Monday, November 09, 2009

Obama Declares Support For Dividing Jerusalem

http://www.onejerusalem.org/2009/11/obama-declares-support-for-div.php
11.06.2009]

This week Obama's Mid East policy has begun to publicly unravel. Yesterday, Palestinian President Abbas threatened that he would not run for re-election. This surprise declaration came after Secretary of State Clinton publicly praised Israel's flexibility on the settlement issue and then retracted her praise when the Arab world protested. And on the day of Abbas' threat the UN - the Obama international organization of choice - voted to adopt the anti-Israel Goldstone Report. (Watch Dore Gold's spirited defense of Israel in his debate with Goldstone.) In all this tumult, President Obama once again reaffirmed that he sees Jerusalem as a divided city. Haaretz reports: "President Barack Obama has promised the Palestinian leadership that there will be no change to U.S. policy on the issue of Jerusalem, and that East Jerusalem does not constitute part of the State of Israel."

It is important to always keep in mind that when the term "East Jerusalem" is used it includes the Old City and the Temple Mount. In other words Obama supports dividing Israel's capital and taking away Israel's control of the Old City. By all accounts Israel's governance of the Old City has been stellar. Before Israel took control, Jews were banned from the Old City and Christians had limited access. Today, thanks to Israel, the Old City is open to everyone.

We must redouble our efforts to keep the status quo. Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly reaffirmed his commitment to keeping Jerusalem united. You can help by getting friends and family to sign the One Jerusalem petition. It is important for us to be able to contact friends of a united Jerusalem to keep them updated on news about the Holy City and to inform them how they can be helpful in times of crisis.

Guest Comment: Obama has announced that " East Jerusalem does not constitute part of the State of Israel." East Jerusalem is the old section of the city which houses the Western Wall and the Temple Mount where the First and Second Jewish Temples stood, the First built by King Solomon and the Second by King Herod. This portion of the city was liberated by Israel in 1967 from the Jordanians, who had illegally occupied it in 1948 during Israel's War of Independence. Between 1948 and 1967, not a single Jews was permitted access to the Old City and prevented from worshipping at the Western Wall. Even today, the Islamic Trust (Waqf) prevents Jews from praying at Temple Mount, and allows access to the Holy Site only once a week for two hours.

You will recall that the 2000 Intifada broke out when PM Ariel Sharon dared to visit the Temple Mount. More recently, there have been riots and skirmishes, instigated by false rumors and incitement that the Jews want to build a new temple on the site of the Al Aqsa Mosque. Worse yet, continuous Palestinian and political incitement charges that Jews have no historical ties to Jerusalem or the Temple Mount. The purpose behind such odious lies if that "If Palestinian public never appreciates the depth of feeling Jews have for their holy places and their historical homeland, then the state of Israel, within any borders, will forever be illegitimate in the eyes of the Palestinians and will remain a target for eventual removal."
Obama's statement is not helping, but defeating any attempt to arrive at a negotiated peace acceptable to both sides.
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Best,
Aggie

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