Barak to Haaretz: Israel ready to cede parts of Jerusalem in peace deal

[24107]

Ahead of start of direct peace talks in Washington, Defense Minister Ehud Barak says Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods will be part of a Palestinian state; a 'special regime' to govern holy sites.

Ehud Barak has always vacillated between peace and security, dovishness and hawkishness, left wing and right wing. Even when he left south Lebanon, offered the Golan Heights to Hafez Assad and the Temple Mount to Yasser Arafat, he didn't do this as a bleeding heart. He always spoke forcefully, talked about the importance of sobriety. He always spoke about how Israel must survive in a jungle. It must do so even now, on the eve of the peace summit in Washington.This time, however, Barak is surprisingly - even unusually - optimistic. Perhaps it is because he contributed quite a bit to the summit's unveiling. Maybe it is due to the fact that the summit is his political lifejacket. The defense minister believes in the 2010 peace summit even more than the principals taking part in it.
Barak to Haaretz: Israel ready to cede parts of Jerusalem in peace deal - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

 

[ido_]

Ehud Barak is a lier and a manipulator, I'd take Bibi's word before I'll take his. Don't get your hopes up high just because of Barak.

 

[Degreez]

"West Jerusalem and 12 Jewish neighborhoods that are home to 200,000 residents will be ours. The Arab neighborhoods in which close to a quarter million Palestinians live will be theirs. There will be a special regime in place along with agreed upon arrangements in the Old City, the Mount of Olives and the City of David."

What he doesn't say is that these 12 Jewish neighborhoods constiute roughly twenty percent of East Jerusalem territory, and includes Silwan.

 

[Demon of Light]

"West Jerusalem and 12 Jewish neighborhoods that are home to 200,000 residents will be ours. The Arab neighborhoods in which close to a quarter million Palestinians live will be theirs. There will be a special regime in place along with agreed upon arrangements in the Old City, the Mount of Olives and the City of David."

What he doesn't say is that these 12 Jewish neighborhoods constiute roughly twenty percent of East Jerusalem territory, and includes Silwan.

I think it might be more than 20 percent. Also missing is clarification over what he means by "theirs" as the Camp David proposal did not actually have these parts of East Jerusalem annexed to the West Bank. The Palestinian authority was merely represented in the context of an Israeli municipal authority and they did not have full jurisdiction over things like development and construction. If that is what he means by "theirs" then this plan is DOA.

 

[digsbe]

Israel should not give up any of Jerusalem. I really hope this never happens.

 

[expandmymind]

Israel won't be 'ceding' anything. Under international law Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinians. This is a simple and, outside of Israel, uncontroversial fact.

Therefore any of Jerusalem that Israel walks away with will have been due to yet more Palestinian 'ceding'. Wonderful how the situation has been somehow reversed.

Israel's PR machine works better than any other in the world.

 

[Vader]

"West Jerusalem and 12 Jewish neighborhoods that are home to 200,000 residents will be ours. The Arab neighborhoods in which close to a quarter million Palestinians live will be theirs. There will be a special regime in place along with agreed upon arrangements in the Old City, the Mount of Olives and the City of David."

What he doesn't say is that these 12 Jewish neighborhoods constiute roughly twenty percent of East Jerusalem territory, and includes Silwan.

Not going to happen..... and posting lies is uncool. Shame on you.

 

[Vader]

Israel won't be 'ceding' anything. Under international law Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinians. This is a simple and, outside of Israel, uncontroversial fact.

Therefore any of Jerusalem that Israel walks away with will have been due to yet more Palestinian 'ceding'. Wonderful how the situation has been somehow reversed.

Israel's PR machine works better than any other in the world.

WRONG.

Under international law, Jerusalem belongs to the jews ... as it as for the last 3000 years. In modern times, the British gave it to Israel. You're wrong and you need to wake up and smell the cookies.

 

[expandmymind]

WRONG.

No, I'm not.

Under international law, Jerusalem belongs to the jews ...

It's really quite simple: under international law it is inadmissible to acquire land through war. This is probably the single most important law there is in existence... as the last 40+ years of violent occupation have shown us. Jerusalem was acquired through the June 1967 war, therefore it cannot belong to them. Now I understand that many try to twist this around and claim that Jerusalem was first taken by Arabs through war in '48, but to do this is to either grant legitimacy to the refugees of that expulsion or to grant Palestinians all the land taken from them during the war of independence.
You can't have it both ways.. or at least it's immoral to have it both ways. Israel obviously can though thanks to the unique partnership with the US.

as it as for the last 3000 years.

Now this is genuinely worrying. Truly. I guess Africa also belongs to the African Americans? Norway belongs to Scots with Norwegian heritage?

To claim that Palestine has belonged to Jews for 2000 years is.. well, I'm not really sure how else to reply to that.

In modern times, the British gave it to Israel.

Well this is a simplification if ever I saw one, but I have addressed this already, above.

You're wrong and you need to wake up and smell the cookies.

No I'm not.. as I have clearly shown.