An Anticipated Announcement

It is expected that the American president, Donald Trump, will again sign the six month waiver concerning the move of the embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, tomorrow. We will have to wait until June 2018 for his next opportunity.

However, an anticipated announcement is rumored to be made by the president from the White House on Wednesday of this week. The announcement will allegedly declare America’s recognition of Jerusalem as the legitimate capital of the State of Israel.

Unknown to us if the declaration will include all of united Jerusalem or only West Jerusalem, leaving hope open for the Palestinians to proclaim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

In a lengthy letter which I sent to President Trump I reminded him to open his Bible and to count the number of times Jerusalem and Zion are mentioned (938) and then to open a copy of the Muslim Quran and count the number of times Jerusalem al-Quds is mentioned (0).

I informed the president of our history since King David captured the city from the Jebusites and made it the capital of his kingdom, the place where his son and successor to the throne, King Solomon, built the Holy Temple to the glory of Israel’s One and Only God.

I recalled the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and of our long exile in Babylon where we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.

I told him of the destruction of our rebuilt Temple in 70 CE by the Roman Legions and of our forced exile which lasted for two thousand years while we wept and prayed for Jerusalem three times every day. I told him that “for Zion’s sake I will not be silent” and I suggested that it may have been the Hand of Almighty God who placed him in the White House at this time so that he could be privileged to correct an historic wrong.

Jews and Arabs in particular will be watching and listening to President Trump’s announcement. One side will rejoice and one side will be unhappy. But the world will not come to an end.

Israel needs America as America needs Israel. Two shining democracies and beacons of light in a world darkened by fanatics and terrorist murderers.

Settlements in Judea and Samaria are not barriers to peace agreements. There was no goodwill on the part of the Arabs when settlements did not exist prior to our victory in 1967.

Palestinian leadership is disunited. Agreements between Fatah and Hamas have not been realized. Hamas will not dissolve its militia nor turn over its massive stock of missiles, weapons and ammunition to the legal Palestinian Authority. Therefore, no unity betwixt the two forces is possible.

If President Trump declares America’s recognition of Jerusalem as our eternal capital, how shall we celebrate? We should run to our synagogues and thank God for putting wisdom into the heart and mind of Donald John Trump. We should feast and raise our glasses high in a heartfelt toast to the City of David, Zion, city of our God.

The Jews will have Jerusalem. The Arabs may yearn for “Jebusalem”. And our national dream will be fulfilled “to be a free people in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem”.

Speak loud, Mr. Trump. We are listening.

We eagerly await your anticipated announcement.