Calling Guatemala’s Dec. 24 decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem “shameful,” the Palestinian Authority, led by 82-year-old Ramallah-based leader Mahmoud Abbas, showed why he has little clout. Getting the U.N. General Assembly to condemn Dec. 21 71-year-old Donald Trump’s Dec. 6 decision to accept Jerusalem as Israel, Abbas won the battle but lost the war. Living in Ramallah with barely enough cash to keep the lights on, unable to resolve key differences with Hamas, Abbas can’t dictate what the U.S. or any other nation does with its embassies. Whether or not the U.S. or anyone else moves its embassy to Jerusalem can’t be dictated by Abbas or the United Nations. Abbas wouldn’t be in this dilemma had Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organation [PLO], together with six Arab nations led by Egypt, attacked Israel June 5, 1967 in the Six-Day-War.
Had Arab nations not attacked Israel in 1967, or 1973 in the Yom Kippur War for that matter, Jordan would still control the East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Only Israel-hating Arab powers would not recognize Israel’s spoils of the 1967 War. All U.N. Security Council resolutions offering Mideast peace have insisted Israel return to the pre-1967 borders, something impossible with today’s security threats facing Israel. Since losing the Six-Day-War, Palestinians have called East Jerusalem and the West Bank “occupied territories.” Yet before the 1967 War, when Jordan held sovereign rights to the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Palestinians didn’t call the territories “occupied.” Despite talking points sold over the years to the U.N., Palestinians held not one inch of sovereign territory ever, especially when the Ottoman Turks controlled Jerusalem for nearly 500 years.
Israel has controlled West Jerusalem since awarded statehood May 14, 1948. Only by mutual agreement with Jordan in 1948, did Israel let Jordan retain the West Bank and East Jerusalem, something they lost Jun 10, 1967, the end of the Six-Day-War. “It’s a shameful and illegal act that goes totally against the wished of church leaders in Jerusalem,” said the PLO, insisting it goes against the U.N.’s Dec. 21 non-binding resolution condemning Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “The state of Palestine considers this as a flagrant act of hostility against the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and international law,” said the PLO. When Palestinians talk of “inalienable rights,” they have none without negotiations for a two-state solution with Israel. PLO and Hamas officials do not accept Israel’s 1949 U.N. recognition, showing the ultimate violation of international law.
When Palestinians talk about Israel violating “inalienable rights,” they had no problem when the Ottomans, Britain and Jordan ruled East Jerusalem and the West Bank. There was no talk about “occupied” territories, getting the central myth of Palestinian propaganda that they held sovereign rights before Israel declared statehood in 1948. Whether or not Palestinians owned land in the region, they held not one inch of sovereign territory. Since Israel’s statehood, all Arab states declared Israel’s statehood and U.N. acceptance as invalid. Guatemala’s decision to follow Trump’s lead to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to move their embassy violates no international law, only anti-Israel resolutions since 1967. When Abbas talks about the “state of Palestine,” it doesn’t exist until-and-unless Palestinians negotiate with Israel to receive spoils of the Six-Day-War as sovereign land.
Moving embassies to Jerusalem should be the sovereign rights of any country to lease or buy real estate in the region with which to move locations. Palestinians act like they have “inalienable” rights to land they don’t control and have no sovereignty. Had Jordan not joined the Six-Day-War and retained sovereignty of East Jerusalem and the West Bank,” Palestinians wouldn’t be talking about “occupation,” “inalienable rights” or violating “international law.” “The state of Palestine will act with regional and international partners to oppose this illegal decision,” said the PLO. PLO officials know that the U.N. has no sovereign rights over any territory, let alone grant Palestinians statehood because they refuse to negotiate for a two-state solution. Israel isn’t going to roll over from Palestinians threats. Only by returning to U.S.-brokered peace talks can Palestinians get their own state.
Palestinians have many backers in the U.N., judging by the overwhelming U.N. vote to condemn Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. No one at the White House said Palestinians couldn’t come to the peace table to negotiate for East Jerusalem as a future capital. West Bank and Gaza officials, currently controlled by Hamas, continue to sell the myth that Israel “occupies” Palestinian territory. Whether U.S., Guatemala or any other country moves embassies to Jerusalem, it’s not something subject to U.N. or Palestinians vetoes. Palestinians have a clear path to statehood but only by negotiating with Israel. All the PLO’s wars with Israel after U.N. recognition Jun. 11, 1948 violated so-called international law. Arabs living in the holy land before-or-after Israel’s statehood have rights, just not sovereign territorial rights—that has to come from hard work at the peace table.
