According to the opinion of some, United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump made a strategic error when he announced his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and his country’s intention to move their embassy to the capital city. One of the people who are of that opinion is former United States Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, according to a recent interview he did in Ynet.
Shapiro went on record and said that: “While it’s appropriate to recognize Jerusalem, and even move the embassy there, it’s only part of the story. It would have been more prudent to not postpone his peace plan but present it then and there.”
Shapiro added: “The declaration was appropriate, I think, because the fact is Jerusalem is indeed the capital, and there are some people who attempt to deny the obvious—both Palestinians and in United Nations resolutions or elsewhere. But I also think President Trump missed an opportunity to promote our strategic interest, which is an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the two-state solution.”
Maintaining that the move was a smart one, Shapiro also said that he believes the Palestinian statements disqualifying the US as a fair arbiter in the peace process were out of line. “It’s not serious. I’d recommend for them to meet with Vice President Mike Pence this week. Maybe they need a little more time to fully appreciate what they heard, but I think they won’t have any other choice but to resume work with the US, because it and it alone can mediate and help the Palestinians achieve their goals.”
Shapiro questioned the tactic used to exclude the issuing of a coherent and comprehensive statement aimed at restarting peace talks. “It wasn’t what they said, but what they didn’t say. Palestinians and also Muslims and Arabs interested in an agreement have a justifiable question: what can they expect to receive at the end of the process?”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
The headline is not consistent with the body of the article. There were some minor criticisms, but Mr. Shapiro mostly agrees with the President.
And besides, since Mr. Shapiro is now on the outside looking in, he is not privy to the inner workings of the situation.
Given that the minimum Arab demand is a return to the 1914 border (Palestine including everything from the Jordan to the Sea), it isn’t likely such a tactic would work. However Trump recognizing very little (Israeli ownership of parts of Jerusalem captured in 1948-1949) raises what to the Arabs is a threat that he’ll recognize Israeli ownership over all or part of the West Bank. If it becomes likely that Trump will stay in office (most Democrats now think he’ll be impeached after the 2018 elections, or defeated in a landslide in 2020), the Palestinians will have a strong incentive to negotiate. Of course if a Democratic takeover is probably, the Arabs can just refuse to negotiate and agree to negotiate how much of the 1949 territory Israel can keep in return for the US withdraw recognition of Israeli rights for Jerusalem.
Who asked this self hating, backstabbing, Obama puppet for his stupid opinions? This Palestinian sympathizer had 8 years to present HIS “peace” plan and came away empty handed.
Mr. Shapiro, you had 8 Years and failed to do anything, on the contrary, we had an unprecedented amount of rockets, kidnappings, terror attacks and a few WARs.
Please go hide in a closet with Obama and minimize your shameful record from the public view!!!
Let’s please remind this this self hating, backstabbing, Obama puppet that there is a new peace plan being presented. However, as usual, the arabs don’t want to accept it, or even meet with US officials.
Let this imbecile just go away and enjoy unemployment.
I don’t think President Trump wanted to issue another waiver on Congress’ commitment to Israel (Jerusalem is the capital, and the embassy move), just as he indicated on approving the first waiver. And though the move will take years, he wanted to be completely committed to it. Unfortunately, the peace plan that is being worked on is still under development, though progressing. I don’t think it should be unwrapped until it is ready. I think President Trump’s statements at the announcement of the Jerusalem destination of the US embassy afforded plenty of flexibility to the parties to negotiate, if there is willingness. Unfortunately, the PA has shown almost no willingness to recognize Israel’s rights, capitals, borders, and have insisted in Arabic of their state must be from the Jordon River to the Med. sea. Can they ever recognize “the Jewish state” of Israel in any borders? As the victor in several defensive wars, and with a 3700 year connection is this land, and 2900 year embrace of Jerusalem as our main city and seat of our governments, I don’t see why Israel’s rights to any and all parts of this land are in question. Islam held this territory off and on for nearly 1300 years, while the Jewish people were dispersed, persecuted, and at the mercy of foreign governments and lands, who grossly abused their rights. Islam has an overabundance of territory and governments, and as supposed descendants of Abraham, should be prepared to recognize the rights of the Jews to this land.
Present a peace plan??? What a laugh, he has no peace plan! Just like he had no plan to replace obamacare, a clueless degenerate moron.
What will the Arabs receive at the end of the peace process? Is this a gift or grant list – perhaps they will receive PEACE!
A peace plan? You mean one like Oslo, Camp David, Hebron Agreement, Wye, Camp David?? How many more do we need to try before realizing they will never accept a Jewish state, regardless of the other details? How stupid can we be? We are talking a few decades of “peace making” already, it cannot work with Palestinians.