Israel's new government is drawing up a blueprint for dividing Jerusalem - a once-inconceivable notion - giving the Palestinians nearly all the Arab neighborhoods while holding onto Jewish areas and disputed holy shrines.Otniel Schneller, an architect of the plan, described it in interviews this week with The Associated Press, giving the clearest picture yet of how Israel plans to separate from the Palestinians, abandoning most of the West Bank.
"We will not divide Jerusalem, we will share it," he said.
Most of Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods would go to the Palestinians, he said. "Those same neighborhoods will, in my assessment, be central to the makeup of the Palestinian capital . . . al-Quds," Schneller said, calling Jerusalem by its Arabic name.
Israel would keep Jerusalem's Old City with its shrines sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians alike - an unacceptable plan to Palestinians, particularly if carried out unilaterally.
Still, with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert determined to draw Israel's final borders by 2010, likely without waiting for Palestinian agreement, a division of Jerusalem looks realistic for the first time.
This is very worrisome.
That is the way it was supposed to be in the Partition days.
ReplyDeleteI thought the Arabs rejected the Partition.
Israel needs a government that would fill the other side of the wall with gasoline and then toss in a match.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this story does the rounds every couple of years, unfortunaltey Olmert is bad for the state, and this time we should really worry.
ReplyDeleteEzzie; Absolutely no surprises here whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteBEAJ - They will this time too, right after they accept it.
ReplyDeleteIYWI - Exactly.
Jameel - Surprised that there's a formal plan being drawn up already, even if I was expecting it sooner or later.
It's on the ground, concrete walls are up, splitting our city. It's not a plan; it's happening.
ReplyDeleteEzzie-
ReplyDeleteDon't be suprised; there was a formal plan drawn up ages ago. Ask your Uncle-in-Law about it.
That doesn't make me feel better.
ReplyDelete