The great embassy race: US and Russia elbowing each other, eyeing Jerusalem
Last week witnessed two threshold events that signaled a profound change in the Middle East: the Trump administration’s cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base in retaliation for Assad’s latest nerve gas attack on civilians, and Russia’s surprise recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Both dramatic events took the world by surprise, representing nearly simultaneous reversals of the internationally accepted status quo.
Previously, Assad’s use of poison gas was just another facet of the ongoing barbarity afflicting the Middle East, one which former US president Barack Obama naively promised to stem, but did not follow through with military action. Suddenly there is a new sheriff in town who broke through the diplomatic inertia with long-awaited action. While all the consequences are yet to emerge, no one should ignore the nearly universal sighs of long overdue, hope-stirring relief.