Jordan's Abdullah urges Olmert to publicly call for Jerusalem's division
In their meeting in Aqaba this week, Jordanian King Abdullah, the Bedouin tribesman whose 'nation' was artificially carved out of the 'Palestine' Mandate by the British, urged Israeli Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert to publicly call for Jerusalem's division.Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Jordan's King Abdullah II discussed the division of Israel's capital during a brief visit Olmert held with the monarch Thursday, the London based Al Hayat reported Friday.In his interview with the Jerusalem Post this weekend, Olmert ducked the only question that specifically related to Jerusalem:
Quoting Jordanian sources, the prime minister and the king discussed at length issues relating to a final status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Apart from the possibility of ceding parts of Jerusalem, the two also addressed the issue of Palestinian refugees.
Reportedly, during the meeting which was aimed at coordinating positions ahead of a visit by US President George W. Bush slated for next week, Abdullah told Olmert that the latter had to stand up to commitments he made in the past, and begin making public statements regarding the division of Jerusalem.
Israel Radio reported earlier that official statements from Jordan said that the monarch wanted to avoid unilateral actions and that Olmert clarified that Israel was not intending to build new settlements.
Even though he [Bush. CiJ], in his vision for our country, thinks of the '67 borders and a division of Jerusalem?Even if Olmert were to call for dividing Jerusalem - and I have no doubt he will - the 'Palestinians' will not be satisfied unless Olmert expels all the Jews from all of the Jewish neighborhoods that have been built in Jerusalem over the former 'green line' border since 1967. That's approximately 150,000 more people who would be turned into refugees. Olmert thinks of dividing Jerusalem in terms of giving the 'Palestinians' control over the mostly Arab neighborhoods and the Jews control over the mostly Jewish neighborhoods. That's not including the Old City, which is a whole separate issue.
He thinks of the '67 borders, but he has already said '67 plus. He's the only president who has ever said that... The basis is with reference to the '67 borders. His reference is '67 plus. And that's an amazing achievement for Israel.
The different understandings of 'dividing Jerusalem' may yet be our saving grace. I don't expect the Jewish neighborhoods to be destroyed and their residents expelled so that we can go back to the artificial border that existed before 1967 (and I live in one of those neighborhoods). Even if Olmert wants to do that, he won't survive politically if he tries to do it. And he knows it.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:16 PM
5 Comments:
"The different understandings of 'dividing Jerusalem' may yet be our saving grace. I don't expect the Jewish neighborhoods to be destroyed and their residents expelled so that we can go back to the artificial border that existed before 1967 (and I live in one of those neighborhoods). Even if Olmert wants to do that, he won't survive politically if he tries to do it. And he knows it."
Hope you're right. But he's backed down on building in Har Homa, hasn't he? Not a good sign.
This comment has been removed by the author.
I think after the international attention goes away, Israel will quietly resume building in Har Homa and the Gush Etzion area. Ehud Olmert knows full well he is not going to get two-thirds of the Knesset to agree to a re-division of Jerusalem. Whatever noises he makes about it, the Arabs have a different understanding. I agree with Carl that will probably end up saving the city. It is worth noting even Jerusalem's Arabs, who have no love of Israel, show no desire to live under PA rule for good reason.
And anyway, the Israeli government has a prior obligation to consult Jerusalem inhabitants about possible changes in the status quo. Olmert cannot simply impose them by fiat.
"And anyway, the Israeli government has a prior obligation to consult Jerusalem inhabitants about possible changes in the status quo. Olmert cannot simply impose them by fiat."
Is that legally binding? Is it somewhere written into law, or just a moral obligation?
"It is worth noting even Jerusalem's Arabs, who have no love of Israel, show no desire to live under PA rule for good reason."
That part is true, but I doubt it's relevant to whether Olmert & Co. will continue to try to go ahead with dividing the city. What the Jerusalem Arabs' dislike of PA rule amounts to is this--they've nearly got their personal "right of return" in the bag and aren't about to give it up. It looks to me like Olmert is fully capable of trying to give the PA control of "Arab neighborhoods" while _simultaneously_ relocating the Arabs presently in those neighborhoods to elsewhere within Israel, thus turning the neighborhoods over to whatever "Palestinians" happen to enter them afterwards. Has anyone seen any indication that he would have any shame about doing that?
Lydia,
There's a difference between backing down on further building and expelling people who are already there.
Norman,
I don't expect international attention to go away anytime soon (if at all) and I don't know of any obligation Olmert has to 'consult Jerusalem residents about possible changes in the status quo.' Not that it would matter if he had one.
Lydia,
Olmert has no shame whatsoever. If he had any, he would have resigned in September 2006.
Post a Comment
<< Home