Did Trump’s Jerusalem decision revive support for Palestine?
US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has put the Palestinian cause back in the forefront after years of neglect in light of other regional crises.
Without knowing or planning it, the decision by US President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has resulted in renewed interest in Palestine and brought back to the top of the agenda the question of Jerusalem.
George Irani, a social science professor at the American University of Kuwait, told Al-Monitor that Trump’s decision helped bring the world to Palestine's side. “With his foolish decision, Trump has rallied the global community with Palestinians.”
Khaled Abu Arafeh, a former minister of Jerusalem Affairs during the short-lived Ismail Haniyeh government in 2006, told Al-Monitor that because Palestine is the weak party in the conflict, it needs to find ways to keep its struggle alive. “Because of our weakness, we need to always find ways to sustain our just cause through adherence to international law.”
Abu Arafeh believes that what is required is a continuous effort in various formats to keep public opinion informed and active. “Our cause is historically and religiously just. So when our just cause is violated, we need to make sure local, regional and international public is constantly made aware of this injustice.”
