This past week was a week like few others in recent memory. Newt Gingrich and additional candidates said that they would likely move the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel according to the Jerusalem Post and confirmed by other media outlets. Bold statements coming as the Quartet (photo at left shows representatives from the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations) express hopes that the Palestinians and the Israelis will make it to the peace table (JP).
Perhaps, rash statements coming as unrest, bombings, attacks, and violence continues in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and many of the other countries in the region. These countries, already upset with Western influences will more than likely look angrily at the United States if the embassy were moved. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood has for many years attempted to bring about the resumption of Islamic law. In Syria, the leader of the Hezbollah made a rare appearance and expressed solidarity with other Islamic groups against the west. Further, moves as the one Senator Gingrich proposes (though agreeable as it might sound) may cause catastrophic results for the Palestinian peace process due to the increasing pressure from surrounding states. Still the elections are proceeding in Egypt and the author is monitoring updates from a third party source.
It is now formally recognized that there are times when actually seeking the common good of peace is important. To throw the world quickly into further war is not the answer for global economic crises and many countries around the world recognize this fact (including the Quartet). That is why the United States envoy to Israel, Robert Shapiro, made the statements concerning the peace process and the resumption of some form of due process in Tel-Aviv. As for the peace treaty Israel maintains with Egypt, the United States has expressed repeatedly that it sees the treaty as a cornerstone for stability in this incredibly volatile region.