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Last update - 20:00 29/11/2007
Debate rages on World Jewry's role in peace concessions
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, Jewish World 

Even before Prime Minister Ehud Olmert returns to Israel, the question of world Jewry's involvement in the domestic debate here surrounding the Annapolis process, especially the issue of Jerusalem, is taking center stage.

During two press briefings this week, Olmert stressed that international Jewish organizations have no right to intervene in Israeli government decisions on the peace negotiations. On the eve of the Annapolis summit, he said, "This question [the role of diaspora Jewry] was determined a long time ago, and the Israeli government has the sovereign right to negotiate on behalf of Israel."

These statements angered the leadership of one of the largest U.S. Jewish organizations, the Orthodox Union, which unites most religious American Jews. The organization has called on the Israeli government not to alter its stance on Jerusalem several times.
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The president of the union, Stephen J. Savitsky, published a declaration in response, denying his organization had tried to tell the Israeli government what to do.

Political, spiritual capital

However, he did note that the organization believes that all Jews have a stake in Jerusalem, and that relinquishing parts of the city, which has constituted the political and spiritual capital of the Jewish people for thousands of years, is something the government of Israel should not do.

A group called "One Jerusalem," established in recent weeks in order to fight the government plans for the city, has taken an even stronger stance. The group is chaired by former minister Natan Sharansky, who said they intend to include world Jewry in their campaign.

"In matters that pertain purely to security," Sharansky said, "I accept that anyone who does not live here [Israel] does not need to interfere, and that in order to have that right, one also must bear the obligations. But to say that this is so regarding Jerusalem is, in the best-case scenario, a matter of national ignorance. The link between the Jewish people and Jerusalem is our moral justification for the State [of Israel], and there is no way to give that up. The link to Jerusalem and yearning for Jerusalem is something that unites Jews across generations. It is the basis for religious and less-religious Jews."

Sharansky is opposed to any concessions on Jerusalem, including a suggested plan to transfer "peripheral neighborhoods" to Palestinian control.

"It starts at the periphery and it ends in the Muslim Quarter and the Temple Mount, and in any case, we have seen what happened in the Gaza Strip. Hamas would be several dozen meters from the heart of the capital of Israel," he said.

However, he also said that if Olmert really intends to discuss the issue, he must first invite international Jewish organizations to a broad forum and consult with them about the matter.

Sharansky cites as an example Yasser Arafat, who "at Camp David, he said that he could not give the Western Wall to Israel, because Jerusalem belongs to the entire Muslim nation, so he first must go to Cairo and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and ask them for permission."

Related articles:
  • Jewish, Christian leaders to U.S.: No compromise on Jerusalem
  • Shas: If J'lem even mentioned in Annapolis, we'll bolt coalition
  • Right-wing activists hold anti-Annapolis rally at Western Wall
  • Hamas: Abbas has no right to give up one inch of Palestine


