My 12-7-2017 letter to The Guardian RE Freedland: Donald Trump’s Jerusalem statement is an act of diplomatic arson

‘The place that represents the nuclear core … the site Muslims call the Haram al-Sharif and Jews call the Temple Mount.’ Photograph: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images

RE: Freedland: Donald Trump’s Jerusalem statement is an act of diplomatic arson
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/06/donald-trump-jerusalem-statement-capital-israel-middle-east

Dear Sir,

Donald Trump’s Jerusalem statement is only arson because so many journalists, pundits, religious extremists, hate mongers on all sides...etc... provide the kindling, the match, pour on the gasoline and enthusiastically fan the flames of the fire.

Why not calmly call for every one, no matter who they are or where they live, to peacefully, compassionately, and quite reasonably insist that Trump also recognize East Jerusalem as Palestine's capital.

And why not remind Trump of America's cherished ideal of freedom of (and from) religion: Religion should be a private personal matter, not a state funded project. 

Why not peacefully, compassionately, and quite reasonably point out how sovereign Israel has been consistently violating the basic human rights of the native non-Jewish population of the Holy Land?

Trump wound up his speech announcing "God Bless Israel" but Trump is not God (if there is a God) and (if there is a God) no human being, rich or poor, has the power to determine who or what God will bless.  We can guess, and we can learn from history, and we can live by the Golden Rule by treating others the way we want to be treated, but beyond that we can only hope that our choices are good choices.

As an American, firmly believing in our Bill of Rights as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I think a more inclusive and compassionate statement would have been much more appropriate: God bless everyone, regardless of supposed race, religion, or nationality.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab