President Trump announced, on December 6, that the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. This was a highly controversial move with long-reaching political ramifications. Trump also announced that the U.S. Embassy will be relocated to Jerusalem from Tel-Aviv. Trump told CNN, “Today, we finally acknowledge the obvious: Jerusalem is Israel’s capital.” Trump added, “It is also the right thing to do.”

CNN reported that the move is expected to inflame tensions in the region and unsettle the potential for peace. Trump touched on this issue in his statement: “After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result.”

Sophomore Bradley Greismann is in favor of the decision, as he stated, “[The decision] shows the world that the United States supports Israel.” Junior Leo Glassman disagrees, and said, “Jerusalem is currently under Palestinian and Israeli control, resulting from deals that were made between the Israelis and Palestinians, and it is not justified for the United States to move the Embassy, which would interfere with a decision that does not concern us.” Glassman added, “This will certainly cause violence and more tension than there already is, and it makes the United States appear as though thinks it has all the policing power in the world.”

The decision has led to many pro- tests in the Middle East. In the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Heron, demonstrations turned violent, and Israeli troops clashed with the protestors. Many countries are looking for the decision to be reversed. United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia all have criticized the move by Trump and are just some seeking a reversal on the decision.

According to the BBC’s website (BBC.com), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the political leader of Israel, stated, “Jerusalem had been the capital of Israel for 3,000 years and had never been the capital of any other people.” He continued, “The sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we will move towards peace.” The peace that Netanyahu is asking for does not seem to be some- thing that may happen soon, as Palestinians continue to protest by burning Israeli flags as well as burning pictures of Trump.

Trump’s decision could have a huge impact on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, as both sides continue to stick staunchly to their stance. As conflicts continue, and the decision is debated more around the world, Jerusalem will (for now) be the capital of Israel.