Kingdom leading global fight to contain impact of Trump’s decision, ‘and succeeding’

AMMAN — Jordan is leading a fierce global campaign to neutralise any ramifications of US President Donald Trump’s decision declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in order to render it void, political analysts and commentators said on Tuesday.

They said that the Jordanian diplomacy is seeking to convince countries across the globe to neither recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel nor move their embassies to the occupied city, the analysts said, highlighting that Jordan’s main goal is to eliminate all potential political consequences of the decision.

“Jordan’s diplomacy is not seeking to annul Trump’s decision as it seems to be difficult,” political analyst Fahed Khitan said, adding that the Kingdom is, however, trying to terminate any political impact that would lead other world countries to follow suit.

“Jordan is leading a fierce diplomatic mission globally to pre-empt any support for the US decision and this effort has paid off as Europe and Russia have already rejected the decision,” Khitan told The Jordan Times.

He noted that Jordan is keen on building more momentum by persuading world countries to reject the decision, thus creating a state among the international public opinion that would isolate Trump’s decision.

Jordan is also working globally to prevent the US decision on Jerusalem from becoming a new term of reference for the negotiations over the two-state solution, Khitan said, warning that if such a new reality is recognised as such “it would be a loss”.

“Therefore, Jordan and Palestine are seeking to convince the US administration and the European Union that US’ declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel must not be linked to any future negotiations on the two-state solution,” Khitan underlined.

Political analyst and commentator Samih Maaytah said that as Trump’s decision seems irrevocable, Amman is trying to show to the world that it is opposed on every other front.

“Jordan is proving that the decision has zero acceptance globally and trying to prevent it from being incubated internationally,” Maaytah said.

He noted that the Kingdom is steering Arab, Islamic and international efforts to show to the US that it’s decision was “a mistake”.

For Oraib Rantawi, director general of Al Quds Centre for Political Studies, Jordan and Arab states must focus their efforts on Israel rather than the US, noting that “little can be done in the face of the US”.

“Jordan and the Arab region must undertake a coordinated effort to criminalise Israel by referring it to the International Criminal Court for its practices against Palestinians and its inhumane practices against the people of Gaza…, practices that are easily described as war crimes,” Rantawi explained.

He also noted that Jordan and the Arab countries must issue a statement recognising that East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine and urge all countries to move their diplomatic missions there.