You've really done it this time, Donald

I have now totally convinced myself that there is a dart board in the Oval Office of the White House, whereby each section is a different group of people. At the start of every week, Donald lines up a shot and sees what kind of shenanigans he will get into this time around. In the next thrilling installment, the dart has landed in 'anyone who is sensitive to the Arab-Israeli conflict'. He rubs his hands excitedly, and hatches a plan.

Blending in

In what can only be described as a 'ballsy' move, the Commander-in-Chief has declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, rather than Tel-Aviv. This makes the United States the first nation to do this, as everyone else is sensible and doesn't want to cause any strife by declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel. It's a very sensitive issue, and is certainly not one that can be solved easily.

The US and Israel have usually seen eye to eye; there was an iffy period during the Suez Crisis in 1956 when the US had no time for the British, French and Israeli invasion of Egypt. When Israel came into existence in 1948, the USA was the first nation to recognise the sovereignty of the Jewish state. Since then, the US has provided substantial military and financial aid to Israel; in 2014 alone, $3.1 billion of aid was given to the Jewish state. Indeed, the US has used its veto 42 times over issues involving Israel, which is just over 50% of the total vetoes used by the United States in the United Nations. Yep, they're tight.

President Harry Truman with Israeli PM Ben-Gurion and Ambassador Abba Eban- the early stages of friendship

The entire geopolitical situation in the Middle East, especially Israel and the possession of Jerusalem, is extremely tense. Having taken total control of the city in the aftermath of the Six Day War (1967), the nation of Palestine fell into disarray and Israel established itself as a dominant power due to the total annihilation of the Arab coalition forces. This certainly hasn't changed, and Israel won't change its stance on the issue over the control of the holy city, despite pressure from the international community.

Muslims, Christians and Jews see Jerusalem as integral to their beliefs, as specific sites hold great importance in terms of the early days of each religion. The city is the place where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and where the Ark of the Covenant was housed. Feel free to go into greater detail on the religious history, since I'm gonna be going on about Trump and need to fight the temptation to dive into the history.

I assume you all thought it was just famous for being in Indiana Jones, right? 

In the simplest context possible, Israel came about due to Jewish refugees fleeing to Palestine after the Holocaust, a British desire to resolve the issue surrounding the formation of a Jewish state, and pressure from the Zionist movement. This caused a lot of strife, and Israel's Arab neighbours, such as Iraq and Syria, don't recognise Israel's right to exist. Sounds mean, but when a new nation is just plopped right in the middle of a predominantly Muslim region, no one is gonna be chuffed about it.

Of course, for everyone with a bit of sense out there, you would know not to throw any petrol on that fire. Mr Trump, sadly, has done exactly that. Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital backtracks decades of US policy over the issue, and greatly endangers a peaceful settlement between Israel and Palestine anytime soon. Even though Donald is fulfilling his campaign promise, it's basically just a move to try and strengthen approval amongst his weakening support base.

Don't look so excited, tone it down a bit 

The move, in the eyes of the world, is seen as risky and, above all, moronic. American allies in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, now sit uneasily over the relationship with the Western power, with the Saudis calling the announcement 'unjustified and irresponsible'. Donald said 'it was the right thing to do' and was in line with 'the best interests of the United States'. If by 'best interests' he means causing more controversy, endangering peace in the Middle East and making all the world leaders put their heads in their hands in sheer disbelief, then he's nailed it.

Mission accomplished, GG everyone

Having studied this region in detail in my student days, I have some background knowledge and am invested in the goings on in the Arab-Israeli conflict. It frustrates me that nobody was able to talk the President out of this move, as the United States ain't the most popular nation in the Middle East. Israel and the US are gonna be having a great time after this announcement, especially if the American embassy is moved to Jerusalem (which will be Trump's next move). Just more fuel on the fire.

Not only are relations likely to be jeopardised, but it's key to keep in mind that the Middle East is a key supplier of the world oil supply (just ask George Bush Jr.) and OPEC (Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries) have embargoed oil before. 1973 saw the outbreak of the Yom Kippur war, and countries that were believed to be supporting Israel didn't get any oil. It was a shit show, as the price of oil rose to $12 a barrel, no one could buy petrol and numerous long haul road trips were cancelled. Tragic.

Makes the queue at the Sainsbury's petrol station on a Wednesday night look like nothing

The ball is already rolling, as Trump's announcement has brought with it violence and turmoil. Rockets have been fired by both Israel and the militant Hamas group, who have controlled the Gaza strip since 2007, and protests have been staged. In the last few days, more condemnation has been spoken towards Trump's move over Jerusalem, as the country's potential to be a key figure in peace talks between Israel and Palestine has come into question.

For God's sake, the region has already been through enough civil war and conflict in the last few decades. To reignite the Arab-Israeli conflict would be another grim chapter in history, and peace must be reached. But it's OK, since a strong US-Israel relationship will look good on Donald Trump's CV and show his 'competence' as President.. As soon as the wall goes up and America is deemed 'great again', I'm sure Trump will commission the inclusion of his face on Mount Rushmore.

Watch out fellas

Ben G 😁 xo

P.S. I seriously recommend looking through the history of the Middle East. It's really interesting and will definitely give you a good perception of why declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel is a stupid move.