Jerusalem's Deal of the Century.

• Author: Tamimi, Azzam
• Position: COMMENTARY

On December 6, 2017, in collaboration with a number of regional actors, foremost among them, Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, U.S. President Donald Trump drove the last nail that sealed the coffin of the Middle East peace process and dispelled the illusion of a peaceful settlement for good. By recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordering the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city, Trump convinced many who still needed convincing that the peace process was nothing short of a mirage.

Yet, most Palestinians knew this very well and did not need any convincing. Despite the fact that their right of return was conceded when the Oslo Accord was concluded with Israel in 1993 by the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), their sole legitimate representative, they never detached from Palestine, their ancestral homeland. Whether living in refugee camps in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, or still holding fast to their homes and what remains of their lands in various parts of historic Palestine, or living scattered around the world, returning to Palestine never ceased to be their primary cause.

Undoubtedly, Jerusalem occupies a central position in this cause. Its significance extends far beyond its borders. It is the third most important religious site for more than 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. It is also a holy city for Christians and Jews. While the slogan 'Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the state of Palestine' was launched by Palestinians and their supporters in response to Trump's action, the real issue is neither that of a capital nor that of a state. Rather, it is the fact that Palestine, a Muslim territory that was invaded by the British and snatched from the Ottomans nearly a hundred years ago, continues to be occupied by Zionist intruders who, despite their irreligiosity, claim a biblical right to it. Following the model of all previous colonial projects, from the Crusaders' invasion to the Apartheid regime in South Africa, the Zionists used the Bible to justify the crimes of theft and rape. That is why, notwithstanding the symbolism of Jerusalem, it does not really make much difference whether the U.S. Embassy is erected in Tel Aviv or in any other town or city within Palestine. Tel Aviv or Tal al-Rabi' as its Palestinian name was, is no less Palestinian, Arab and Islamic than Jerusalem itself.

How Did We Get Here?

Trump's arrival in the White House has definitely had an impact on events in the Middle East as in other parts of the world. However, it has not been so much Trump, despite his instability and even insanity, as much as the milieu in which he landed the seat of the U.S. Presidency. Neither Trump nor any other U.S. president would have dared to take such a stance on Jerusalem, let alone take action, had it not been for the dramatic changes that transformed the Middle East since 2013, the year of the counterrevolution that sought to put an end to the Arab Spring.

When the masses took to the streets and squares of Tunisian and Egyptian cities in early 2011, their most notable chant was "the people want the regime brought down, the people want the liberation of...