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Before Donald Trump even recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, The New York Times characteristically shrieked at 4 a.m. “Igniting fears of violence in the region, President Trump’s decision could derail any peace initiative, Arab and European leaders warn.” In response to which I would ask how you derail something already in the ditch, if the more pertinent question were not how you derail something that does not exist.

Trump continues to confound as the first post-modern president, entirely unbound by logic or convention. About a quarter of his major public acts fall below the minimum standard of decency for his office, and about one in 10 rises dramatically above what other presidents ever dared.

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tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or John Robson: Recognizing Jerusalem as capital disrupts peace process that doesn't exist Back to video

I put this decision in the latter category on moral and historical grounds. But as this point has been ably argued by various Post colleagues, let us narrow our focus to the question of the negotiations for peace that, politicians and pundits rushing in where angels fear to tread assure us, are going on in the region and might be threatened by this move. On what ground, exactly, would doing something that pleases our democratic Israeli ally and offends its bloodthirsty enemies be counterproductive?