Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., August 13, 2008 Av 12, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:53 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (AP)
Last update - 22:46 28/07/2008
Olmert: Living with 270,000 Arabs in Jerusalem means more terror
By Shahar Ilan, Avi Issacharoff and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Israel, Tzipi Livni 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that the situation in which Jews and Arabs live side by side in Jerusalem inevitably leads to terror attacks.

"Whoever thinks its possible to live with 270,000 Arabs in Jerusalem must take into account that there will be more bulldozers, more tractors, and more cars carrying out [terror] attacks," Olmert said, referring to two incidents this month in which Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem deliberately plowed bulldozers into passing cars in the capital, causing casualties.

Olmert added that in light of the volatile situation in Jerusalem, it was unlikely that Israel and the Palestinians would reach an agreement on the issue by the end of the year, as is the stated goal. He said that other core issues, such as the fate of the Palestinian refugees and the borders of a future Palestinian state, could be agreed upon by the year-end deadline.
Advertisement
"I don't believe that understandings that will include Jerusalem can be reached this year. But on the other core issues, the gaps are not insurmountable," he told members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, according to an official present at the meeting. "There is no practical chance of reaching an overall understanding on Jerusalem."

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Olmert's comments showed "Israel's determination to destroy the negotiations and the peace process."

Olmert, who earlier this month said Israel and the Palestinians had never been so close to an agreement, has been talking up peace prospects as he clings to office in the face of a police investigation that could force him to step down.

Nabil Abu Rdainah, Abbas' spokesman, said Jerusalem was a "red line" for Palestinians, who want the city's Arab eastern half as the capital of their future state. "We will not accept any agreement that excludes Jerusalem," he added.

Israeli officials said the joint document Olmert envisages signing by the end of the year should refer to Jerusalem in the context of continuing negotiations, rather than delineating how the city's neighborhoods and holy sites would be controlled.

"Instead of letting the most difficult issues torpedo the entire process, we think it's important to find an agreed mechanism to keep discussing these issues into 2009," Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, said.

Olmert and Abbas launched U.S.-sponsored peace talks in November but these have been bogged down by disputes, mainly over Jewish settlement building in and around Jerusalem.

According to Palestinian and Western officials, Olmert has offered to return some 92.7 percent of the West Bank, plus all of the Gaza Strip.

Olmert has also proposed a 5.3 percent land swap for major settlement blocs which Israel wants to keep as part of any accord.

Abbas has demanded all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but officials say he may accept a 1.5-2 percent swap under which Palestinians would be compensated with land from Israel.

Olmert wants any agreement to address the refugee issue by saying that just as Israel is the homeland for the Jewish people, Palestine would be the homeland for the Palestinian people, officials said.

That formula effectively denies Palestinian refugees what they consider their right to return to their former homes in what became the state of Israel in 1948.

The West Bank and Gaza Strip constitute 22 percent of British Mandate Palestine.

They were captured by Israel from Jordan and Egypt in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Meanwhile, Palestinian sources said that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is pressuring Israel and the Palestinian Authority to try to agree on a document of understandings by September, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly.

The sources said Rice wants to be able to present the document during the General Assembly to show progress in the talks.

The document would include agreed-on points particularly on borders, an issue where, according to an American diplomat, the gap is not significant. According to Palestinian sources, the gap regarding a right of return for Palestinian refugees has also narrowed.

The United States is pressing for an agreement by which Palestinian refugees will have the right of return to what were the Palestinian territories before 1967, except for a yet-unclear small number of family reunifications. The PA says the U.S. will not take a dramatic step of a "Camp David" nature before the end of President George W. Bush's term in office.

A senior government official in Jerusalem confirmed that Rice wants to use the UN General Assembly to present a document summarizing the progress of the last nine months. "Rice brings up the idea in various diplomatic forums, both in the administration," he said.

The Israeli and PA teams, headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Ahmed Qureia, are set to arrive in Washington on Wednesday to continue negotiations. Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz were to join the Israeli delegation.

A three-way meeting with Rice is expected where she will be updated on the status of the talks. The United States and the PA have long been interested in holding such talks, but Israel says the meeting is routine.

According to the Israeli official, the main issue the Americans will bring up in the meeting is the document they hope to present at the General Assembly. But he added that "neither we nor the Palestinians want a deadline that can't be met. That will only hurt the talks and the good progress that has been achieved so far."

