Israel Matzav

I know: Let's 'internationalize' Jerusalem

During the 19 years (1948-67) that Jordan occupied Jerusalem no one ever suggested a 'solution' of internationalizing the city. After all, the Muslims could reach their holy sites and the Christians could reach theirs. So what if Jews had to disguise themselves as Germans to reach theirs (yes, I knew someone who did this).

But now that Israel has been in control for more than 40 years and all religions have freedom of worship, President Obama's 'think tank' wants to 'internationalize' Jerusalem - an idea that has been around since immediately after the 1967 war. Of course, this time it's only 'temporary.'

The Center for American Progress (CAP), headquartered just three blocks from the White House in Washington, is regarded as one of the most influential think tanks in the city, if not the most influential. “CAP has been an incubator for liberal thought and helped build the [Democratic party] platform that triumphed in the 2008 campaign,” according to a Bloomberg.com report, which noted that some of the group's recommendations were adopted by Obama while he was still president-elect.

Four weeks ago, CAP held a panel discussion based on the premise that the Old City of Jerusalem is the main impediment in finding a solution to the Israel-Arab problem in the Holy Land. Michael Bell, a former Canadian Ambassador to Jordan, Egypt and Israel, presented a plan entitled the Jerusalem Old City Initiative. The plan does not call for the internationalization of Jerusalem -- but is not far off from that. It recommends that both Israel and a future state of Palestine appoint a third-party administrator that would run and police the city.

Bell explained that the plan calls for an administration or regime that would govern the Old City of Jerusalem for an interim period, without either Israel or the PA giving up their demands for sovereignty: “Frankly, I don’t think there’s going to be any agreement on sovereignty. I think that the two sides need not cede their demands for sovereignty; these claims can remain exactly as they are today. The sides would simply agree to delay the implementation or assertion of these claims until after an agreement is reached. Until then, a special administration would be set up, with the two sides agreeing to set this up, at least on an interim basis. And what this would do … would be to ensure dignity, human rights and equity for all living in the Old City, all visitors, and all pilgrims.”

And why does he think an agreement will ever be reached? And why should Israel, which liberated the Old City in a defensive war give up its sovereignty over it? And what's wrong with the status quo?

Breger similarly said that the argument that Jerusalem is not so holy to Islam is “a silly one.” He said, “It’s true that when Jerusalem was not under Islamic control, such as during the Crusader period, the British Mandate and under Israeli control, there was more discussion about Jerusalem in Muslim sources… but it’s silly to say that it’s not so holy to Islam, because you have to accept a religion’s definition of what is holy.” However, this appeared to contradict what he said just minutes before: “One of our problems is that we have to weed out the ‘politics of religion’ from the ‘doctrine of religion’…”

So when Muslims go all over the world claiming other religions' holy sites as being holy to them, we should all just accept that? Any Hindus in India reading this? What do you all think of that? I think it's nonsense.

And guess who was at this 'conference'?

Daniel Kurtzer, an Orthodox Jew and diplomat who has been credited with coining the concept “land for peace” and insisting long ago that Jerusalem be included in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, was the moderator. He said that discussing the option of imposing a settlement freeze on Jerusalem would make it easier to have serious negotiations.

Kurtzer further warned that a solution for Jerusalem had better be found before Israel builds its E-1 housing project near Maaleh Adumim and before the City of David (Silwan) Jewish settlement project proceeds much further.

Lest any of you think a 'settlement freeze' is just a goodwill gesture and that a 'temporary settlement freeze' has no consequences.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:49 PM