…Jerusalem must be the joint capital of Israel and Palestinian, and more.
Where no US president including Obama has dared to tread, today, in a follow up to an earlier draft by Sweden which holds the current EU presidency, EU ministers representing 27 European nations stepped up and declared support for a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Before AIPAC in 2008, Obama made the awful decision to support Jerusalem as the “undivided” capital of Israel, disenfranchising the Palestinians of their own capital. At least now he knows that the EU will not support and go along with these unilateral pro-Netanyahu moves, which are illegal by international law. And I would suspect that Russia and China will follow suit.
The EU decision is a rebuke of Obama and notice that he cannot predetermine a settlement that will have the support of most of the European community.
The body of EU ministers even went further by affirming the 1967 border as the border between Israel and Palestine, thus contradicting the earlier gesture of George W Bush to gave away, without authority, parts of the West Bank to Israel which was humbly accepted by Israeli PM at the time, Ariel Sharon.
The story from Reuters:
European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday called for negotiations over the status of Jerusalem, saying a way should be found to make it the capital of two nations, Israel and a future Palestinian state.
Sweden, which currently holds the European Union presidency, presented a draft document last week supporting the division of Jerusalem and the recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. “If there is to be a genuine peace, a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of two states,” EU foreign ministers agreed in a statement released on Tuesday, diplomats said.
The status of Jerusalem – a city holy to three religions – is a sensitive issue for Israel, which considers the city to be its indivisible capital. Palestinians want the eastern part of Jerusalem to serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.
(snip)
The document also called for the establishment of a Palestinian state comprising the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem. “If there is to be [peace] a way has to be found to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the capital of two states,” it said. The competing claims to East Jerusalem remain the most intractable issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Last week, Israel sternly warned the EU against adopting new language that endorses East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.
(Link to the full article above)
“Last summer, Obama made the awful decision to support Jerusalem as the unified capital of Israel, disenfranchising the Palestinians of their own capital.“
Actually, he first did that the year before as a candidate. It was part of that incredibly embarrassing speech he made to AIPAC the moment he secured the nomination.
Thanks for the correction.
.
Earlier this week the EU draft proposal stated East-Jerusalem to be the capital of the Palestinian state. After heavy criticism by Israeli leadership and threat the EU would forfeit their role as possible mediator, the EU conveys it is be part of negotiations for a peace settlement.
The Israeli maverick settlers on Palestinian land are mounting protests and calling the Netanyahu cabinet members as traitors of Israel. Will they announce their fatwa soon?
The current holder of the rotating European Union presidency, Sweden, has put together a draft document calling for the division of Jerusalem between Israel and a future Palestinian state and implying that the EU would recognize a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood.
Haaretz has obtained a copy of the document (below) that has sparked criticism by Israel, which claims that such a move would further harm the chances of renewing the Mideast peace process.
“The European Union calls for the urgent resumption of negotiations that will lead, within an agreed time-frame, to a two-state solution with an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable stae of Palestine, comprising the West Bank and Gaza and with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side in peace and security with the State of Israel.”
Notice, there were no if’s or but’s about it, nor does it mention a Jewish State of Israel.
Israel warns EU over East Jerusalem dispute
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.".
The Jerusalem Post has learned, meanwhile, that Mitchell spoke by phone with Swedish foreign Minister Carl Bildt over the last few days, trying to convince him to water down the draft resolution he had placed before the EU that would have recognized east Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Israeli officials lobbied Washington to do what it could to dilute the proposal, arguing that the draft resolution put forward by the Swedes would only reinforce a feeling among the Palestinians that they could “sit on their hands” and the international community would impose a solution on Israel.
See my new diary – The Rights Forum for Palestine – New Dutch Initiative
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."