The official said gaps remain on most issues and confirmed that the parties are closest on borders. The debate now is over the percentage of land Israel will annex and the kind of compensation the PA will get in exchange. Olmert has told associates that the gap stands at a mere 2 to 3 percent.

The question of refugees is still open and the matter of Jerusalem has not even come up for discussion yet. Livni and Qureia meet at least once a week. Their advisers, Tal Becker and Saeb Erekat, also meet to work on draft agreements, and committees of experts are continuing their talks.

Livni and Qureia agree that talks should reach a point where they can survive changes of government on all sides, including in the United States. As opposed to Olmert and Abbas, who reiterate their desire to reach an agreement in 2008, Livni and Qureia are discussing ways to continue the talks through 2009. One idea is to use the November Moscow Conference on the Middle East to announce talks in 2009.

Related articles:
  • Livni, Qureia to brief Rice in Berlin
  • Israel, PA agree to start drafting peace proposal
  • Beilin: Follow-up summit to Annapolis set for May
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    An astounding 'no'
    Palestinians reject PM's offer to return 93% of West Bank, calling it a 'waste of time.'
    No friend of ours
    Iranian VP gets summoned by parliament for saying Iran is a friend of Israel's.
    500 Internal Server Error

    500 Internal Server Error

    The servlet invoked by the requested URL /hasen/pages/ShArtStEng.jhtml?itemNo=1005912&contrassID=1&subContrassID=1&title='Olmert:%20Living%20with%20270,000%20Arabs%20in%20Jerusalem%20means%20more%20terror'&dyn_server=172.20.5.5 raised the exception:

