The Jerusalem Issue, Explained Marc Lynch, a political scientist at George Washington University, wrote in The Washington Post, "The visible pursuit of peace, if not its achievement, has long been the mechanism by which the United States reconciles its alliances with Israel and with ostensibly anti-Israel Arab states." This could make it harder for Arab governments to justify their cooperation with what is perceived to be an American-Israeli plot against Palestinians. This implies that the United States is increasingly supportive of Israel’s position — full annexation — though this would almost certainly kill any viable peace deal. The Interpreter By MAX FISHER DEC. 9, 2017 Why is President Trump’s announcement that the United States now considers Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital such a big deal? Most foresee a peace deal that gives western Jerusalem to Israel and eastern Jerusalem to a future Palestinian state. Either it asserts permanent control over Palestinians without granting them full rights — a sort of state that critics sometimes compare to apartheid South Africa — or it grants Palestinians full rights, establishing a pluralistic democracy that is no longer officially Jewish. The last three administrations — led by Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — all believed that they needed to grant Israel concessions to make Israeli leaders feel secure and comfortable enough to make their own concessions for peace.
