Oké, dit is iets beter dan het voorstel van Zweden, dat zich niet onderscheidde van Palestijnse propaganda. Als men vindt dat er onderhandeld moet worden, kun je natuurlijk niet al vantevoren bepalen wat de uitkomst daarvan moet zijn:
"The EU will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties".
Het gebrek aan elementaire kennis bij sommige ministers is verbluffend:
"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."
Misschien, beste Jean Asselborn, omdat Israel meent ook rechten in Oost-Jeruzalem te hebben, waar de oude Joodse wijk ligt, de Klaagmuur, de oude Joodse begraafplaats op de Olijfberg, het oude ziekenhuis en tientallen synagoges. Bent u er weleens geweest, beste Jean Asselborn? Heeft u weleens iets gelezen over de geschiedenis van de oude stad, een museum bezocht, met oudere Joden gepraat die u bijvoorbeeld konden vertellen dat zij tussen 1948 en 1967 niet naar de Klaagmuur mochten, ondanks de afspraken hierover in het wapenstilstandsverdrag met Jordanië? Of telt voor u alleen wat de Palestijnen erover zeggen, die iedere Joodse binding met de stad ontkennen, en beweren dat de Joden in 1967 voor het eerst in Oost-Jeruzalem kwamen? Kunt u misschien iets minder met uw domheid te koop lopen?
RP
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Last update - 21:16 08/12/2009
EU foreign ministers: Jerusalem must be joint capital of Israel, Palestinian state
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Reuters
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1133616.html
European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday called for negotiations over the status of Jerusalem, saying a way should be found to make it the capital of two nations, Israel and a future Palestinian state.
Sweden, which currently holds the European Union presidency, presented a draft document last week supporting the division of Jerusalem and the recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Click here for the EU draft document on the division of 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.
The status of Jerusalem - a city holy to three religions - is a sensitive issue for Israel, which considers the city to be its indivisible capital. Palestinians want the eastern part of Jerusalem to serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.
Israel has strongly objected to the Swedish draft resolution that does not recognize Israel's claims to the eastern part of the city. Israel's Foreign Ministry warned the move would damage the EU's ability to be a Mideast mediator.
"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.
The competing claims to East Jerusalem remain the most intractable issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Last week, Israel sternly warned the EU against adopting new language that endorses East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.
The draft released Tuesday said the ministers are "deeply concerned about the situation in East Jerusalem" and urged both sides to avoid what it called "provocative actions."
Most EU ministers appeared supportive of the latest draft, although some said the declaration should not antagonize either party in the dispute at the risk of undermining efforts to restart peace talks.
"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."
The EU foreign ministers also praised Israel's decision to a 10-month freeze in construction in West Bank settlements, calling it a "step in the right direction." They added, however, that a comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israel conflict requires a regional approach.
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