    java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: -1

    r>

      1.   good news, good news! please, do surprise us all - 02:53  |  ivo 28/07/08
      2.   Very Funny 05:23  |  Oak 28/07/08
      3.   Agree good news so far but prefer agreement in 2008 05:37  |  Smadar 28/07/08
      4.   Land Exchange 05:37  |  Matthew Houston 28/07/08
      5.   Where will Abbas` dear friend Kuntar live? 06:04  |  Steve 28/07/08
      6.   Can the Israelis accept a ?Palestinian state? ? 08:16  |  Jean Van Daem 28/07/08
      7.   Disclosure Now is Premature 08:16  |  Mark of Lewiston 28/07/08
      8.   Rice Not Nice 08:19  |  C.A. Fulghum 28/07/08
      9.   another disaster in the making 08:36  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/07/08
      10.   No Important Decisions should be made now 08:42  |  The Threadmill 28/07/08
      11.   make believe 08:51  |  Simon S. 28/07/08
      12.   No so-called document of understanding for Bush`s ego 09:03  |  Pablo B 28/07/08
      13.   Rice pressing for herOWN ego to be inflated 10:33  |  Dolly 28/07/08
      14.   Agreements made under duress will not stand 10:44  |  Natallie Durson 28/07/08
      15.   A Palestinian State with the elimination of theJewish one? 10:49  |  Natasha 28/07/08
      16.   Matthew Houston 11:34  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 28/07/08
      17.   Rice must be stop of making such of an unnecessary statemen.t 11:36  |  Vital 28/07/08
      18.   to Natasha 11:41  |  Misha 28/07/08
      19.   The ultimate solution... 13:34  |  Esther 28/07/08
      20.   Jerusalem and Ehud Baraks lasting damage 13:40  |  Gilad 28/07/08
      21.   # 16 Margie in Tel Aviv 13:41  |  Natallie Durson 28/07/08
      22.   Not a surprise at all 13:49  |  Marwan 28/07/08
      23.   SOLUTION: GAZA AS A NEW DUBAI; PARTS OF W/B LINKED TO JORDAN 13:54  |  G Marcus 28/07/08
      24.   CONDI PUSHING ANTI-ISRAEL AGENDA OF STATE DEPT ARABISTS 14:04  |  G Marcus 28/07/08
      25.   Negotiations proceeding logically 14:06  |  Sam 28/07/08
      26.   Natalie Durson the racist 14:10  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 28/07/08
      27.   Take it or leave it israel! No more prevarication and stonewallin 14:32  |  lakshmi 28/07/08
      28.   Olmert is on the way out so let`s move on to the VIPs have to say 14:37  |  redmike 28/07/08
      29.   Bush is desperate to leave something in his wake 14:38  |  * BEN JABO 28/07/08
      30.   NO to Rice`s manipulation 14:57  |  Brod 28/07/08
      31.   #21 Durson agrees the Arabs just don`t want Israel at any price 15:03  |  x-ray 28/07/08
      32.   one more time 15:09  |  Asdrúbal el Bello 28/07/08
      33.   Shock and Oh ! 15:21  |  Shimon Cleopas 28/07/08
      34.   This Year In Jerusalem 15:24  |  Shimon Cleopas 28/07/08
      35.   Interpretation 15:25  |  Arie 28/07/08
      36.   Most of us don`t want a deal with "Palestinians" EVER! 15:26  |  Chaim 28/07/08
      37.   This man has to go! 15:32  |  Raoul 28/07/08
      38.   Yes, It appears Durson is a racist 15:39  |  Michael Durson 28/07/08
      39.   Facts and answers 15:40  |  Walter 28/07/08
      40.   Durson`s got a bug 15:41  |  Raoul 28/07/08
      41.   State? 16:05  |  Matthew Houston 28/07/08
      42.   How one becomes a racist!? 16:17  |  Mike 28/07/08
      43.   Let`s call it a draw.. 16:45  |  Liza 28/07/08
      44.   U.S. TO ISRAEL: OIL IS THICKER THAN FALAFEL 16:53  |  PalestniansAreA Myth 28/07/08
      45.   Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem are a burden on Israel 17:03  |  Rafi 28/07/08
      46.   How about living in West Bank with 200000 armed settlers? 17:13  |  Aounist 28/07/08
      47.   Why not reach out to Arabs 17:13  |  Dave Duncan 28/07/08
      48.   It will be national suicide Please don`t 17:25  |  Stranger 28/07/08
      49.   A note to my friends 17:30  |  Natallie Durson 28/07/08
      50.   olmert ,jewish terror is the reason not arabs 17:32  |  asd 28/07/08
      51.   TO EVERYONE RE: NATALIE DURSON, LAKSHMI, CLICKFOOL, ETC. 17:37  |  Sam 28/07/08
      52.   AOUNIST - How about ramming buses with a front loader? 18:03  |  GZLives 28/07/08
      53.   ASd you talk strangely here is the truth... 18:33  |  Big Sur 28/07/08
      54.   Interesting U.S. Response 18:38  |  D 28/07/08
      55.   end the arab occupation of the jewish capital 18:41  |  frenz 28/07/08
