—
“What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.” One can’t help but think of Shakespeare’s Prince of Cats, Tybalt, when watching President Trump’s administration talk of Nobel peace prizes for the Korean peninsula, while simultaneously stirring up decades-old conflicts in the middle east.
With his provocative changes in American policy regarding Israel’s capital leading to the deaths of at least 50 people so far and the breaking of the Iran denuclearization deal which positions Iran to quickly achieve the bomb, one has to keep an eye on the pending summit in Singapore next month.
Can America keep credibility as a peace broker while actively breaking its word? Or will talks stall before they really begin?
My name is Mckay Williams and this is your Daily Brief:
◊♦◊
American embassy, set to open in Jerusalem, is met by deadly protests
◊♦◊
Protests in Gaza around the opening of the new embassy in Jerusalem have been met with deadly force killing at least 50 and injuring around 2000 as of this writing. Last year, President Trump announced that the United States would move its embassy from Tel Aviv, where most countries’ embassies reside, to Jerusalem. This was seen by opponents to the plan as a clear statement that the United States fully supports Israel in its almost century-old conflict with Palestine.
This challenges our position as a neutral arbitrator of the conflict, and calls into question 80 years of treaties, summits, and accords in the region with the US. This brings, for this writer, the question of why. Why this shift, why now? I have a hunch that it has to do with White House aide, and son-in-law Jared Kushner and real estate development in Gaza, but have yet been able to prove that.
◊♦◊
Iran and Israel’s cold war heating up.
◊♦◊
The question of war between Iran and Israel is less often a question of “if”, but of “when.” As two of the largest middle east powers, they are diametrically opposed to one another. As Americans, we often forget how large our country is, and how small the world is. Jerusalem and Tehran are about 1000 miles from each other. In the American context, imagine if the people of Los Angeles believed in the complete and total destruction of the city of Denver, Colorado.
In the week since the United States broke its deal with Iran, Israel launched it’s largest attack since 1957 against Iranian forces in Syria. Iran vows to hold onto its territories in Syria, and Israel demands they withdraw. So far, most of the missiles launched at each other have failed to reach their targets, but this writer believes that as the death toll goes up, so will the tensions around all-out war in the Middle East. As Israel and the United States share a special relationship, so does Iran and Russia, making the possibility of American involvement in any open war conflict strong.
◊♦◊
Is the North Korean summit dependant on President Trump’s mood?
◊♦◊
The Trump Administration and I apparently share a different understanding of the word “negotiate.” While I understand the word to mean the act of reaching a conclusion that both parties can live with, often times with both parties feeling like they won some and lost some.
The Administration seems to have more of an “our way, or no way” approach. President Trump has repeatedly said he will attend the summit as long he thinks North Korea will completely denuclearize, with no conditions. If he thinks that they will not do so, he will withdraw the United States from the talks.
This is usually known as an “Unconditional Surrender”, and comes after the defeat of one power by another. My understanding of the North Korean Kim regime is that there will be a very slim chance of their admission of defeat, making unconditional surrender not likely.
Will the United States make concessions to achieve peace? Or will the President simply walk away?
◊♦◊
Click for more from Mckay Williams
—
What’s your take on what you just read? Comment below or write a response and submit to us your own point of view or reaction here at the red box, below, which links to our submissions portal.
◊♦◊
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Photo credit: Getty Images