviv asks that Israeli officials "restrain" their response to the news in expectation of "resistance … in the Middle East and around the world."

  • That might explain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tepid praise for the move. But he said other countries would soon follow Trump's lead. The Philippines is one possibility, per the Times of Israel.
  • The Czech Republic announced Wednesday it will recognize West Jerusalem as Israel's capital. But it said it also views Jerusalem as the capital of "the future State of Palestine."
  • The UK, France, and Italy were among eight countries on the 15-member UN Security Council to request a meeting to address the US policy change. It is set for Friday, per the Guardian.
  • The Washington Post notes the movement of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem will come much later—up to 10 years from now. Land rights and safety standards are among complicating factors.
(More President Trump stories.)

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