I’ll take Capitals for $500, Alex.
The capitol of France: Paris. The capital of Russia: Moscow. Of Belarus… oh, that’s a tougher one. But it’s Minsk. Everyone knows and everyone agrees. The country gets to pick its capital.
I can’t choose another city to be the capital of Germany, even though they were a divided country for years. It is still the decision of the citizens of the country.
But what about Israel? The Jewish people have chosen Jerusalem as their capital. But the Palestinians (a terrorist group without a state) argue that Jerusalem is theirs. The United Nations, in its naive desire for smooth sailing, would like to see Jerusalem become an international city. But in 2008 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that “Jerusalem belongs to the Jewish people and will remain under Israeli sovereignty for eternity.”
Candidate Obama, in 2008, seemed to be in agreement with Netanyahu:
But President Obama,wanting to be friends with all, choose to sit on the sidelines. In 2011, the administration was caught scrubbing all references of Jerusalem being part of Israel from its website.
It’s now 2012 and again Candidate Obama might have to answer this question. As he ponders it he should probably talk to Press Secretary Jay Carney, who did not appear comfortable being put on the spot. White House spokesman Jay Carney refused to directly say which city is the capital of Israel during a press briefing Thursday, saying only “our position has not changed.”
The election is just 100 days away. People who believe in the right of Israel to have and keep their capital should remember that this administration is not necessarily on their side. This election will be important for the USA but also for the country of the only democratic ally in the Mid East, Israel.
