Trump's Jerusalem Announcement a Rare Strategic Opportunity
(Ynet News) Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin - President Trump's speech, in which the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, was a positive move. Not only have we not witnessed an unusual violent outburst in the Middle East, but we are actually seeing a potential to advance a different diplomatic process under different conditions from the ones we have gotten used to. Trump's refusal to give in to threats and blackmail - along with the message that the Palestinians have no veto right - is a very important precedent for the continuation of the diplomatic process. Trump's move has the potential of encouraging creative thinking outside the familiar parameters. In the final months of its term, the Obama administration allowed the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which gave the Palestinians a feeling that the parameters most important to them would be determined before the negotiations. As a result, they were in no rush to enter talks. The new U.S. policy could reverse a lot of the damage caused by Resolution 2334. Trump's speech demonstrates that an ongoing Palestinian refusal to reach an agreement or a compromise at this time would be interpreted as another missed opportunity by the Palestinians, while Israel keeps growing stronger militarily, economically and diplomatically. The writer, former chief of Israeli military intelligence, heads the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.
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