Peres: Jerusalem will see peace in our time
Presidents tells annual Jerusalem Day ceremony that Israel has restored freedom to Jerusalem for all faiths and creeds, but that the struggles and differences still remain.
By Haaretz Service Tags: East Jerusalem Shimon Peres Middle East peacePresident Shimon Peres said Wednesday that peace could be achieved in Jerusalem in "our time", declaring that Israel has replaced the divisions that once wracked the holy city by offering freedom to all faiths and creeds.
In his address to the annual Jerusalem Day state ceremony marking 44 years since the reunification of the capital, Peres said he believed in the "eternity of Jerusalem".
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President Shimon Peres on Feb. 21, 2011. |
| Photo by: AP |
"I believe that Jerusalem will know peace in our time. Jerusalem, as you celebrate your freedom today, we stand in your gates, and bemoan the sons that have fallen on your walls," the president said, an homage to the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces "for bringing our historical capital to life, the eternal capital of our people."
Peres also said that Israel "did not initiate" the Six-Day War, which resulted in the capture of lands and the reunification of the capital. "[Israel] was forced to fend for its life," said Peres, adding that since then "Jerusalem stood united, free of divisions."
The president also emphasized in his address the rejuvenating affect that the unification had on Israel's capital. "For 44 years there have been no barb-wire fences in the heart of Jerusalem. Minefields were replaced with open gates. The shooting slits in its walls and towers were replaced with prayer houses," he said.
"From a divided, wounded, somber city Jerusalem became a bustling metropolis, picturesque and thriving, open to all believers," the president said. Israel reopened the capital, he said "breathing the air of freedom."
"Jerusalem's uniqueness was restored and it again became the center of the Jewish nation," added Peres. The capital of the State of Israel."
In what could be seen as a reference over continued tensions in the city, however, Peres warned that "in the 44 years that have passed, the lights have been rekindled," not all of the "shadows have disappeared."
"The light of democracy allowed us to live in [Jerusalem] despite national and religious differences," he said, referring to those differences as a "great specter of a struggle that has yet to be resolved."
Israel's capital was the place "where our people were born," Peres said. "This is where the Jewish soul first yearned. No other city in the world has produced such massive inspiration that took over the hearts of half of humanity."
"No other city in the world was so bitterly fought for. We have experienced both. From the top of Mount Scopus on one side and the Western Wall on the other, this is where we led our lives. This is where we took our oath. And once in exile, to this place we directed our prayers. And as soon as we could, this is the place to which we returned," he added.
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I am sure that Peres wants nothing more than to see Israel at peace before he dies. Still, he must understand that Peace is an anathema to the men who rule Israel today.
We love our capital, we love Israel and we will not allow our enemies to steal our land from us again.
We love our capital, we love Palestine and we will not allow our enemies to steal our land from us again.
When you were not looking cause you were living in Europe and Brooklyn?
If moderates from both camps could lead the way to peace, there is no reason why Jerusalem should not serve as a capital for both people and be an open city for all. I am a Jew and a Zionist and I like spending time in both parts of the city. I would be even happier to do so knowing that Palestinians had got their wish to have their state capital in the Eastern part of the city. What would distress me is if the two parts of the city were divided by border controls. It is a special place and it needs to be an open city for all.
Peres comments are powerful and transcendent. But Jerusalem needs to be divided if a Palestinian state emerges. It is their capital as well as a unviersal Moslem site. the old city could be put under international control, and the city divided as it's people are.
The major obstacles to peace are the settlements for which he bears great responsibility and for which he refuses to take that responsibility.
Diplomat, you are totally right, but the lunatic Israeli right fear this.
I am sure you know that, same as we do. Same as everybody knows ... including the present government. It is not peace that won't come, but the Likud government that won't last. Nor Hamas. After those are out of the way, we must hope .... at least for our children.
Anybody? Hint: Peace in our time spoken by a man whose first name was Neville. I wish Peres were right but I doubt he is.
that although you are the stronger in this struggle - the Palestinians have something just as powerful, peace - they can perpetuate this conflict for decades to come that the stench of it reaches the heavens and once again Israel will fall, as it did before and as it can do so again. Just as the zealots of Roman times wanted it all and got their booty beat and the temple destroyed, only to have the Romans prosper for centuries after that - this too can happen again. The US is waning, demographics in Israel, Palestine and the US (to say nothing of Europe) do not bode well for the Jewish state.
