The Importance of Israel's Recognition of West Jerusalem

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The status of Jerusalem was decided by a UN resolution in 1947 that it would be administered under international jurisdiction. Israel however took over West Jerusalem and started to behave as if it were preparing for that to become its capital city. President Trump's decision to go ahead and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel despite all this confers no legality on Israel with regard to Jerusalem. It is to recognize illegal settlement building, to recognize serial violations of Palestinian human rights and international law.

Many of Israel's supporters, including Donald Trump, claim Jerusalem should be recognised as the country's capital city. After all, it has been the Jewish people's spiritual capital for millennia. But will recognising Jerusalem be the death blow for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process? Arguing in favour of the motion "The World Should Recognise Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital" were Ehud Omert, former Israeli Prime Minister; and Natasha Hausdorff, barrister at Six Pump Court Chambers and a director of the NGO ‘UK Lawyers for Israel’. Against them were former UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and leading Palestinian activist, academic and writer Ghada Karmi. The debate was chaired by Emily Maitlis, presenter of BBC Newsnight and one of the UK's best known broadcasters.

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