With the American recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital under his proud arm and visibly moved, the American Vice President, Mike Pence, put the Knesset (Parliament) date to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: before the end of 2019. After visiting Egypt and Jordan, Pence was received on Monday in Israel effusively. The welcome of the Israeli Arab party "Joint List" was not so much. When he was about to begin his speech, the Arab deputies of the third Knesset force drew banners with the title "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine" and uttered some shouts before being expelled by the security personnel. It was his announced protest against one of the great architects of the passage of President Donald Trump over the disputed city. The Palestinian president, Abu Mazen, who had refused to meet with Pence in protest at Trump's announcement on December 6, preferred the embrace of Brussels where he met with the High Representative for EU Foreign Policy, Federica Mogherini. "The EU is a friend and a true partner, we ask EU member states to recognize the State of Palestine as soon as possible, and there is no contradiction between this recognition and the resumption of negotiations," Abu Mazen said while Mogherini supported the solution. of two states with Jerusalem as a shared capital. A city in which after the angry protest of the Arab legislators in the Knesset Pence proclaimed: "I feel a great honor to be here in this vibrant democracy as the first vice president of the United States who has the opportunity to speak in Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel. "
Noting that "Trump has corrected a historical error of 70 years by side-by-side with facts rather than falsehoods," Pence called on the Palestinian leadership to "return to the negotiating table" and supported the two-state solution "if the two parties accept it. " It was the only time when members of the Israeli government did not applaud with euphoria a speech that could have been signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He never ceased to thank Pence for his visit and words about Jerusalem, Iran and jihadist terror: "We support Israel because your cause is our cause, your values are our values and your struggle is our struggle," he added in an address adorned with a well-known Hebrew prayer. His biblical references confirm that his pro-Israel position also lies in his deep Christian belief. A support known in the days that was congressman and governor of Indiana.Pence referred to the Iranian nuclear agreement signed two and a half years ago by the Obama Administration asking Tehran and the signatory powers to touch it. Otherwise, he warned, the US will immediately withdraw from an agreement that it defined as "disaster." "Iran is a dictatorship that oppresses its citizens and finances terrorist groups, the United States will not allow it to have nuclear weapons," he promised before the coalition and opposition applause.
Aware that Arab deputies prepared a protest, Netanyahu warned him: "Friend, as you know, Israel is a vibrant democracy in which unlike other parliaments in the Middle East here people are free to give their opinion and, as you will see in brief with energy and passion. "The leader of the Arab-Israeli party, Ayman Odeh, justified the protest by accusing Pence of having an" anti-peace ideology ". "He is a dangerous man with a messianic vision that includes the destruction of the region and sent by an even more dangerous and arsonist man, whose policies distance the agreement between Israel and Palestine," he added. From their faction they told EL MUNDO.es that although the posters said "Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine", they referred to the eastern part occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Several deputies called them "traitors". If for Pence and Netanyahu , the announcement of Trump opens a new opportunity for peace, for Abu Mazen buries it. His goal now is to achieve the commitment of several international sponsors in the negotiation as he accuses the United States of not being a "neutral mediator". That is why in Brussels the 'rais' asked for a greater role of the EU in the negotiation. As a substitute or at least as perhaps equal partner to Washington. "Pence's messianic discourse is a gift to extremists," said PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat. Pence's visit was postponed twice in December. Time has not reduced the discomfort of the Palestinians. On Monday, several dozen demonstrations took place in Nablus, while a general strike protest was called on Tuesday. In his meetings in Cairo and Amman, Pence heard the opposition of Egyptian President Abdelfatah al Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan to Trump's announcement. According to them, it can increase the instability and insecurity in the area. "We agree on the disagreement," summarized Pence clarifying that the status of the Holy Places of Jerusalem will not vary nor will it set its borders.