In a welcome move to some and a controversial move to others, U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly expected to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital later this week.
Any such announcement has inflammatory potential in an already volatile region.
Israel has controlled the western part of Jerusalem since its inception in 1948. In 1967, after the Mideast war, Israel captured the eastern part of Jerusalem from Jordan and declared both parts it’s united capital.
The move was never recognized by the international community, including Israel’s closest ally, the U.S..
The Palestinians see eastern Jerusalem as the future capital of their state.
Jerusalem is home to all of the Israeli government offices and while foreign embassies are situated in Tel Aviv, dealings with the Israeli government are done largely in Jerusalem, the capital that no one recognizes.
Jerusalem is home to sites holy to Islam, Judaism and Christianity, making it a focal point for many people around the globe.
Now, in what seems to be an attempt to appease both Israel and his constituents on the evangelical right, Trump may recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in order to cushion the blow on an undelivered election promise, transferring the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, another controversial move.
It is still unclear, however, whether the U.S. will make such a move, and if so, will it recognize both sides of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital? Or just the western side?
“Trump is a friend of Israel and he thinks that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and recognizing the historic links between the Jews and the city is the right thing to do,” Prof. Efraim Inbar, President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, told Xinhua.
Inbar believed Trump will be “ambiguous” about what part of Jerusalem the U.S. will recognize.
“Nobody really disputes Israeli sovereignty over west Jerusalem,” Inbar added. While there is a de-facto recognition of western Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, this sovereignty remains unrecognized by the whole of the international community.
Professor Inbar served at the head of JISS (October 2017-January 2025). He also serves as the Head of the program on Strategy, Diplomacy, and National Security at the Shalem College.
Dr. Emmanuel Navon
Dr. Emmanuel Navon is an International Relations scholar and author. He lectures International Relations at Tel Aviv University (He was awarded the “Best Professor of the Year” prize by the Faculty of Social Sciences in 2022), is a Senior Fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), and a foreign affairs analyst for i24news. He has also taught at Reichman University and at the IDF’s National Security College.
Dr. Navon has authored four books and dozens of articles that have appeared in prestigious journals such as the Review of International Studies and the Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, and in world-class newspapers such as Le Monde and Newsweek. His book The Star and the Scepter: A Diplomatic History of Israel (Jewish Publication Society/University of Nebraska Press, 2020) is an academic reference, which has been translated so far to Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, French, and Italian.
A sought-after public speaker, Navon has addressed the American Enterprise Institute, AIPAC, the Jewish Federations of North America, as well as leading universities such as Georgetown, Columbia, and Rice. Navon is a frequent guest for American, French, and Israeli media, and he has appeared on Voice of America, on France 24, and on the Knesset Channel.
Previously, Navon served as CEO of ELNET-Israel (the Israel office, and central hub, of the largest pro-Israel organization in Europe); as head of the Political Science and Communication Department at the Jerusalem Haredi College (affiliated to Bar-Ilan University); as founding partner of the Navon-Levy Group (a consultancy that promoted Israeli agricultural and energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa); as CEO of BNIC (an NGO that trained Israeli business leaders in diplomatic advocacy); and as consultant with ARTTIC (a leading European consulting firm specialized in R&D funding).
Dr. Navon was born in Paris, France, in 1971 and went to a bilingual (French/English) school. He graduated in public administration from Sciences-Po, one of Europe’s most prestigious universities. In 1993 he moved to Israel, enrolled in the IDF, and earned a Ph.D. in international relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is equally and perfectly fluent in English, French, and Hebrew, and is conversant in German and Italian. He is a husband, father, grandfather, and an active triathlete.
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Home page / Media Appearances and Publications / Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is the right thing to do
Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is the right thing to do
In a welcome move to some and a controversial move to others, U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly expected to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital later this week.
Any such announcement has inflammatory potential in an already volatile region.
Israel has controlled the western part of Jerusalem since its inception in 1948. In 1967, after the Mideast war, Israel captured the eastern part of Jerusalem from Jordan and declared both parts it’s united capital.
The move was never recognized by the international community, including Israel’s closest ally, the U.S..
The Palestinians see eastern Jerusalem as the future capital of their state.
Jerusalem is home to all of the Israeli government offices and while foreign embassies are situated in Tel Aviv, dealings with the Israeli government are done largely in Jerusalem, the capital that no one recognizes.
Jerusalem is home to sites holy to Islam, Judaism and Christianity, making it a focal point for many people around the globe.
Now, in what seems to be an attempt to appease both Israel and his constituents on the evangelical right, Trump may recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in order to cushion the blow on an undelivered election promise, transferring the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, another controversial move.
It is still unclear, however, whether the U.S. will make such a move, and if so, will it recognize both sides of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital? Or just the western side?
“Trump is a friend of Israel and he thinks that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and recognizing the historic links between the Jews and the city is the right thing to do,” Prof. Efraim Inbar, President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, told Xinhua.
Inbar believed Trump will be “ambiguous” about what part of Jerusalem the U.S. will recognize.
“Nobody really disputes Israeli sovereignty over west Jerusalem,” Inbar added. While there is a de-facto recognition of western Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, this sovereignty remains unrecognized by the whole of the international community.
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Professor Efraim Inbar
Senior Researcher.
Professor Inbar served at the head of JISS (October 2017-January 2025). He also serves as the Head of the program on Strategy, Diplomacy, and National Security at the Shalem College.
Dr. Emmanuel Navon
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