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Last update - 01:49 23/07/2008 Welcome to a divided Jerusalem By Akiva Eldar Tags: jerusalem, israel, obama It is doubtful that Ghassan Abu-Tir from Umm Touba in East Jerusalem timed his attack to coincide with presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's short visit to Israel's capital. And it's hard to know whether the bulldozer terrorist chose to carry out his attack several meters from Jerusalem's Liberty Bell, which gives its name to the large garden overlooking the walls of the Old City and the separation fence. Either way, the attack highlights for Obama the deep gap that separates his bombastic statement about a supposedly united Jerusalem, and the sad reality that exists in a divided city. It is highly advisable for Obama's advisers to direct his attention to the statements made by Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin following the attack. He warned that if we do not deal with the vacuum in governance, Jerusalem will become a "severe problem." And how does Diskin propose to deal with this vacuum? He is proposing to "destroy the homes of terrorists in order to preserve deterrence." The candidate should ask his hosts about how this vacuum was created, and if there are no better ways to fill it. Diplomats at the American consulate will be glad to tell him about the growing love for Israel in Arab neighborhoods where settler organizations are increasingly taking them over with the encouragement of state authorities. Advertisement Several days prior to departing on his trip to the Middle East, Obama made it clear that in his statements two months ago at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, in which he expressed opposition to the division of Jerusalem, he was referring only to the return of the wire fences that divided the city until June 1967. One can conclude from this that the leading presidential candidate understands that no permanent-status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians is possible if it satisfies the desire of only one side for Jerusalem real estate, especially the religious and historic sites. However, by the time the next U.S. president enters the White House, there will be nearly nothing left to divide. The Israeli effort to Judaize Jerusalem through legislation, administrative restrictions, a separation fence, the appropriation of land and the abuse of the Palestinian population has transformed Jerusalem into a binational city. It can be hoped that Obama will not take seriously the stories about harmony between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem. He should not buy into the claim that since the three most recent attacks in the capital were carried out by individuals with no apparent connection to established terror groups, this does not reflect negative trends among the local population. Someone needs to tell him that Professor Sari Nusseibeh, one of the moderate leaders of the Palestinian elite, called on the European Union this week to halt economic aid to the Palestinian Authority. Nusseibeh argued that the existence of the PA perpetuates Israeli occupation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It is not only the PA that is losing control over East Jerusalem; Hamas is not interested in violating the tahadiyeh [cease-fire] at this time. The rage of the bulldozer drivers suggests a breakdown in Palestinian leadership. One man, then another, and another, and another, wake up one morning and, just like that, go into the street to attack yeshiva boys, run over children under the