Ralph Peters on Recognizing Jerusalem: ‘At Some Point You Have To Do the Right Thing and Damn the Consequences’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT SMITH This ░░░░░░░░ a Fox News alert ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump soon to ░░░░░░░░ that the White House ░░░░░░░░ to relocate the U ░░░░░░░░ Embassy in Israel from ░░░░░░░░ Aviv to Jerusalem and ░░░░░░░░ recognize the Holy City ░░░░░░░░ the nation s capital ░░░░░░░░ White House says the ░░░░░░░░ is quote a recognition ░░░░░░░░ reality clip starts TILLERSON ░░░░░░░░ carefully to the entirety ░░░░░░░░ the speech Listen to ░░░░░░░░ full content of the ░░░░░░░░ The President is very ░░░░░░░░ to Middle East peace ░░░░░░░░ He has a team ░░░░░░░░ he put in place ░░░░░░░░ immediately upon entering the ░░░░░░░░ House That team has ░░░░░░░░ working very diligently on ░░░░░░░░ approaches to the peace ░░░░░░░░ They ve been engaged ░░░░░░░░ a quiet way with ░░░░░░░░ in the region around ░░░░░░░░ process clip ends SMITH ░░░░░░░░ me now is Fox ░░░░░░░░ strategic analyst Lt Col ░░░░░░░░ Peters Looking forward to ░░░░░░░░ your take What are ░░░░░░░░ implications of this move ░░░░░░░░ PETERS The implications of ░░░░░░░░ move are yes there ░░░░░░░░ be consequences There may ░░░░░░░░ violence Just too bad ░░░░░░░░ Jerusalem as the capital ░░░░░░░░ the State of Israel ░░░░░░░░ long overdue It is ░░░░░░░░ moral and ethical thing ░░░░░░░░ do and in the ░░░░░░░░ term it even may ░░░░░░░░ good strategic consequences But ░░░░░░░░ just keep coming back ░░░░░░░░ and again to the ░░░░░░░░ that we have tried ░░░░░░░░ back to Harry Truman ░░░░░░░░ pander to the Arabs ░░░░░░░░ Palestinians always hoping that ░░░░░░░░ peace will break out ░░░░░░░░ they ll see the ░░░░░░░░ And the result has ░░░░░░░░ that again and again ░░░░░░░░ again from 1948 forward ░░░░░░░░ Palestinians have rejected a ░░░░░░░░ peace They ve rejected ░░░░░░░░ opportunities And it s ░░░░░░░░ time we called their ░░░░░░░░ So morally correct ethically ░░░░░░░░ maybe strategically correct We ░░░░░░░░ see about that but ░░░░░░░░ God this is one ░░░░░░░░ policy I fully support ░░░░░░░░ How will this impact ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ We don t know ░░░░░░░░ ve been propagandized on ░░░░░░░░ where if we do ░░░░░░░░ to help Israel anything ░░░░░░░░ honor Israel and support ░░░░░░░░ the Arab world will ░░░░░░░░ on us Look at ░░░░░░░░ shambles of the Arab ░░░░░░░░ They re busy turning ░░░░░░░░ each other And yes ░░░░░░░░ may be attacks on ░░░░░░░░ S embassies and violence ░░░░░░░░ other sorts But at ░░░░░░░░ point you just have ░░░░░░░░ do the right thing ░░░░░░░░ damn the consequences I ░░░░░░░░ we re doing the ░░░░░░░░ thing SMITH Our allies ░░░░░░░░ criticizing this move France ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia have said ░░░░░░░░ this They have shared ░░░░░░░░ feelings with the president ░░░░░░░░ this What are the ░░░░░░░░ of this with our ░░░░░░░░ PETERS What has Saudi ░░░░░░░░ done for us lately ░░░░░░░░ Europeans there are concerns ░░░░░░░░ re in a different ░░░░░░░░ from economic ties and ░░░░░░░░ concerns We have to ░░░░░░░░ their concerns into consideration ░░░░░░░░ again sometimes you do ░░░░░░░░ right thing Of all ░░░░░░░░ allies we have how ░░░░░░░░ taking Israel s interests ░░░░░░░░ consideration Israel I don ░░░░░░░░ support every single thing ░░░░░░░░ Israeli government does but ░░░░░░░░ god anyone who spent ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ that Israel is a ░░░░░░░░ of law state where ░░░░░░░░ have rights It s ░░░░░░░░ civilized culture where Arabs ░░░░░░░░ rights as well as ░░░░░░░░ and Christians as well ░░░░░░░░ other minorities It is ░░░░░░░░ only country in the ░░░░░░░░ Middle East that any ░░░░░░░░ American would want to ░░░░░░░░ in if they had ░░░░░░░░ I support Israel By ░░░░░░░░ way for all the ░░░░░░░░ out there no I ░░░░░░░░ not Jewish but I ░░░░░░░░ in Israel s right ░░░░░░░░ exist I believe in ░░░░░░░░ magnificence of their achievement ░░░░░░░░ by god we should ░░░░░░░░ them and this is ░░░░░░░░ right move SMITH Derailing ░░░░░░░░ efforts This is what ░░░░░░░░ Palestinian authority abbas had ░░░░░░░░ say about this Such ░░░░░░░░ move will have detrimental ░░░░░░░░ of the peace process ░░░░░░░░ the two state solution ░░░░░░░░ aspect we haven t ░░░░░░░░ is the president is ░░░░░░░░ expected to declare that ░░░░░░░░ must be an undivided ░░░░░░░░ of Israel Your thoughts ░░░░░░░░ that PETERS I m ░░░░░░░░ you raised that point ░░░░░░░░ will be portrayed as ░░░░░░░░ villainy on the part ░░░░░░░░ the administration but east ░░░░░░░░ is not suddenly blessed ░░░░░░░░ eternally part of Israel ░░░░░░░░ Trump and the administration ░░░░░░░░ open to a two ░░░░░░░░ solution but the Palestinians ░░░░░░░░ and again have walked ░░░░░░░░ from good deals Even ░░░░░░░░ Carter and bill Clinton ░░░░░░░░ t get them to ░░░░░░░░ and now they re ░░░░░░░░ a price In real ░░░░░░░░ there are prices to ░░░░░░░░ SMITH In the statement ░░░░░░░░ said delaying the recognition ░░░░░░░░ Jerusalem has done nothing ░░░░░░░░ achieve peace It will ░░░░░░░░ be an instant process ░░░░░░░░ White House has made ░░░░░░░░ They have to pick ░░░░░░░░ site put security in ░░░░░░░░ put people there So ░░░░░░░░ re looking at a ░░░░░░░░ of years out but ░░░░░░░░ huge move by this ░░░░░░░░ House and the president ░░░░░░░░ thank you for coming ░░░░░░░░ with UT PETERS Great ░░░░░░░░ Thank you.”