Jesus is the only one that will be able to usher in any peace. Until then Jerusalem will be a burdensome stone. Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Last time I called Jesus, he couldn't even mow my lawn. How exactly do you expect the guy to save Jerusalem?
It's the year 2011 already. Enough with the voodoo, delusions and imaginary friends already
sounds like chamberlain to me
Most Arabs in East Jerusalem prefer to live under Israeli rule according to a poll taken by the Jerusalem Post today.
But not thanks to Israel that's for sure
What is there to negotiate about?? What kind of municipality the Palestinians could have??? Bibi and company want a surrender agreement and it ain't gona happen.
Peres is such a fraud
Right of Conquest was abolished. The occupied territories are occupied, not israel. This is not the age of Charlemagne or El Cid. Israel even signed a treaty and is violating that treaty. Israel hasn't even pretended to annex the land or the people. Why can't Israel adhere to a treaty it signed and ratified?
"Peres also said that Israel "did not initiate" the Six-Day War, which resulted in the capture of lands and the reunification of the capital." It is well known by anyone who has researched the facts and truth know that Israel did start the 1067 war with the intention of taking East Jerusalem, The Golan Heights, Gaza, the West Bank and the Sinai Peninsula. No amount of lies can change those facts. It is close to Hitlers wanting Leibensraum and was a continuation of the 1948 expansion of the UN mandated borders of 55% of Palestine to 78%of Palestine. In all areas, Israel has inserted colonies in complete contradiction of International law.
Right, and the over 1000 Egyptian tanks and armour in the North plus the Syrian army massed in the south, the Egyptian blockade of the straits of Tiran and the pronouncements of Nasser of what will happen to the Jews once their combined armies attacked meant exactly what? FYI, the Jordanis attacked from the East and advanced to Government House before being driven back by the IDF.
What do you mean Peres, freedom to Jerusalem for all faiths so long as they are Jewish?
Happily.
Run by the Palestinians again
Cause you may get it
Not by the hand of man! Only by the return of Messiah will peace finally come to Jerusalem. Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalyim!
Religions are the cause of ills All the "Sacred Texts" were written by people with agendas and an ax to grind. They can be interpreted to justify any action, anywhere ,anytime. Clerics and wannabes, and their adherents and followers must be understood to be criminally insane before any progress in Human Affairs occurs Who said that the Taliban and Mullahs are restricted to Islam? They are embedded in all religions and, eventually, will take control, be it Islam, Judaism or Christianity. Self destructive imbecilic self appointed "spirital" leaders. This is what happens if religion takes over common sense.
I just saw him playing the accordion at my grandaughter's daycare.
Religion. That explains your delusions. God has done so well by man so far, why not continue down that path? Ha!
He has appeared to many people. I think not to you, though!
It is not as if Israeli politicians have any credibility at all these days. This goes double for Peres.
No comment.
that they can continue to occupy, and colonize, the west bank and East Jerusalem and not suffer consequences as a result. They think, and worse expect, this can last forever and the U.S. will continue to support them down the line, despite the adverse consequences to the U.S. national interest. *They* need to wake up to reality
The Bible describes some of the history of Jerusalem before it was conquered by King David around 1000 BCE. Genesis 14 tells of a meeting between Abraham and Melchizedek King of Jerusalem: "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram to the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abraham] gave him tithes of all." Note that Abraham recognized Melchizedek's priestly rank and gave him a tithe. Later in the Bible, with Jerusalem under Jewish rule, the historical figure of Melchizedek was still remembered. In Psalm 110, in what is thought to be a declaration during the coronation of the King, the MC (Court prophet?) declares "The Lord has sworn, and will not repent, You are a priest for ever after in the manner of Melchizedek." It shows reverence for the pre-Israelite king of Jerusalem. Jerusalem did not start as a Jewish city, and there is no reason why it should end up as exclusively Jewish. Sharing it with the Palestinians who see themselves (justifiably) as descendants of the early residents, and view the Islamic religion (unjustifiably) as the religion of Abraham, will be historically correct and politically smart.