wheels of a bulldozer, shoot at Border Police officers. As in Iraq, this is the sort of fertile ground where Al-Qaida weeds grow. But this ground is in the heart of Israel's capital - "united" Jerusalem and the Arab villages to its north. Moreover, Jewish terrorists flourish next to them. There is no better definition for the Jewish thugs that abuse Palestinian civilians just about every day, in an effort to push them out of East Jerusalem and the Hebron Hills. Fanatical minorities on both sides are dragging two nations behind them into the abyss, as in Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish's description of two guys who fall together into a pit and continue to fight even when they reach the bottom. A Jerusalem in conflict is an excellent vantage point over the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. If the next U.S. president adopts his predecessor's policy of endless talk and conferences, the entire State of Israel will resemble its capital in a few years. If Obama is a friend of Israel, he will have to rapidly set aside his pledge about Jerusalem, a pledge that belongs in campaign rallies and synagogues. An American president who protects Israel, who really and honestly has the best interests of the Jewish state at heart, will not rest until we celebrate the division of Jerusalem into two capitals, and the division of the country into two states. Bookmark to del.icio.us   West Bank drought Palestinian Water Authority calls on Israel to rethink its water policies. Death of an artist Egyptian filmmaker's controversial work earned him international recognition.   1.   `The Israeli effort to Judaize Jerusalem` 06:15  |  Meir Weinstein 23/07/08   2.   Obama 09:43  |  Natallie Durson 23/07/08   3.   You Meir 09:54  |  Muhyddine Ayoubi 23/07/08   4.   WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!! 09:56  |  Susan 23/07/08   5.   Muhyddine Ayoubi 10:40  |  Victoria 23/07/08   6.   losing its jewish identity 10:54  |  matthi 23/07/08   7.   OBAMA NEEDS TO BE TOUGH TO ISRAEL 10:56  |  indrajaya 23/07/08   8.   It is not about that tiny land it is about the destruction of Isr 11:06  |  e.m Jordan is Palse 23/07/08   9.   Been There 12:07  |  Johnny Weintraub 23/07/08   10.   Akiva Eldar`s urgent plea is timely and genuine 12:58  |  Esther 23/07/08   11.   FOR SAKE OF JEWISH STATE DO NOT DIVIDE IT OR JERUSALEM ?? 12:58  |  BILL 23/07/08   12.   Terror in Jerusalem 13:04  |  Rachel Carter 23/07/08   13.   Its notE.Jerusalem.Its not just East "Al Quds" 13:08  |  PETER SM 23/07/08   14.   We are not ready for a United Jerusalem 13:28  |  Tzfonit 23/07/08   15.   Yes, Hamas Rocket Bases in East Jerusalem, Please 13:32  |  Yehudi Smollani 23/07/08   16.   It`s a charade 13:37  |  sh 23/07/08   17.   #4 I see it now, Susan.... 14:13  |  Johnboy 23/07/08   18.   #1 A one-word review of Meir Weinstein`s post 14:15  |  Johnboy 23/07/08   19.   Preconditions--only 4--for dividing Jerusalem 14:34  |  Mathematician 23/07/08   20.   SECOND TRY, HAARETZ 14:45  |  MR 23/07/08   21.   Tzfonit the rabid Arabist @11 14:48  |  GABE1 23/07/08   22.   Tzfonit, please stop the BS about "extremists on both sides" 14:56  |  Freethinker 23/07/08   23.   Judaizing Jerusalem is like Italianizing Rome, Germanizing Berlin 14:57  |  Freethinker 23/07/08   24.   Terror in Jerusalem - response to Rachel 15:02  |  sylvie 23/07/08   25.   Almost 90& of Israeli Jews reject Eldar`s suicidal lunacy. 15:13  |  Chaim 23/07/08   26.   Gabe - tying himself in knots 15:17  |  Mike Friedman 23/07/08   27.   Once again, haaretz in the forefront 15:27  |  Arie 23/07/08   28.   