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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Elections Development Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Special Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Jerusalem for all
The one question raised by Arab-Israeli negotiations over Jerusalem is: who, ultimately, has the right to this land? Jerusalem cannot be described as disputed territory; nor, by any means, can it be perceived as the subject of a border conflict between the present Israeli state and the imminent Palestinian state. Rather, it belongs to both parties at one and the same time; and no one can rationally claim that it belongs to one but not to the other.
Jerusalem is in fact unlike any other plot of land in the entire world; in a sense, I would say, it belongs to the whole of humanity -- Muslims, Christians and Jews alike. This fact, and this fact alone, must always inform the negotiations. I believe that if the parties sit down with this conviction firmly anchored in their minds, they will cease to quibble over administrative details that remain, in the last analysis, trivial. It should also be made clear, however, that, even if he could compromise all of the rest of Palestine -- which he cannot -- Arafat still could not possibly compromise Jerusalem. Neither the Palestinians (Christians and Muslims alike) nor the rest of the world would allow him to, if such were his intention.
Religious and political questions should of course be discussed separately, but it is well to take the unique position of Jerusalem into account when negotiating, because failing to do so will further complicate the issues.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
