.
>> IT'S IMPORTANT EVEN FOR THE
APPARENT REASONS THAT OUR
CAPITAL -- I WOULD HAVE
EXPECTED IT TO HAPPEN 70 YEARS
AGO WHEN THE AMERICAN
RECOGNIZED ISRAEL OR AT LEAST
25 YEARS AGO WHEN THE CONGRESS
PASSED THE BIPARTISAN
RESOLUTION TO DO IT.
WE ALWAYS WILL COME TO THE
DECISION OF PRESIDENT TRUMP TO
PUT IT INTO ACTION.
CHERYL: SHARING HIS ENTHUSIASM
OVER YESTERDAY'S OPENING WITH
MARIA BARTIROMO THIS MORNING,
BUT CONTINUED INTO TODAY,
THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS
TURNED OUT TO BEGIN BURYING THE
NEARLY 60 PEOPLE THAT WERE
KILLED DURING CLASHES OF ISRAEL
AND GAZA YESTERDAY.
TWO MORE PALESTINIANS WERE
KILLED DURING CLASHES TODAY.
THE QUESTION HAS TO BE ASKED
CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE THE DEADLY
AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN
THE REGION TO EASE THESE
TENSIONS?
I WANT TO BRING IN FORMER U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL AND SENIOR
FELLOW AT THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL,
JAMES CUNNINGHAM.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
CHERYL: THIS BEGS THE QUESTION.
WE KNEW -- WE'VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT FOR YEARS MOVING THE
EMBASSY INTO JERUSALEM.
THIS PRESIDENT IS THE ONE
THAT'S MADE THAT HAPPEN, BUT AT
THE SAME TIME, DO YOU THINK
THAT THE TIMING WAS TOO SOON?
AND DO YOU THINK THAT THESE
CLASHES, THE VIOLENT PROTESTS
ARE GOING TO CONTINUE?
>> IT'S MORE THAN A QUESTION OF
TIMING, IT'S A QUESTION OF THE
CONTEXT WHICH IT TAKES PLACE OR
IF THERE IS A CONTEXT.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT SYMBOLIC
MOVE.
NORMALLY ONE WOULD HOPE TO HAVE
A POLITICAL PROCESS AND
DISCUSSION ONE WOULD HOPE TO
GET SOMETHING IN RETURN FOR
THAT AND HAVE IT TAKE PLACE AS
PART OF A STRATEGY, AND IT'S
NOT CLEAR TO ME AND MANY
OBSERVERS THAT THERE IS A
STRATEGIC REASON BEHIND TAKING
THIS MOVE AT THIS TIME, AND
OPENING UP THE ISSUE.
I'VE HEARD VARIOUS
ADMINISTRATION SPOKESMEN
INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT SAY
THIS TAKES JERUSALEM OFF THE
TABLE AS AN ISSUE IN THE PEACE
PROCESS, PEACE DISCUSSIONS
BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND
PALESTINIANS, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME, THEY MADE CLEAR IN
FOOTNOTE STATEMENTS THAT THE
FINAL SOVEREIGN AREA OF
JERUSALEM NEEDS TO BE THE
RESULT OF A NEGOTIATION, IT'S
NOT OFF THE TABLE.
IT EXACERBATES THE TENSIONS IN
THE AREA AND MAKES IT MORE
DIFFICULT.
CHERYL: THERE HAVE BEEN OTHERS
IN YOUR POSITION AS WELL.
OTHER ANALYSTS.
MIDDLE EAST PEACE NEGOTIATORS
HAVE COME ON TELEVISION IN
VARIOUS FORMS IN THE LAST TWO
DAYS AND SAID WE DIDN'T GET
ANYTHING FOR THIS.
YOU ARE ECHOING THAT SENTIMENT.
WHAT SHOULD WE HAVE ASKED FOR
FROM THE PALESTINIANS, AND DO
YOU THINK THAT THERE'S STILL
SOME ROOM HERE TO FIND COMMON
GROUND, AND MAYBE WE CAN
PARTICIPATE, THE UNITED STATES
CAN BETWEEN THE ISRAELIS AND
THE PALESTINIANS TO FIND,
AGAIN, TRY TEND TO THE
VIOLENCE?
>> WELL, IT'S NOT A CARD GAME
WITH TRADING ONE CARD OR
ANOTHER.
THE QUESTION IS, IF YOU'RE
GIVING SOMETHING THAT'S
IMPORTANT TO ONE OF THE PARTIES
IN THE NEGOTIATION, YOU WOULD
BE ASKING SOMETHING FROM THAT
PARTY TO FACILITATE THAT
NEGOTIATION AND TO FACILITATE A
SOLUTION.
A STEP LIKE THIS, IN MY VIEW,
AND I THINK IN PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATIONS, THE VIEW OF
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS SHOULD
BE TAKEN AS PART OF THE PACKAGE
THAT CLOSES OUT THE ISSUE AND
RESOLVES THE ISSUE OF
JERUSALEM.
THERE'S NO QUESTION IN
ANYBODY'S MIND EVEN IN ARAB
MINDS AND PALESTINIAN MINDS
THAT JERUSALEM IS GOING TO BE
THE CAPITAL OF ISRAEL.
THAT'S NOT IN DISPUTE.
WHAT IS IN DISPUTE IS WHAT DOES
ONE ACTUALLY DO ABOUT THE AREA
OF ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY AS THE
CAPITAL, AND VERY IMPORTANTLY,
WHAT DOES ONE DO ABOUT THE OLD
CITY AND THE OTHER
MULTIRELIGIOUS LAND THERE.
CHERYL: WHAT ABOUT IRAN?
THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HAS BEEN
VERY VOCAL ABOUT, THIS
TIT-FOR-TAT WE'RE SEEING
BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE
IRANIANS, THE STRIKES WHICH MAY
NOT BE OVER.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WE, AS
THE UNITED STATES, COULD OR
SHOULD DO, MAYBE TO KIND OF
FACILITATE TO MAKE SURE OUR
ALLIES, THE ISRAELIS ARE SAFE,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THAT WE
DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH THE
IRANIANS?
>> THAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND HERE WE'RE IN LOCKSTEP WITH
THE ISRAELIS.
IRAN IS THE THREAT TO ISRAEL,
IT'S A THREAT TO THE REGION
AND, IN FACT, I HAVE ARGUED AND
WOULD CONTINUE TO ARGUE THAT
RAISING THE ISSUE OF JERUSALEM
IS A DISTRACTION FROM WHAT THE
REAL CORE ISSUE IS IN THE
MIDDLE EAST RIGHT NOW.
THAT IS IRAN AND ITS ACTIVITIES
AND ATTEMPTS TO DESTABILIZE THE
REGION.
ISRAEL HAS AN IMPORTANT
INTEREST IN REGIONAL STABILITY
AND OPENED IMPORTANT NEW
CHANNELS OF CONTACT WITH ARAB
COUNTRIES IN THE REGION.
MY VIEW, WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING
TO STRENGTHEN THAT.
CHERYL: IT'S SUCH -- AGAIN, THE
TIT-FOR-TAT AND SO MUCH MORE
WORK TO DO THERE.
WE'RE GOING TO BE IN IT FOR THE