Obama’s Jerusalem secret

Washington Times:

Mr. Obama needs a better map. The 1967 line cuts directly through Jerusalem, and the city’s status cannot be detached from the border issue. Before 1967, the Western Wall – where Mr. Obama mentioned he visited and prayed – was barred to Jews despite a provision in the 1949 armistice agreement that all be given access. Israel captured the eastern half of Jerusalem in the 1967 war and annexed it, but Palestinians still claim it as their capital. Although candidate Barack Obama strongly supported a united Jerusalem in 2008, President Obama’s administration denounced new construction in eastern Jerusalem as illegal settlement activity in 2009.

To say that a divided city is the starting point for negotiations concedes ground that no Israeli government will accept. There is no possible parcel to “swap” that either party will agree is as important as the Temple Mount. Muslims claim it is the third holiest site in Islam, but it is at the center of Jewish identity. Mr. Obama might as well suggest making Mecca an interfaith timeshare.

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