An Unholy Proposal for A Holy Site

Reported with comments by the author:

Paid for by Canada, former Canadian and U.S. officials, including Daniel Kurtzer, spent seven years of research and consultation on how the Palestinian Arabs and Israel should share control of the holy sites in Jerusalem. A culminating conference was held in Washington, introducing a 144-page report of suggestions.

Jerusalem would not be divided or internationalized. However, after presumed statehood for the Palestinian Authority (P.A.), the two states would share control of the holy sites of Jerusalem, under "an effective and empowered third-party" commissioner the two states appoint...

”...Arrangements touching on the sanctity of holy sites and access to them should be dealt with to the satisfaction of the religious communities, subject to the requirements of public order. Special security arrangements should be developed for these sites in close coordination with advisory religious and heritage bodies.”

[They admit that security arrangements require harmonious coexistence and would fail if one side wants them to fail.]

Access to the holy sites depends on the requirements of public order. This means that Jews are likely to be barred from the Temple Mount and even from the Western Wall, because Muslims now want Jews barred from it, calling it holy to Muslims. Under British rule, Jews were barred from blowing shofars at the Wall, because Muslims said the noise disturbed them. [Muslims use loudspeakers to call the faithful to mosque.]...