What Does the Trump Plan Say About Jerusalem?

And so, once again in the news is President Trump’s “Deal of the Century.” This particular proposal, contrary to previous ones, has an inherent advantage for many Land of Israel lovers: For the first time in 2,000 years, it grants Israel full sovereignty over significant parts of Judea and Samaria. On the other hand, it leaves over the remainder for what many feel is an existential danger to Israel, namely, a Palestinan state.

What about Jerusalem? What does the Trump Plan say about Israel’s capital city?

As with many other critical issues addressed in the plan, the key word is “vagueness.” In principle, Jerusalem fares relatively well in the plan. It opposes returning to a divided Jerusalem, and retains the Holy Sites under Israeli sovereignty, – but notes that the existing physical barrier should remain in place and “serve as a border between the capitals of the two parties.”

The removal of the neighborhoods outside the security barrier from Jerusalem could be acceptable, if they would become separate Israeli municipalities. But to detract them from Israel altogether is clearly not something we can sign on to.

We must continue to demand the measures we have long been calling for that will ensure effective Israeli sovereignty in our capital city: more construction in neighborhoods such as Gilo, Har Homa, Pisgat Ze’ev and of course the Old City; promotion of the Greater Jerusalem plan that will bring Mevaseret Zion, Maaleh Adumim, Gush Etzion, and the areas north of Jerusalem under the Greater Jerusalem “umbrella;” and making the city more attractive for large and small employers.

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May242020

Open Letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu and the new unity Government on Jerusalem

Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu and the New Unity Government Ministers,

As you finally usher in this unity government, many crucial challenges face you: the fallout from the Corona pandemic, existential security challenges, a difficult economy, and more. However, one challenge stands out in particular: Jerusalem.

This week we celebrate 53 years of the liberation of Jerusalem, yet there are still significant threats that are facing our united Capital: terrorism – over 5,000 attacks or attempted attacks over the past five years alone; demographics – Arabs have grown to some 40% of the city’s population, many of whom are hostile; delegitimization – forces that deny Jerusalem’s Jewish roots and legacy; and rampant illegal Arab construction – with tens of thousands of such units in Jerusalem today.

The new government, under your leadership, must make Jerusalem a top priority – not only in word, but in deed – especially given today’s unique geo-political and health reality.

In this letter, our organization, Im Eshkachech-Keep Jerusalem, which deals in advocacy, education, and policy research, sums up for you FIVE of the major challenges and opportunities now facing Jerusalem, as well as the broad steps we recommend you take in the coming period.

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Mar262020

Jerusalem Passing Corona Challenges with Flying Colors!

So how’s Yerushalayim faring during these harrowing Corona days?
At these times, it doesn’t take much to see that Jerusalem continues to live up to its reputation as a city of kindness.
In Jerusalem, as in Haifa and Be’er Sheva, Magen David Adom has established drive-in testing centers that can process “hundreds to thousands” of people a day. With malls and markets, such as the famous Machaneh Yehuda shuk, closed down, Mayor Lyon announced that the municipality would establish a “virtual mall” for Jerusalem businesses. In addition, a loan fund for up to 100,000 NIS is being established. And more…
But it’s impossible, even now, to ignore the political front. When the Corona crisis began to get out of hand in eastern Jerusalem, the Palestinian Authority wished to show that it, and not Israel, was in charge. But it crossed a red line when it began distributing health instructions via buses sporting the PA logo – as the Oslo Accords forbid the PA from operating in Jerusalem. Israel arrested the Jerusalem Fatah leader who organized the campaign, and Israel Police began forcefully breaking up gatherings larger than the permitted size.
Until the world realizes that Jerusalem the Holy is the eternal capital of the Jewish People, our struggle continues: We must ensure that Yerushalayim remains united under Israeli sovereignty, with a large Jewish majority – as indicated by history, ethics, security and simple logic.

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Bibi Said He Would Expand Jerusalem – Then Came the Elections

One of the main battles in the fight to prevent the narrow strip that makes up the State of Israel from being carved up to include yet another Arab state, is being fought in and around Jerusalem.

Just ten days before these last Israeli elections, Prime Minister Netanyahu made a bombastic announcement: “I’ve given instructions to immediately publish for deposit the plan to build 3,500 housing units in E-1.” What he meant was that the long-delayed implementation of the plan to build up an area between the cities of Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim would finally begin. This would stop the creeping encroachment of illegal Palestinian Authority construction on the Maaleh Adumim area, and would all but prevent the formation of a contiguous Arab state in the area.

Netanyahu has basically recycled announcements of this type for many years.

Also regarding Givat HaMatos, Netanyahu recently said that the long-frozen plan for 3,000 Jewish homes and 1,000 Arab homes there would now be implemented. But this is something he has already said in the past – and the plan has not materialized.

It’s unpleasant for us to hit a man when he’s down, and Netanyahu is truly under attack from many quarters, despite his many great accomplishments. But – had he actually taken the steps he has so often verbalized, Israel would not now be under the gun not to take the steps so necessary to ensuring full Jewish sovereignty in the Holy Land.

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said, “All settlements are illegal under international law. ”This frontally contradicts a ruling by the Court of Appeal of Versailles in January 2017, that “West Bank settlements” and “occupation” of Judea and Samaria by Israel are unequivocally legal under international law.

We remind Binyamin Netanyahu that fulfilling his promises regarding the development of Jerusalem might be a good first step towards overcoming the hardships he now faces.

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Feb202020

The Geneva Initiative: Replacing One Futile Plan with Another

More than 16 years after the publication of the Geneva Initiative delineating a physical border in the heart of Jerusalem, those who dreamed it up are having second thoughts.

The division of the Holy City, according to the Geneva plan, would be underscored with three border-crossing points between Israel and the Arab state smack inside the city – unimaginable and unworkable. And in fact, the Israeli team continuing to work on the plan now admits that the original initiative is “irrelevant,” and now proposes keeping Jerusalem as an “open” city, capital to two states at once. They acknowledge, however, that they do not know how security could be maintained under such an arrangement.

Yet they continue to present this option as if it were realistic. A jointly-run Jerusalem would have to be isolated from the rest of Israel by tight borders in order to assure that people and goods from the Arab state not cross freely into the Jewish State. Similarly, the city would be separated from the “mainland” Arab state – and Israel would have to rely on the PA security forces to oversee the crossings there.

True, Jerusalem today is an open city to both Jews and Arabs. But they all live and work under one clear sovereignty; they know that Israel is boss. This would not be the case with shared sovereignty.

In this light, let us note the welcome and blessed expansion of Jewish neighborhoods. Work on tripling the size of Nof Tzion, south of the Old City, has been briskly underway for the past few months.

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