Just got off the phone with an American seeking out "perspective".
One point I made was that Obama, in fixing the '67 lines, then to be followed by Jerusalem doesn't make sense and is illogical. It hurts the entire peace process from an American standpoint (don't worry, I made other points regarding Yesha).
"Don't you grasp," says I, "that he's not only prejudging but he's telling the Arabs all of post-'67 Jerusalem goes to the Arabs and all that's left is to discuss 'arrangements' of getting to the Western Wall, the times of prayer, whether Hebrew U. can stay, if Hadassah can heal, etc.? Why should the Arabs not take advantage of that opening position given them?"
Not only prejudged but ripped Jerusalem out of Israel and is going head-to-head with the majority of the Jewish people.
Pinpointing final status as the 1967 lines awards Arab agression as there's not demand for any territorial compromise on their part.
^
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I haven't tried working out the square dunams, but I have a feeling that if a Palestinian state ever came into being, with Israel retaining all of modern Jerusalem including built up Jewish neighbourhoods, the Palestinians would still retain half of the Corpus Seperatum from the Partition plan (1947). The other option would be to implement the plan's recommendation of a vote by Jews and Arabs within the Corpus Seperatum regarding the future of Jerusalem. My guess would be that the vast majority, including Palestinian Arabs in and around Bethlehem, would vote to incorporate the whole area into Israel. Now what would the UN think of THAT?
moreyaltman.blogspot.com
go here to see the land mass and make a call
To my eye, it would be a pretty fair split. We might owe them a dunam or two. Assuming they actually want to use UN resolution 242 as a starting point. Of course, it's an absurd idea.
"Hi, my grandfather was once a tenant in this building. He was offered a chance to buy his apartment for $25,000 in 1948 but he adamantly refused, and stormed out. So now I'd like the whole building, for the SAME price, and if you don't let me have it, I'll smash all your windows and threaten your family." Sound about right?
Morey, there were negotiations between Elias Freij, Christian mayor of Bethlehem before and after 1967, and Israeli officers with the purpose of annexing Bethlehem to Jerusalem [as it was part of the UN GA-proposed Jerusalem enclave, as you know]. Freij and many of his fellow Christian townsmen seem to have preferred being part of Israel with some sort of special status for Bethlehem [& maybe Beyt Sahur & Beyt Jallah too] to being part of an Arab Muslim state. But the State Dept got wind of these talks and shot them down. Since arafat took over Beyt Lehem in 12/1995, the Christian majority there has become a decided minority. Isn't peace wonderful?? Anyhow, I'm not sure that the present Muslim majority there would want to join Israel. Maybe you could suggest that the Christian emigrants from the town should be able to vote on its future as part of Greater Jerusalem.
I think I remember that from from Cursed Blessing by Shabtai Teveth. There were similar stories after Haganah troops entered southern Lebanon in 1948; many Christian villagers were quite eager to have the area under Jewish protection but Ben-Gurion (wisely) ordered troops out of Lebanon. I have no doubt things would have turned out very differently with a Christian-Arab majority throughout the area.
Nevertheless, my sense is that far more Arab Muslims would prefer to be Israeli than 'Palestinian' than we will ever know, especially after hearing those sentiments from Khaled abu Toameh. But who knows? What these populations say in public versus in private, not to mention how they actually behave, are often very different things, and often at the whim of charismatic local political, familial and clan leaders.
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