Has Trump botched the Palestinian deal already?
President Trump  is not the only world leader who thinks the frozen Middle East peace process should be jarred loose. Nor is  he  the only one willing to use Jerusalem as a hammer.
 Vladimir Putin  took a swing from out of the blue in April  apparently hoping to break the international ice. Through  his  foreign ministry  the Russian autocrat said: “Moscow is deeply concerned about the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Palestine and Israel have not held political negotiations for nearly three years  and the situation on the ground has been deteriorating.”
Putin beat  Trump  to the punch  and his statement was sharper than the president’s speech Wednesday formalizing the long-held U.S. position that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. The Russian declaration was head-on: Two states will share one holy city.  Trump  buried the same reality just below the surface.  He  spoke of “Jerusalem” instead of “West Jerusalem.” But  he  added vaguely — yet unmistakably — that Israel will have only part of the city. “Specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem” will be negotiated   he  said.
These aren’t different meanings — only differences in style.  Trump  was cultivating a segment of  his  passionate base that views Jerusalem in messianic terms. To speak with them of shared ownership might create fears of a Rapture delayed. Putin  on the other hand  leads a country that has made tons of trouble for Israel over the years. He wants to improve the relationship  but he certainly feels no pressure to tiptoe.
 Trump  is fulfilling a promise to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital but  he 's unprepared for the consequences  says Post deputy editorial page editor Jackson Diehl. Watch his argument in this clip from the weekly Opinions show  "It's Only Thursday " with fellow editorial board contributors Ruth Marcus and Quinta Jurecic. (The Washington Post)
Putin’s version was beckoning: Come  negotiate. You can have your Palestine  if only you will forget about erasing Israel. When Trump framed the message  it was goading. You better negotiate  because Israel is growing stronger  not weaker.
In the violent response to  Trump   compared with the chirping crickets that met Putin’s bombshell  we find proof that people would rather be coaxed than prodded. Also proof — no matter what  Trump  says about the world “laughing at us” — that U.S. presidents still command top billing.
But has  Trump  already botched the deal?
Reckless  impulsive  petulant   Trump  chose a few days before  his  Jerusalem statement to endorse three anti-Muslim videos posted to the Internet by a fringe group of Western racists. Simultaneously   he  was pushing for  his  anti-Muslim travel ban.
In our wired world  these insults were quickly known to every Palestinian in East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. They were known to every intellectual and political leader in Egypt and Jordan and Lebanon — indeed  the whole Arab world — whose influence might be felt in circles of Palestinian power.  Trump’s  insults were known among supporters of the Palestinian cause around the Mediterranean  in Europe  in North America  in Asia.
Does  Trump  think  they  will ignore  his  opportunistic hate-mongering? Laugh it off? This is the Middle East  not a raunchy roast at the Friar’s Club. If  Trump  is joking when  he  loads  his  Twitter app  no one gets it. Neither the key influencer nor the Palestinian in the street is likely to encourage Hamas and Fatah to sit at  Trump ’s table. How could they trust  him ?
[TGT]is not the only world leader who thinks the frozen Middle East peace process should be jarred loose. Nor is  [TGT]  the only one willing to use Jerusalem as a hammer.
 Vladimir Putin  took a swing from out of the blue in April  apparently hoping to break the international ice. Through  his  foreign ministry  the Russian autocrat said: “Moscow is deeply concerned about the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Palestine and Israel have not held political negotiations for nearly three years  and the situation on the ground has been deteriorating.”
Putin beat  [TGT]to the punch  and his statement was sharper than the president’s speech Wednesday formalizing the long-held U.S. position that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. The Russian declaration was head-on: Two states will share one holy city.  [TGT]buried the same reality just below the surface.  [TGT]  spoke of “Jerusalem” instead of “West Jerusalem.” But  [TGT]  added vaguely — yet unmistakably — that Israel will have only part of the city. “Specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem” will be negotiated   he  said.
These aren’t different meanings — only differences in style.  [TGT]was cultivating a segment of  [TGT]  passionate base that views Jerusalem in messianic terms. To speak with them of shared ownership might create fears of a Rapture delayed. Putin  on the other hand  leads a country that has made tons of trouble for Israel over the years. He wants to improve the relationship  but he certainly feels no pressure to tiptoe.
 [TGT]is fulfilling a promise to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital but  [TGT] 's unprepared for the consequences  says Post deputy editorial page editor Jackson Diehl. Watch his argument in this clip from the weekly Opinions show  "It's Only Thursday " with fellow editorial board contributors Ruth Marcus and Quinta Jurecic. (The Washington Post)
Putin’s version was beckoning: Come  negotiate. You can have your Palestine  if only you will forget about erasing Israel. When [TGT] framed the message  it was goading. You better negotiate  because Israel is growing stronger  not weaker.
In the violent response to [TGT]compared with the chirping crickets that met Putin’s bombshell  we find proof that people would rather be coaxed than prodded. Also proof — no matter what  [TGT]says about the world “laughing at us” — that U.S. presidents still command top billing.
But has  [TGT]  already botched the deal?
Reckless  impulsive  [TGT]chose a few days before  [TGT]  Jerusalem statement to endorse three anti-Muslim videos posted to the Internet by a fringe group of Western racists. Simultaneously   he  was pushing for  his  anti-Muslim travel ban.
In our wired world  these insults were quickly known to every Palestinian in East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. They were known to every intellectual and political leader in Egypt and Jordan and Lebanon — indeed  the whole Arab world — whose influence might be felt in circles of Palestinian power.  Trump’s  insults were known among supporters of the Palestinian cause around the Mediterranean  in Europe  in North America  in Asia.
Does  [TGT]think  [TGT]  will ignore  [TGT]  opportunistic hate-mongering? Laugh it off? This is the Middle East  not a raunchy roast at the Friar’s Club. If  [TGT]is joking when  [TGT]  loads  [TGT]  Twitter app  no one gets it. Neither the key influencer nor the Palestinian in the street is likely to encourage Hamas and Fatah to sit at  [TGT] ’s table. How could they trust  [TGT] ?