Ah, Freethinker again 15:31  |  Tzfonit 23/07/08   29.   Please Eldad, convert to Christianity or Islam. 15:31  |  Gilad 23/07/08   30.   Arabs din`t accept TINY ISRAEL. So, Israel should be GREAT and... 15:47  |  Vittorio 23/07/08   31.   #15 Yehudi 15:56  |  Victoria 23/07/08   32.   Gilad - not happy with ethnic cleansing 16:03  |  Mike Friedman 23/07/08   33.   for the sake of the jewish state all far out lefties must wake up 16:05  |  ralph 23/07/08   34.   Tzfonit #14,28: you`re good at it - 16:06  |  ivo 23/07/08   35.   Noise About Jerusalem`s Division, Nothing More Than Backscatter! 16:07  |  Peter 23/07/08   36.   Ivo of Prague #34 16:23  |  Tzfonit 23/07/08   37.   Sharing Jerusalem 16:45  |  Kuntz Hermann 23/07/08   38.   Ishmael and Issac lived together in the land. Abraham their ..... 17:08  |  American 23/07/08   39.   one more proof,that leftis`m is a mental disease 17:17  |  chaim schonbrun 23/07/08   40.   #32 Mike Friedman, nonsense about ethnic cleansing. 17:56  |  Gilad 23/07/08   41.   Comparing two phrases from here 18:13  |  Melumad 23/07/08   42.   Tzfonit #36 18:14  |  ivo 23/07/08   43.   Theocracies 18:22  |  John 23/07/08   44.   #38 is right, right, righ! 18:28  |  John 23/07/08   45.   There are only two real options here, will work Middle East style 18:31  |  Genuine Tosefta 23/07/08   46.   " vacuum in governance " is correct attribute... 18:52  |  Smadar 23/07/08   47.   To Chaim 19:19  |  Otto Rand 23/07/08   48.   #38 19:21  |  Canadian 23/07/08   49.   #38 continued 19:24  |  Canadian 23/07/08   50.   #43 theocracy 19:28  |  Canadian 23/07/08   51.   But does Eldar even support a jewish state of israel?? 19:35  |  Voice of Reason 23/07/08   52.   Tzfonit & Ivo 19:36  |  x-ray 23/07/08   53.   #38 is so preposterously wrong, wrong, wrong! 19:46  |  ivo 23/07/08   54.   To Meir Weinstein 20:09  |  Czarkazem13 23/07/08   55.   #38 American 20:11  |  savta 23/07/08   56.   Natallie 20:16  |  Czarkazem13 23/07/08   57.   Muhyddine Ayoubi 20:17  |  Czarkazem13 23/07/08   58.   Susan 20:19  |  Czarkazem13 23/07/08   59.   Eldar Is Concerned about Saving Israel ? 20:29  |  Tod Zuckerman 23/07/08   60.   natalie durson 20:45  |  Connie 23/07/08   61.   Esther 20:50  |  Connie 23/07/08   62.   Let`s not be naive here 21:09  |  R`fael Moshe 23/07/08   63.   Moslems will never forget Jerusalem 21:21  |  Sammy 23/07/08   64.   Excellent advice for Mr. Obama! 21:25  |  Ivar 23/07/08   65.   Should Great Britain divide Belfast? 21:38  |  Gene 23/07/08   66.   Akiva Eldar: a believer in King Solomon`s wisdom. 21:48  |  Jeremy 23/07/08   67.   Eldar is another radical leftist for Haaretz 22:24  |  Ken Jurist 23/07/08   68.   Trade Akiva Eldar, Levy and Hass for Shalit 22:27  |  David Stoler 23/07/08   69.   #60 Ah yes, Connie, however 22:31  |  ballistic 23/07/08   70.   #61 Well, Connie, if God has ordained that for that 22:37  |  ballistic 23/07/08   71.   Muslims will forget what they stole and then returned to rightful 22:48  |  Genuine Tosefta 23/07/08   72.   Divide Jerusalem...or UN Contro ...Unite it.. 22:51  |  ali 23/07/08   73.   to: Tzfonit 22:53  |  alex 23/07/08   74.   Akiva, The division of Jerusalem makes ultimate sense 22:54  |  Dutch 23/07/08   75.   No Chance 23:17  |  salty 23/07/08   76.   96% of the Israeli don`t agree with Akiva Elder. 23:23  |  Akram Zekaria 23/07/08   77.   #63 23:28  |  Canadian 23/07/08   78.   Nathalie, If I forget thee, oh Nicosia! 23:51  |  Zev Davis 23/07/08   79.   #13 peter S and M getting his gander up 23:59  |  Labhras 23/07/08   80.   #60 connie re eating your words 00:05  |  Labhras 24/07/08   81.   