EU Council of Foreign Ministers calls to divide Jerusalem
On Tuesday, the European Union's Council of Foreign Ministers called for dividing Jerusalem into two capitals, a Jewish capital in 'west' Jerusalem and a 'Palestinian' capital in 'east' Jerusalem. "If there is to be a genuine peace, a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of two states," EU foreign ministers agreed in a statement released on Tuesday, diplomats said.
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"The EU will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem," said the EU ministerial draft. It referred to the Six-Day War in which Israel captured east Jerusalem from the Jordanian army.
The document also called for the establishment of a Palestinian state comprising the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem. "If there is to be [peace] a way has to be found to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the capital of two states," it said.
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"I don't really understand why Israel does not accept that Palestine consists of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem," Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told journalists. "The Israelis have a right to live in Israel, the Palestinians have a right to live in Palestine."
Finish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said the EU must affirm its stand on the status of Jerusalem and insist that Israel must not resume settlement building.
"The EU has very strong principles and we have to stick to those principles," Stubb said. "I think the negotiations, the peace process must simply start and this is a way forward."
Israel's foreign ministry was not pleased with the EU statement.
The statement by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union ignores the primary obstacle to achieving a resolution between Israel and the Palestinians - the Palestinian refusal to return to the negotiating table. Given the Israel Government's efforts to renew the negotiations, Israel regrets that the EU has chosen to adopt a text that even if it contains nothing new, does not contribute to the renewal of negotiations.
In light of the extreme draft originally presented by the Swedish presidency at the start of discussions, Israel does welcome the fact that in the end the voices of the responsible and reasonable EU states prevailed, balancing and improving the text. We also welcome the recognition given to the measures and efforts taken by Israel to enable the resumption of negotiations; to the statement regarding the continued development and expansion of relations between Israel and the EU; to the recognition of the severity of the problem posed by Hamas' armaments; and to the EU's expression of commitment to the security of Israel and its full integration in the area.
It could be expected that the EU act to promote direct negotiations between the parties, while considering Israel's security needs and understanding that Israel's Jewish character must be preserved in any future agreement.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat completely rejected the EU decision, according to a statement issued Tuesday afternoon. Barkat said the decision posed "real danger" for the future of Jerusalem, saying it would "never work."
The mayor noted that the recent celebration of the 20th anniversary of the reunification of Berlin reminds everyone that no divided city in the history of the world has functioned properly.
Since the Europeans have already decided what 'peace' ought to look like, why bother negotiating? That will certainly be the 'Palestinian' position.
Look at the moronic statement by Luxembourg's foreign minister quoted above. Why can't Israel accept that 'Palestine' is for the 'Palestinians'? Because there's no such thing as 'Palestine' and there never has been. And because Jerusalem has only been the capital of one state - a Jewish state - and it has been the capital for more than 3,000 years.
What could go wrong?
Israel Matzav: EU Council of Foreign Ministers calls to divide Jerusalem
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