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Everyone will divide Jerusalem By Haaretz Editorial Tags: Jerusalem Every time an election looms, be it for the Knesset, local government, or a party primary, the "who will divide Jerusalem" issue miraculously returns to raise the emotional temperature. Ehud Olmert was the first to contribute the threat to divide Jerusalem to populist politics, when he charged more than a decade ago that "Peres will divide Jerusalem." Then he tried to persuade everyone that Ehud Barak would not divide the city, and finally, as Kadima's leader, he agreed to discuss the city's partition in talks with the Palestinians. Yesterday, the U.S. consul general in Jerusalem, Jacob Walles, introduced the issue of Jerusalem into Kadima's primary campaign when he told the newspaper Al-Ayyam that Israel had agreed to discuss dividing the city. Since Olmert and Tzipi Livni are the ones presently conducting the talks, the immediate beneficiary of the renewed threat to divide the city was Shaul Mofaz, who left the Likud but remained there ideologically. Advertisement Anyone who engages in real peace negotiations with the Palestinians will have to accept a division of Jerusalem; anyone who preaches its integrity and unity is simply deceiving the public. The separation fence, which snakes in and around some 170 kilometers of the "united" city, in places winding through neighborhoods and even between houses, reveals the stark truth: Jerusalem, regardless of the politicians' denials, is a divided city. When Israel agreed at the Madrid Conference, at Camp David, in the road map and at Annapolis to discuss all the core issues, it also agreed to discuss dividing Jerusalem. At Camp David, an agreement was almost signed under President Bill Clinton's auspices that would have divided the city so that its Arab neighborhoods would be part of the Palestinian state and its Jewish ones part of the State of Israel. The only issue still outstanding is the Holy Basin. The argument over dividing the city today is actually about this small area. The public consensus on dividing Jerusalem is greater than meets the eye. Some want to divide the city to preserve a Jewish majority in the capital, others so that it would be a better place to live. Some believe that without this partition, the conflict will never end. MK Otniel Schneller of Kadima, who supports Mofaz, yesterday hastened to protect Jerusalem from Livni. But Schneller himself said only half a year ago that his party distinguishes between the historic city and the Arab neighborhoods that were never part of Jerusalem, which could become the capital of the Palestinian state following an agreement. Kadima contains a spectrum of opinions. But what everyone must understand is that core issues like the right of return and Jerusalem are inseparable elements of the negotiations, and no matter who is prime minister, Israel has already committed to discussing them. Jerusalem will in the end be the capital of two states, and the refugees will be compensated for their abandoned properties. Even if years go by before a final accord is signed, it will look no different. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'I didn't kill Rose' Rose's mother, grandfather request court delay autopsy of body found in Yarkon River. Israeli requests Israel asks U.S. for arms and permission to use an air corridor to attack Iran.

Read & React Palin: U.S. shouldn't 'second guess' Israeli defensive measures Responses: 274 Ahmadinejad: Iran will support Hamas until collapse of Israel Responses: 186 Antony Lerman / The bogus concept known as Jewish 'self-hatred' Responses: 79 Abbas to Haaretz: Peace deal would have to include right of return Responses: 157 More Headlines 23:46 West Bank villager: Settlers went from house to house firing at random 22:33 Peace Now: Revoke gun licenses of settlers who attacked Palestinians 21:03 Report: Palestinian teen shot dead in clashes with IDF 23:17 U.S. court reviews ruling in killing of American teen in West Bank terror attack 21:30 Iran basketball team quits Paralympics, possibly over match against Israel 17:55 Hitler wax figure back on display months after head wrenched off 09:36 ADL: Religious groups' plan to break bread with Ahmadinejad is a 'betrayal' 09:15 Fayyad: World support for peace is meaningless unless Israel halts settlement expansion 20:59 Kadima MK Ben-Israel: Barak is Israel's worst minister ever 10:41 Forensic experts identify body found in Yarkon River as Rose Pizem 16:11 Egypt draws up plan to end internal Palestinian crisis 21:49 Hurricane Ike downgrades to tropical storm, moves north through Texas Previous Editions Select Day 12 sep 11 sep 10 sep 09 sep 08 sep 07 sep 05 sep 04 sep 03 sep 02 sep 01 sep 31 aug

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