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      1.   What "Concessions"? 03:44  |  Mark Lincoln 29/11/07
      2.   King Solomon: Thoughts? 04:05  |  Awake 29/11/07
      3.   OLMERT AND LEFTISTS GO SOMEWHERE ELSE 04:27  |  ALPITO 29/11/07
      4.   rights 04:34  |  Shmuelshachor 29/11/07
      5.   JERUSALEM IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE ENTIRE JEWISH PEOPLE. 05:08  |  Alon -Chiloni 29/11/07
      6.   Sharansky`s stance. 05:34  |  sandra chitayat 29/11/07
      7.   Olmert and Jerusalem 05:58  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 29/11/07
      8.   I guess "We Are All One People" means "Do What I Say" 06:29  |  SK 29/11/07
      9.   Time to get serious 06:50  |  Ross 29/11/07
      10.   good martyrs make bad politicians 06:55  |  avramele 29/11/07
      11.   Olmert Doesn`t Care What Israelis Think Either 07:08  |  Straight Talk 29/11/07
      12.   #8 Ross Get a Life 07:15  |  ralphsrant1 29/11/07
      13.   AS LONG AS 07:35  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 29/11/07
      14.   .....and pray for peace. 07:38  |  David 29/11/07
      15.   Israeli Citizens Will Have a Say 07:48  |  Mark of Lewiston 29/11/07
      16.   Israel needs to finish Olmert before his "Peace" finishes Israel 08:01  |  Genuine Tosefta 29/11/07
      17.   How a `World Jew" Can Contribute to the Process 08:59  |  Jay A Friedman 29/11/07
      18.   I have a right to say what happens to Jerusalem 09:43  |  Living in the USA 29/11/07
      19.   Genocide Tosefta - WOW! 09:45  |  Doug McFarlan 29/11/07
      20.   `World` Jewry like `World` Series means US Jewry 10:09  |  Chanalau, Tova 29/11/07
      21.   "Jerusalem" has become the Jewish "Al Kaida" question 10:22  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/11/07
      22.   Whats All The Fuss?? 11:33  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/11/07
      23.   Notice the Lack of Any Alternative 11:40  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/11/07
      24.   #21 Swiss (Dino) - True. But... 12:19  |  Awake 29/11/07
      25.   Well, you can`t really have it both ways 12:34  |  Johnboy 29/11/07
      26.   Send Sharansky to Russia 12:54  |  The Other Alan 29/11/07
      27.   Israel is a nation-state of a people, the Jewish people, and as 13:06  |  Avihu 29/11/07
      28.   US Jewry will kill the Peace Process 14:00  |  El-Birawi 29/11/07
      29.   # 21 Swiss 14:05  |  Lynn 29/11/07
      30.   # 19 McFarlan...have you been living in a cave? 14:17  |  Lynn 29/11/07
      31.   # 29 Lynn 14:48  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/11/07
      32.   To the question of Jerusalem 15:00  |  Avihu 29/11/07
      33.   LET ROTATE ITS OWNERSHIP EVERY 40 YEARS 15:00  |  indrajaya 29/11/07
      34.   Haaretz, where is my (harmless) response to Awake...??? 15:09  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/11/07
      35.   Sharansky as misguided as Arafat 15:10  |  Shelley 29/11/07
      36.   The right of the Disapora to be consulted 15:23  |  Stephen 29/11/07
      37.   To Swiss Dino 15:27  |  Michael 29/11/07
      38.   # 36 Stephen 15:40  |  Lynn 29/11/07
      39.   Yaakov Sullivan No. 22 15:41  |  Neil 29/11/07
      40.   Avihu of Israel 15:44  |  Lynn 29/11/07
      41.   El Birawi- That is Untrue 16:05  |  Jane 29/11/07
      42.   Stop the Diaspora = USA equation. 16:07  |  Fortuna Benmayor 29/11/07
      43.   # 20 DINO - with all due respect... What`s Lugano meteo? 16:16  |  17 29/11/07
      44.   What a waste of Orthodox talent 16:28  |  Tosefta 29/11/07
      45.   #16 Genuine Tosefta 16:37  |  Chris Linthwaite 29/11/07
      46.   Sharansky`s latest excuses 16:44  |  Tosefta 29/11/07
      47.   Fake ("Genuine") Tosefta Alert 16:48  |  Tosefta 29/11/07
      48.   Asking Jews to give Jerusalem = asking Muslims to give Mecca... 17:14  |  Nannette 29/11/07
      49.   #46more of toosoftas faulty logic 17:29  |  victor hardman 29/11/07
      50.   Tosefta, please describe peace you would make. Tank you. 17:51  |  17 29/11/07
      51.   Re: # 32 Avihu about Jerusalem - Yours is the best 18:04  |  Roger 29/11/07
      52.   So Called Orthodox 18:04  |  Alon 29/11/07
      53.   beware the man that shouts from the sidelines 18:20  |  Outsider 29/11/07
      54.   What would Haaretz Talkback be without Tosefta... thanks for 18:20  |  Smadar 29/11/07
      55.   # 24 Awake (3 rd try !!) 18:23  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/11/07
      56.   # 137 Michael 18:31  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/11/07
      57.   # 43 17 18:35  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/11/07
      58.   # 54 Smadar 18:45  |  17 29/11/07
      59.   DINO = non-Russian. Thanx. Ice skating @+7C? 18:49  |  17 29/11/07
      60.   #46 your irony about Egypt is lost on #49 18:56  |  Chanalau, Tova 29/11/07
      61.   world jewry and bigotry 18:59  |  Jimmy Carter 29/11/07
      62.   #52 another left wing loon heard from 19:02  |  US JEW 29/11/07
      63.   If U don`t serve in army, your opinion is second rate 19:20  |  topanga 29/11/07
      64.   Open invitation 19:28  |  Miche Norman 29/11/07
      65.   God Out - Reason In 19:49  |  sconto 29/11/07
      66.   Everybody can give advice (Smadar #54) 19:51  |  Tosefta 29/11/07
      67.   #58 17 Were you 16 before, you know, " I am 16 going on 17 " 19:53  |  Smadar 29/11/07
      68.   Orthodox Union unites most religious American Jews!! 20:02  |  Frank Bamberger 29/11/07
      69.   #58 17 - it`s me again, part 2 20:10  |  Smadar 29/11/07
      70.   Like a starving pitbull tearing into raw meat... 20:19  |  Chaim 29/11/07
      71.   #69 Smader 20:25  |  tbora 29/11/07
      72.   # 69 Samdar - thanx. Ever entertained sinfull thoughts of steak 20:32  |  17 29/11/07
      73.   US Jewry has 3 perfectly legitimate inputs to Israel`s policies 21:04  |  Dr. L. Brnd 29/11/07
      74.   #72 17 good humour there...response to 2 questions 21:12  |  Smadar 29/11/07
      75.   Swiss (Dino) - It`s Me Again! 21:27  |  Awake 29/11/07
      76.   Why LEFT is not much different from erstwhile comrades 21:34  |  17 29/11/07
      77.   #44, #66 - Proof "Tosefta" is just an Arab who reads up on Jews 21:50  |  Dr. L. Brnd 29/11/07
      78.   # 74 Smadar - Thank you 22:00  |  17 29/11/07
      79.   Dr. Brand - one point 22:06  |  Polybios 29/11/07
      80.   # 75 Awake 22:16  |  Swiss (Dino)