Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the chamber’s Foreign Relations Committee said he supported the president’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but added that it should have been done with greater diplomacy.
“We’ve seen this in so many places of the world, that Mr. Trump has no appreciation for diplomacy. I think the president is damaging our national security and standing in the world for his inability to use diplomacy in the right way,” he said.
The decision was largely opposed by Middle Eastern leaders as well as others who have warned of the consequences it will have on peace in the region. This prompted Cardin to say that President Donald Trump’s announcement could have been done differently and “in a way to advance the peace process for a two-state solution.”
He added that “the president just made the announcement and did not take advantage of that, in regards to the Israelis, and offered the Palestinians very little,” not trying to move forward on the peace process.
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley stood in defense of Trump’s decision to recognize the holy city as Israel’s capital and move the embassy there, maintaining it will help advance the peace process in the region.
“We think this is actually going to help us fastball the peace process going forward,” Haley said.
Other members of the UN, however, criticized the president’s announcement, which is partly the reason why Haley defended Israel, saying the UN has repeatedly “bashed” the country which, she added, is not “helping the peace process.”
Haley further noted that both Israel and Palestine will be treated fairly by the U.S., allowing both sides to reach a peaceful resolution.
“We will respect anything that the two parties come together on,” she said.
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