DEC 10 (DNA) – Darkness arrived; my tired feet protested, but a force more powerful urged me to continue walking the centuries-old streets where every stone bore testament to the co-existence of millions of people — Muslims, Jews and Christians. They lived, fought and worshipped the one God on this Holy Land for centuries. I looked for answers that belied reasoning: Why did God make a mere 0.9 square kilometre the iconic juxtaposition of three Abrahamic religions that have failed to reconcile with one another till today? Perhaps the fault lay less with the heavens than with ourselves.

Donald Trump is the scofflaw today. Like a fool, he’s rushed in where our better angels would fear to tread. He’s poured oil over the Israeli-Palestinian dispute by accepting Jerusalem as the capital of Israel when all past US presidents have stayed clear of this distinction. Jerusalem rightfully belongs to the Palestinians. In Arabic, Jerusalem means ‘the holy house or al Qudus al Sharif.’ Like the Kaaba in Makkah, Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock is built around a sacred stone believed to be the place from where our Holy Prophet (pbuh) ascended to heaven during his Night Journey. In close proximity stands the al Aqsa Mosque. It’s the third holiest site in Islam after the mosques of al Haram in Makkah and al Nabawi in Madinah. According to the Holy Quran, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was taken on a steed to visit the ‘Farthest Mosque’ (literally al Aqsa in Arabic) from Makkah to Jerusalem where he prayed at al Aqsa Mosque, and then ascended to Heaven during the Isra wal Miraj or ‘Night Journey’.

All 86 countries have embassies in Israel’s capital Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem! Listen up Trump.

“In one blow, Trump destroyed not only the chances of any peace but the stability and security of the region as a whole,” Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian legislator.

“He has given all extremists and nuts all over the world who are ready to commit acts of violence a perfect excuse because he has provoked spiritual sentiments and religious feelings to the point where we don’t know how far the ramifications will go.”

Trump doesn’t care if he has thrown a bomb into the Middle East peace process. He only cares for his 33% American voters who are mostly evangelicals egging him on to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. His 30-something son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is responsible for this disastrous decision. The mealy-mouthed Kushner was secretly in Riyadh recently. He bonded with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). The two stayed up to 4am ‘swapping stories’.