Trump recognizes Jerusalem as capital of Israel in reversal of longtime U.S. policy

By David Nakamura, Washington Post, December 6, 2017

President Trump on Wednesday formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, defying warnings from other Middle East countries and some U.S. allies in a politically risky move that he insisted would not derail efforts to broker a peace deal.

But in a sign that the move could backfire, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas slammed Trump’s announcement as a “declaration of withdraw” by the United States from the peace process, according to the Associated Press.

In a midday speech at the White House, Trump defended his decision as “long overdue” recognition of reality given that Jerusalem is the seat of Israel’s parliament, supreme court and prime minister’s office. He argued that an agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians has remained elusive for more than two decades even as his predecessors declined to recognize the contested Holy City as Israel’s capital.

“Some say they lacked courage, but they made the best judgment based on the facts as they understood them,” Trump said, speaking in the Diplomatic Reception Room. “Nevertheless, the record is in. After more than two decades, we’re no closer to a lasting peace agreement.”

Trump added that “it’s folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula will produce a different or better result.”

The announcement came a day after senior White House aides previewed Trump’s decision, and the president also ordered the State Department to begin planning to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a process that administration officials said would take several years. After his remarks, Trump signed another six-month waiver to maintain the embassy compound in Tel Aviv, which senior aides said was meant to ensure funding was not eliminated under a 1995 law even as planning for a new embassy would commence.

Trump emphasized that despite his decision he remained committed to helping broker a peace agreement.

The announcement set off a flurry of reactions in Washington, Europe and the Middle East. Trump spoke with Abbas on Tuesday to inform him of the decision and Abbas told him his government would not accept the move.

 

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the president’s announcement, calling it “a historic day” and stating that his nation is “profoundly grateful for the president for his courageous and just decision.”

Trump campaigned on a promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem, a move popular among evangelicals. A slew of evangelical leaders, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, released statements of praise on Wednesday.

Dennis Edwards: Here's my analysis of the situation.

Like I explained yesterday the decision by the Trump administration to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital  could indeed be a monumental one. Many Bible prophecy eschatologists believe the Antichrist will be involved in confirming a peace pact in the Middle East.[1] This pact is called in Scriptures "the Holy Covenant."[2] The covenant will be confirmed by many for a seven year period.[3] Some have speculated that the Covenant could be the long awaited peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian people and the rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem. If we are understanding Scripture correctly the Antichrist is the author or presenter of the Holy Covenant.[4] However, the Antichrist later breaks the Covenant half way through the seven year period.[5] At this point he places something called by Scriptures "the Abomination of Desolation" in the Temple in Jerusalem.[6]

The proclamation by Trump at this present moment seems to push us closer to the point of confirming a Covenant for the rebuilding of the much desired Jewish Temple. The present situation with the Arab nations divided as they are among themselves makes any sort of united retaliation against Israel less likely. Israeli military strategy has been since the 1980s to sow discord among the Arab as confirmed in their own writings. The American military has also been used as an instrument in defeating Israel's enemies as in the case of Iraq and Libya. The American military intelligence that indicated that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction could easily have been supplied by Israeli secret Mossad agents. The whole "Arab Spring" event may have been instigated by American/Israeli intelligence operatives to bring down Qaddafi and the Syrian leader Assad.

Therefore, with the election of Trump the powers that be behind the scenes saw that it was time to move forward with Jerusalem as capital of Israel. They could give the American evangelicals some leeway in regards to abortion in exchange for their support concerning Israel. Even the recent documentary called "Christ Revealed" promoted a very strongly positive image of Israel and the need for Christians to support the "Promised Land" and its people. 

I believe that this American/Israeli relationship will eventually pit America and Israel against the world led by the Antichrist world leader as seen in the Biblical invasion of Israel as found in Ezekiel 38 and 39 in the Old Testament, or the Battle of Armageddon in the New Testament.[7] Therefore, the announcement of America recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital could very well move us further down the road to the Holy Covenant, that seven year agreement of peace which may involve the Jewish nation and the Palestinians. When the Holy Covenant is confirmed, it is broken some three and a half years later.[8] The breaking of the Covenant starts the terrible Great Tribulation period mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24 in the New Testament.[9]

Stay attentive to these developments. We all have that anxious feeling in our stomachs that the world is headed for disaster. But we deserve it. We have abandoned our Christian principles and embraced vain theories of man, rejecting Biblical instruction and guidelines. Daniel Webster, Secretary of State for three different Presidents warned: 

"If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go prospering and to prosper, but if we or our posterity neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity."

Notes

[1] Daniel 9:27

[2] Daniel 11:30

[3] Daniel 9:27

[4] Daniel 11:22; 9:27

[5] Daniel 9:27

[6] Daniel 11:31; Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15  

[7] Revelation 16:16; Revelation 19:17-21

[8] Daniel 9:27

[9] Matthew 24:15, 21