Clashes and Boycott: The Reaction of Opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem

• 05.18.2018, 13:18
•  Near East,  World

AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP

10 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli militants on the border with Gaza, with more than 500 being harmed by gas and bullets. This was reported by Ashraf al-Kadri, a local health official. On May 14, the Palestinian "Return march" was taking place on the administrative border with Gaza, with about 10,000 Palestinians participating. Some demonstrators tried to break the border blockade. However, Israel had strengthened the border control with Gaza.

The protests of May 14 are dedicated to Nakba, the "catastrophe", the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.

Recall, that in December 2017, the US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and made a decision to move the American diplomatic mission from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem was scheduled for May 14, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel.

It should be noted that this decision of the US President was seriously criticized not only by the Palestinians and the Arab countries. The international community continues to insist that the status of Jerusalem should be determined as a result of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. It should be noted that the ambassadors of European countries, except for Hungary, Czech Republic and Romania, have announced the boycott of the opening of the US Embassy. The League of Arab States is going to hold an extraordinary session to discuss the illegal move of the US embassy to Jerusalem in the coming days. Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan in turn touched upon the question of moving the American embassy to Jerusalem. He noted that the US is losing its status as a mediator in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as it protects only one side's interests in the conflict. In this regard, Russia is also concerned that tensions in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will increase in the coming days.

Although the possibility of clashes between the Palestinians and Israelis will continue to remain high, however, it is naïve to expect some further actions by the international community, including the Arab states, against the decision of the United States.

The international community is from now on ''free'' to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the diplomatic missions to the Holy City.