Since President Donald Trump's announcement that he intends to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the international arena seems to have descended into chaos ("Nations criticize Trump's recognition of Jerusalem" in the Dec. 8 edition). World leaders are outraged, and many claim that such an action will doom any chance for peace in the Middle East.
Such hysteria is unwarranted and ridiculous, as the peace process has been dead for quite some time now. And no amount of political spin can place the blame on its demise on Trump.
For decades now, Israel has offered peace plan after peace plan to the Palestinians, in the hopes of finally ending this never-ending conflict. And each and every time the Palestinians have responded with rejection and violence.
The reality of Jerusalem is simple: The city has been the capital of Israel since 1949, after Israel managed to survive an invasion force comprised of five Arab armies. Trump will move the embassy to the western part of the city, an area that will remain part of Israel regardless of any peace settlement. This action, then, is perfectly legitimate and reflects the reality of Jerusalem. Those that see this as a provocation ignore this fact. And by doing so they further help fuel the conflict by giving justification to Palestinian rage.
Jerusalem will one day be partitioned, as that is the only way to bring about an end to the conflict that engulfs the city. Western Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel, Eastern Jerusalem will become the capital of Palestine. So we should not resist Trump's move, for it simply reflects the reality on the ground.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.