Author: Western Wall Is Part Of Israel
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - David Brog, the author of Reclaiming Israel's History, discussed Donald Trump's diplomatic visit to Israel with Chris Stigall on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, saying he sees Trump as a firm supporter of the Jewish state, but would have liked to see Secretary of State Rex Tillerson go further when asked about the Western Wall.
"When he says it's part of Jerusalem, he's right. He needs to go and take it the next step and recognize it's not only part of Jerusalem, it is part of Israel, that we need to recognize the thousands of years of history and connection to this place. We need to recognize that when Jews rule this place, they allow freedom of worship for Jews, Christians and Muslims. When the Jordanians ruled this place, they barred Jews from their holiest sites and he needed to say the borders that existed before the '67 war, there's no magic to them. They were simply cease fire lines."
Brog asserts that those who say the wall is not part of Israel have no real historical basis to back up their claim.
"This idea of east and west Jerusalem, of the Western Wall not being part of the Jewish state was a temporary border at the end of the '48 war, a cease fire line. It didn't have justice or history to back it up. Now, let's think, before we jump and say no, no, the Western Wall is not part of Israel."
He fully believes Trump committed to standing up for Israel in peace negotiations but warns history has shown the process is fraught with multiple attempts that have gone awry.
"Donald Trump has a deep understanding of Israel, a deep connection to Israel. He dreams of peace for Israel and in that dream, he joins every Israeli mother and father I've ever met. But, before he runs too far ahead with dreams of a new Middle East, where Sunnis are willing to lay down their arms and live in peace with Israel, I could walk him through a few past new eras that didn't quite change things to the extent one would have hoped."