      56.   You ´re right SAM, they are just paid for post 18:50  |  JP 28/07/08
      57.   Chaim vigorously decries a peace deal... 19:03  |  BBSNews 28/07/08
      58.   Settlement Expansion is the only Goal 19:09  |  Labhras 28/07/08
      59.   Mike in Nashville... well said 19:22  |  ClearCut 28/07/08
      60.   Israel has falafal to offer..? 19:25  |  Palestinian brit 28/07/08
      61.   Simple Solution 19:30  |  Jack Olson 28/07/08
      62.   Congratulations !!!!!!! 19:31  |  Nancy 28/07/08
      63.   But Olmert has been kissing and back-slappingArabs 19:33  |  Dolly 28/07/08
      64.   No Peace Till Israel Stops Settlements 19:39  |  Michael 28/07/08
      65.   Yes, Hamas Katusha Bases in East Jerusalem, Please 19:48  |  Israeli Leftist 28/07/08
      66.   Living with Jews in Jerusalem means more terror 19:49  |  POP 28/07/08
      67.   Why not just expel ALL arabs from our eternal capital? 19:49  |  Feiglin for PM 28/07/08
      68.   Mike #42 19:51  |  Brod 28/07/08
      69.   The best way to deal with philistines is to annihilate them.. 19:55  |  misha 28/07/08
      70.   Connection between terror and calls for E Jlem division 19:58  |  Jacob Frank 28/07/08
      71.   Connection between terror and calls for E Jlem division 19:59  |  Jacob Frank 28/07/08
      72.   Connection between terror and calls for E Jlem division 19:59  |  Jacob Frank 28/07/08
      73.   Connection between terror and calls for E Jlem division 19:59  |  Jacob Frank 28/07/08
      74.   A tunnel instaed of a corridor 20:01  |  Chaim Moykopf 28/07/08
      75.   21 Natalie Los Angeles 20:05  |  Steve 28/07/08
      76.   First Israel - then Europe - then we take the US! Islam rising! 20:06  |  Natallie Durson 28/07/08
      77.   The 270,000 reasons for removal 20:07  |  Sal 28/07/08
      78.   Where is the outrage from Margie fromSA/exray et al. 20:09  |  Labhras 28/07/08
      79.   For Margie/xray another racist in your midst 20:13  |  Labhras 28/07/08
      80.   Failed Experiment 20:17  |  Scharker Yid 28/07/08
      81.   there is a word for it 20:23  |  sal 28/07/08
      82.   Attention Serious Inq Only 20:35  |  MoneyBag 28/07/08
      83.   the land of Israel 20:38  |  Dik 28/07/08
      84.   To Misha # 69 - Philistines and Palestinians..... 20:38  |  Dolly 28/07/08
      85.   To Misha # 69 - Philistines and Palestinians..... 20:39  |  Dolly 28/07/08
      86.   Aounist #46, much better than living with 2 million armed Shiates 20:43  |  Genuine Tosefta 28/07/08
      87.   Steve 20:45  |  Natallie Durson 28/07/08
      88.   Nutty #14 is totally wrong 20:47  |  Genuine Tosefta 28/07/08
      89.   Jerusalem is indeed a red line for us, Jews in general and ... 20:47  |  Avihu 28/07/08
      90.   racist pig 20:48  |  jew 28/07/08
      91.   To Jacob Frank in Tel Aviv 20:49  |  Otto Rand 28/07/08
      92.   I have truly had it with this N.Durson the racist!!! 20:50  |  Abe 28/07/08
      93.   Steve in Ohio 20:51  |  BBSNews 28/07/08
      94.   2. Oak: Very funny 20:57  |  KUTW 28/07/08
      95.   One does not need to be explicit in order to convey the wish to.. 21:01  |  Avihu 28/07/08
      96.   72. Jacob Frank: terror and calls for E Jlem division 21:02  |  KUTW 28/07/08
      97.   To Sal #77, Reason for removal 21:03  |  Otto Rand 28/07/08
      98.   To Misha #69 21:05  |  Otto Rand 28/07/08
      99.   I post all day in Haaretz because I have nothing else in my life 21:06  |  NataIIie Durson 28/07/08
      100.   Any "Peace Deal" Would Be a Fraud 21:07  |  Tod Zuckerman 28/07/08
      101.   Justice Cuts Two Ways 21:09  |  Doubleclick 28/07/08
      102.   Jerusalem 21:15  |  P. J. Casey 28/07/08
      103.   Nathalie 21:23  |  NotePerson 28/07/08
      104.   #91 Otto Rand @ Mexico 21:25  |  Smadar 28/07/08
      105.   Peace is blowing up houses.." 21:26  |  Palestinian Brit 28/07/08
      106.   To: Genuine Baloney 21:29  |  Natallie Durson 28/07/08
      107.   To #93 BBSNews - The Destruction of Israel.... 21:32  |  Dagma 28/07/08
      108.   Too bad Abe, it`s not racism, it`s truth... 21:37  |  BBSNews 28/07/08
      109.   & Living with10,000 Zionists means....? 21:53  |  Gray 28/07/08
      110.   onanist 46: how about living like pigs? 21:56  |  ravi 28/07/08
      111.   What a... 22:00  |  Davide C. 28/07/08
