12/5/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/PALESTINE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration’s expected announcement on the future status of Jerusalem has the potential to derail tenuous U.S. attempts to revive moribund Middle East peace talks, reaction from capitals in the region suggests.
Arab leaders across the Middle East are making last-ditch appeals to the U.S. not to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel, a move that could trigger widespread violence and immediately torpedo efforts led by White House special adviser Jared Kushner to launch a regional peace plan.
The foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt have called Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to warn about the dangers of such an announcement. Palestinian leaders met with U.S. officials on Monday [12-4-17] in Washington to warn them that any declaration on Jerusalem that tilts toward the Israelis would undermine President Donald Trump’s attempt to relaunch peace talks.
Palestinian leaders say they will stop working with the U.S. if Mr. Trump makes any declaration about Jerusalem this week…
A White House statement on the same call said the two leaders discussed the “path to peace” but made no mention of Mr. Macron’s concerns.”

-Dion Nissenbaum, Felicia Schwartz, and Rory Jones, “Foreign Officials Say Trump’s Plan for Jerusalem Is at Odds with Peace Efforts,” The Wall Street Journal online, Dec. 5, 2017 01:18am