15 November 2010

The Jerusalem of Lies


Under this heading Ha’aretz’s chief political columnist and editorial writer Akiva Eldar recounts, in a hard hitting article published in today’s edition (see online edition here) the lies that have been perpetrated by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu concerning the status of Jersualem and the potential for action in East Jerusalem to impact on the prospects for peace.

He writes

Since the dispute broke over the settlement freeze, hardly a day has gone by without Netanyahu or his spokesmen issuing another legend glorifying the myth of ‘the eternal capital that will never be divided.’

and disposes comprehensively of three Netanyahu-propagated myths:

-  Construction in Jerusalem will never disrupt the peace process

-  Jerusalem is united, the capital of the Jewish people and its sovereignty is incontrovertible

-   All Jerusalem residents can acquire homes in every part of the city.

He concludes:

Even in Jerusalem, lies that are repeated too often do not become true. The truth has been and remains: either Jerusalem will become the capital of two peoples or Israel will become the state of two peoples.

Note:

Akiva Eldar’s columns also appear regularly in the Ha'aretz-Herald Tribune edition. In May 2006 The Financial Times selected him among the most prominent and influential commentators in the world, "whose comments inspire callers from across the political spectrum".

He is the author of several books on Israel and the Middle East, including The Ambush on Jerusalem, which deals with U.S.-Israel-Jewish community relations, and Lords of the Land, an exploration of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank. In 2007 he received the annual "Search for Common Ground" award for Middle East journalism.

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