I was surprised yesterday to see many objections to this post, mostly from a religious point of view. Here are a couple of principles that should guide the modern looking at the text: 1. The text we have is written by Man. 2. It reflects the situation at the time of writing. 3. It was written for some need existing at the time of writing./ Regarding my post, you don't need to believe in Abraham, but you should believe that the writer or contemporaries believed in him. Likewise for Melchizedek. I tried to make the post as little controversial as possible, so I refrained from offering a date for the texts. But obviously, they are no later than the Second Temple. My point is that already over 2 thousand years ago, our ancestors knew Jerusalem as having been ruled by Melchizedek, a non-Jew, who was respected by them. Archeology also knows of a Temple in pre-Israelite Jerusalem (to the Sun god). The Bible also does not claim that Jerusalem was started by the Jews. Now you can read the post and realize how today's nationalistic view is too modern to be respectable.
Peres is right, but his language is too sentimental and biblical. But yes - there should be no mines and no barbed wire and no Mandelbaum Gate. Never again! And no more Galut. We came here and fought wars and survived and "opened up" this great city of Yerushalaim. Muslism, christians and jews live and pray here. Many palestinians get jobs and money thanks to tourism. The history and archeology is amazing and mindblowing. And there are even some fine pubs and restaurants.....keep it open. Freedom, tolerance - this should be The City of Peace.
I'll be! I bet they come from all over the world to see Gaza, the 8th wonder of the world
Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. Israel already has a capital, it's called TEL AVIV
than these gaseous platitudes that are nothing more than propaganda that peres has been spewing for decades. It's a myth., a lie. The truth is what we see happening in Sheik Jarrah and Silwan on this travesty they call "Jerusalem Day". Their goal is to judaise the entire city, take over the remaining Arab neighbourhoods and dispossess the Arab residents so these skullcapped fanatics to take over and claim it as their territory by divine right. Annexation, dispossession, turning the Christian community in Jerusalem into a museum piece that they can explouit for tourist dollars. But deny visas to Christian who wish to come to study or work, do everything to make communal life for the indigenous Christian communities impossible and blot out the cultural and historic connexion of the Muslims to Jerusalem. That is their "Jerusalem Day" May we live to see the day when Jerusalem is truly united and not some facsimile menat to cover up the zionist agenda.
I suppose you mean united with freedom of worship for all as under Jordanian rule.
PEACE.....
Howe can you steal something that has been given to you by G-D!?
In '69 the Jews took it back End of story
The Jews were in Europe and the ones that remained in the ME, were peacefully co-existing side by side with the Arabs until Herzel and The Stern Brothers made their appearance. And that's all she wrote. Your version of history is slightly cockeyed and delusional to say the least
Which god would that be? Rumor has it that the god of the Muslims gave it to them before the god of the jews gave it to you. If you've got a problem with that, complain to your god and maybe, he can take it up with their god. These are things better left to the deities themselves since it was them that created the mess to begin with
Folke Bernadotte had this wise diplomatic vision, but Yitzhak Rabin's mob had him killed.
So who stole? UNSC Resolution 252 (1968) of 21 May 1968 UNSC Resolution 267 (1969) of 3 July 1969 UNSC Resolution 271 (1969) of 15 September 1969, UNSC Resolution 298 (1971) of 25 September 1971, UNSC Resolution 465 (1980) of 1 March 1980, UNSC Resolution 476 (1980) of 30 June 1980
You are wrong. Jordan Annexed the West Bank, i.e. intended it to remain as Jordanian territory. Why did the UNSC respond? and why did the so called "Palestinians" not say anything about the so called "theft" by Jordan? Something, I believe to be extreme bias by the Arab bloc and their symphasizers in the UN and elsewhere
East Jerusalem was never ever West Bank Palestinian.. You cannot steal something from someone that never owned it. From 1948 until the Six-Day War of 1967, Jerusalem was a divided city, with Jordan controlling East Jerusalem and the Old City, while Israel governed West Jerusalem. Jews were not permitted access to the Western Wall, their most important holy site. The Six-Day War resulted in a unified city under Israeli rule. The Jerusalem city government has tried to balance the needs of these various constituencies in the unified city, in particular maintaining each community's security and access to their respective holy places. If the Jews it it back from whom did they take it. certainly not the West Bank Palestinians. who is the UN to giove them something they ne3ver owned or controlled?