Monday Dec 10, 2007
JPost
The Annapolis conference is the most important political event of the year 2007. It was a success despite the doubts, the ridicules, and the attempts of those who are opposed to peace to derail it. Thanks to the security establishment's operations, no terror organization succeeded in carying out any significant planned attack.
The conference succeeded in three areas:
It was launched with a joint Israeli-Palestinian declaration. Even though the declaration had no guidelines for a permanent agreement, it did firmly commit both sides to open in serious negotiations.
The Arab world, including Saudi Arabia and even Syria, sent senior officials to the meeting, which conveys regional support of a peace agreement with Israel and general support for [Palestinian Authority President] Mahmoud Abbas.
The conference's end officially launched negotiations for a permanent status agreement. A date was set for commencement (December 2007) with a target date for completion thirteen months later. Ambitious but not impossible.
What is required for successful negotiations? More than anything else - political courage. The courage to agree on two issues when each side finds it difficult to accept one of them, and where both sides have difficulty accepting the third:
1. There will be no Palestinian 'right of return within Israel's borders
2. Jerusalem will be divided and will represent two capital cities
3. There will be an agreement based on religion - not politics - for religious areas of Jerusalem
It will be easier for the Israeli public to accept the concessions it needs to make if its leaders remind it of four truths it already knows:
The continuation of Israeli control over Jerusalem essentially means adding another 250,000 Palestinians to the State of Israel, where we oppose the 'right of return' for known reasons.
In reality, there is no unity between 'Jewish' Jerusalem and 'Arab' Jerusalem. We do not govern its neighborhoods, nor do we intend on developing them or providing them with proper services.
The Sharon-Netanyahu government had already divided Jerusalem in its decision to build the fence inside Jerusalem and not around the municipality's borders. In doing so, the government had removed from the city's domain thousands of dunams and approximately 50,000 Palestinians. The 'unity' principle has already been broken with the approval of all Right wing ministers.
When our ancestors and our ancestors' ancestors prayed for Jerusalem in the Diaspora and said with religious conviction "To Zion, your country you will return mercifully", they were not referring to Walaja, to Jebl Mukaber nor the refugee camp of Shuafat. There is no holy bond nor any Jewish historical significance to the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem.
What is important to ensure in Jerusalem? We need to strengthen our grip on the holy sites, joining all surrounding Israeli neighborhoods to form the largest Jewish city in the world. We must also promote economic, cultural and administrative development of the city in order for it to become the Zionist capital of Israel, recognized the world over and a true success story from all possible angles.
The road to negotiations with the Palestinians will be long, windy and full of complications. However, any other path will just lead to another hundred years of war and one country for two nations.
Last week marked the 60th anniversary of the UN partition plan which sought to establish two nations in the land of Israel. I would like to mention my father, Moshe Sneh, zihrono li'vraha (May his memory be blessed) who in 1947 stood at the head of the political delegation in Europe which lead to the decision. This ruling gave 56% of the land to Israel and 44% to the Palestinians. When we complete the permanent agreement, we will hold 78% of the land while the Palestinians will control 22%.
After sixty years, seven wars and two intifadas, the upcoming agreement will be a true Zionist victory.
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