ISRAEL/MIKE POMPEO/PALESTINE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump and his top aides on Monday [5-14-18] hailed the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem as a ‘great day,’ a position that roiled the Arab world and fueled deadly protests along the Israel-Palestinian border. The move ends — at least for now — America’s chances of becoming a neutral peace broker in the Middle East. And while the approach was swiftly condemned by Muslim world leaders, Trump’s new policy appeases a powerful pro-Israeli lobby within the Republican party…The relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv is U.S. recognition that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. This position has angered the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as a future capital. Gaza’s Health Ministry says the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli army fire amid mass protests near the Gaza border has reached several dozen. In a video address that aided at the ceremony’s opening, Trump said the U.S. still remains ‘fully committed’ to pursing a Mideast peace deal. Trump’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, reiterated that goal in a statement calling for ‘lasting and comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians.’ But critics of the move, including some European officials, say the U.S. decision will only serve to exacerbate tensions and make it more difficult for the U.S. to offer itself as a neutral party. The world’s largest body of Muslim-majority nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said it considers the U.S. move an ‘illegal decision’ and ‘an attack’ on the Palestinian people.”
-Anne Flaherty and Catherine Lucey, “Trump, aides celebrate Jerusalem embassy, as border burns,” The Associated Press, May 14, 2018