      112.   Haggling in the Peace Bazaar 22:07  |  Gray 28/07/08
      113.   neturei karta are not jews they are a dead end cul de sac no futu 22:08  |  ralph 28/07/08
      114.   Quite short sighted 22:08  |  Realist 28/07/08
      115.   ravi in delhi 22:21  |  ClearCut 28/07/08
      116.   Olmert should stop worrying about lving in Jerusalem with 270,00 22:32  |  charlie 28/07/08
      117.   IS TRASFER STILL A DIRT WORD ? 22:35  |  alan 28/07/08
      118.   Olmert should forget about living with 270,000Arabs 22:38  |  charlie 28/07/08
      119.   Zionists are not Jews I Agree 22:38  |  Frank Abdul 28/07/08
      120.   durson`s racist baloney 22:44  |  odles 28/07/08
      121.   Olmert, clinging to power at all cost 22:52  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/07/08
      122.   Olmert: Living in Jerusalem with 270,000 Arabs means more terror 22:59  |  Cpt. Yossarian 28/07/08
      123.   "the ability to play the victim so well" 23:00  |  Terry in Vancouver 28/07/08
      124.   #91 Otto Rand 23:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/07/08
      125.   Re Natallie #49... on racism... 23:06  |  Esther 28/07/08
      126.   More Nutty Baloney no duress and no lasting agreements 23:07  |  Genuine Tosefta 28/07/08
      127.   Labhras-an even bigger joke regarding Margie 23:10  |  Ibrahim 28/07/08
      128.   Dagma, god told me I can have your land... 23:11  |  BBSNews 28/07/08
      129.   #14, NAtalie, ONLY agreements under duress work 23:12  |  David 28/07/08
      130.   odles; Of Hyopcricy.... Re: Natalie 23:19  |  Gray 28/07/08
      131.   #122 thinking terry 23:20  |  odles 28/07/08
      132.   ibrahim 125 23:23  |  evelyn-the christian 28/07/08
      133.   Terry on victimhood... 23:24  |  BBSNews 28/07/08
      134.   To Palestinian Brit # 60 -..... 23:27  |  Dagma 28/07/08
      135.   Nutty Baloney is not happy camper to be exposed as nonsensical 23:28  |  Genuine Tosefta 28/07/08
      136.   Open suggestion; Re: Fake/Fraudulent Posts 23:29  |  Gray 28/07/08
      137.   To BBSNews # 127 - God spoke to you...? 23:31  |  Dagma 28/07/08
      138.   Living with vehicles means more traffic fatalities 23:32  |  KenB 28/07/08
      139.   "a police investigation" - seven of them, and primaries! 23:46  |  redmike 28/07/08
      140.   #127 Ibrahim re Margie and talking peace 23:49  |  Labhras 28/07/08
      141.   The most difficult concessions 23:51  |  Diane Mason 28/07/08
      142.   To David # 128 - An Arab Palestine,,,, ? 23:51  |  Natasha 28/07/08
      143.   TO Smadar #104 23:52  |  Otto Rand 28/07/08
      144.   Either Israel leaves or I will 23:57  |  Natallie Durson 28/07/08
      145.   That Isn`t An Issue 23:58  |  Yosemite 28/07/08
      146.   Moneybag: We will too! 00:01  |  Saudi 29/07/08
      147.   alan - Only if... 00:02  |  Euro 29/07/08
      148.   84 Dolly,correction! The Palestinians are descended from the 00:03  |  lakshmi 29/07/08
      149.   to 6 YOU ARE BORING......... 00:04  |  michele 29/07/08
      150.   #136 Gray-that fake Natallie post is a bit dull 00:07  |  Aphemia 29/07/08
      151.   Sweeping identification 00:09  |  Andreas 29/07/08
      152.   To Cipora Kohn 00:09  |  Otto Rand 29/07/08
      153.   Terror in Jerusalem (Al Quds) 00:11  |  Nezam el Jenini 29/07/08
      154.   128 BBS News,not just Resolution 242 but the Hague Regulations 00:12  |  lakshmi 29/07/08
      155.   Natalie Durson 00:14  |  H 29/07/08
      156.   To Cipora Kohn, United Jerusalem 00:25  |  Otto Rand 29/07/08
      157.   Living with 270,000 Arabs 00:33  |  Nic 29/07/08
      158.   No shortage of offers 00:35  |  Yahoudi 29/07/08
      159.   Gray - The "Other Side of the Padded Cell Door" 00:38  |  * BEN JABO 29/07/08
      160.   Saudi my Friend 00:38  |  MoneyBag 29/07/08
      161.   #133 BSnews - FYI Arabs attacked us 00:43  |  * BEN JABO 29/07/08
      162.   Natallie Durson, @#144 00:44  |  Akiva P 29/07/08
      163.   #1065 Palestinian Brit - You forgot to tell us why 00:49  |  * BEN JABO 29/07/08
      164.   Make real peace and there will be no terror 00:58  |  Ivar 29/07/08
      165.   #2: Oak, Learn some history please 01:08  |  Lambo 29/07/08
      166.   saudi 146 01:09  |  alan 29/07/08
      167.   Natallie 01:22  |  Yosemite 29/07/08
      168.   Again Olmert Puts Himself Before Israel 01:25  |  Bill 29/07/08
      169.