To # 3 Ayoubi from Lebanon 00:09  |  Ricardo Levy 24/07/08   82.   Tendentious moderating.... 00:09  |  Esther 24/07/08   83.   Gene - message 65 00:11  |  Sylvie 24/07/08   84.   #61 connie and free real estate from above 00:11  |  Labhras 24/07/08   85.   Sammy, Historic Palestine?! 00:16  |  Zev Davis 24/07/08   86.   #65 Gene reasonable question but different case 00:22  |  Labhras 24/07/08   87.   #74 Gee, Akram, been polling lately? 01:06  |  ballistic 24/07/08   88.   #66 Gee Jeremy, I am afraid you missed 01:08  |  ballistic 24/07/08   89.   spreading hate will not advance peace 01:08  |  Dr Eric 24/07/08   90.   Conflict not rel;ated to land but caused by hate!! 01:09  |  Dr Eric 24/07/08   91.   To VITTORIO 01:10  |  Ahmed Abdallah 24/07/08   92.   arabs are indoctrinated to hate jews!!! 01:11  |  dr eric 24/07/08   93.   Arabs have to accept the blame and compromise 01:14  |  Dr Eric 24/07/08   94.   Esther #80: the moderating mystery - 01:14  |  ivo 24/07/08   95.   THE UNDIVIDED JERUSALEM IS FOR STATE OF ISRAEL, THE JEWISH PPL 01:16  |  CAPITAL OF IL 24/07/08   96.   LABHRAS Which part of NON BINDING resolution can`t you understand 01:40  |  PETER SM 24/07/08   97.   labhras 02:21  |  Connie 24/07/08   98.   Israel and Palestine need a divorce 02:21  |  Mark Lincoln 24/07/08   99.   ballistic ...... 02:35  |  Connie 24/07/08   100.   FOR THE SAKE OF JEWISH STATE DON`T LISTEN TO THE LIKES OF ELDAR 02:59  |  Jorge 24/07/08   101.   The Separation Barrier does not Judaize Jerusalem 03:00  |  Slibovitz 24/07/08   102.   Resolve Israeli - Palestinian conflict. 03:45  |  Helps 24/07/08   103.   re 60 what did you call obama 05:27  |  Alan the real one 24/07/08   104.   #47 Otta. My stats are rock solid and this tiny nation is ours. 06:06  |  Chaim 24/07/08   105.   WHY NOT...Divided..We`ll Have Peace.. 06:13  |  ali 24/07/08   106.   Re Chaim #87 07:04  |  Esther 24/07/08   107.   `Two State` is an `Inferno` ! 07:26  |  Akram Zekaria 24/07/08   108.   LABRAHAS.Which part of "NON BINDING"resolution too hard for you ? 07:49  |  PETER SM 24/07/08   109.   Alex #71 08:18  |  Tzfonit 24/07/08   110.   # 80 no no no esther; your post required no second thoughts 08:41  |  eric 24/07/08   111.   Chaims stats 09:26  |  Guy From NYC 24/07/08   112.   The foolishness of the Shin Bet response 12:13  |  Dutch 24/07/08   113.   #89 Ali, Why Not ..... 14:09  |  Gilad 24/07/08   114.   Gilad...Thanks for the History lesson...BUT... 16:01  |  ali 24/07/08   115.   Gilad...Thanks for the History lesson...BUT...PART 2 16:09  |  ali 24/07/08   116.   #92 Dr. Eric 18:15  |  kathy 24/07/08   117.   98# Mark Lincoln thank you, you made my day. 22:49  |  Akram Zekaria 24/07/08   118.   87# ballistic. I feel sorry for the Palestinians with a friend 23:33  |  Akram Zekaria 24/07/08   119.   # 80 no no esther; no second thoughts were required (2nd try) 07:41  |  eric 25/07/08   120.   IT IS A SAD REALITY;A DIVIDED J`SLM,BUT MERT HAS FORCED ISRAEL IN 16:38  |  glenna 25/07/08   121.   #118 Yes, yes Akram 18:11  |  ballistic 25/07/08   122.   NatallieD- Obama: J’lem will remain Israel`s undivided Capital 18:17  |  Rachel in USA 25/07/08   123.   ballistic- Proof: Jewish pple are living in Promised Land today 00:16  |  Rachel in USA 26/07/08   124.   #11 01:51  |  the Devil`s Advocate 26/07/08   125.   Sammy, do you know how many times “Jerusalem” appears in Koran? N 01:56  |  Rachel in USA 26/07/08   126.   125# Machell in USA. 03:11  |  Akram Zekaria 27/07/08   127.   #125 11:41  |  Kai 27/07/08

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