Education Minister and Chairman of the Jewish Home party Naftali Bennett pushed back Tuesday against the statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whereby American recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would lead to a severing of diplomatic ties between Turkey and the Jewish State.
Earlier today, Erdogan threatened that any change in the status quo on Jerusalem constituted a “red line for Muslims.”
He warned that if the US relocated its embassy to Jerusalem or made any other steps to recognize the city as Israel’s capital, Turkey could “go as far as to” sever all ties to the Jewish state.
“Unfortunately, in recent years Erdogan hasn’t missed an opportunity to attack Israel,” Bennett said in response. “Israel needs to advance its goals, including the recognition of a united Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.”
“There will always be those who criticize, but in the end, a united Jerusalem is preferable to the love of Erdogan.”
While the PA has warned that US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would destroy the peace process, Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer asserted otherwise.
“On the contrary; I think it will actually lay a cornerstone for peace because what it says is that under any peace agreement in the future, Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel. That’s clear. If somebody could show me any kind of peace plan that doesn’t have Jerusalem be capital of Israel, I’d like to see it. Every single peace plan that’s ever been put down has Jerusalem be a capital of Israel," Dermer said in an interview with Politico.
“I think the message that it will send to the Palestinians is, ‘Hey, wake up. Understand that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. You have to deal with that reality.’”
