Monday May 10, 2010

I've Been Thinking:

Yesterday within hours of an announcement made by Presidential Special Envoy George Mitchell saying that there would a moratorium on building, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat announced that he will continue to build in Jerusalem.

Barkat proclaimed that Jerusalem needs to expand and that he will build for Jews and for Arabs in Jerusalem as long as the Israeli Ministry of Housing provides permission to build.

In Barkat's eyes both Arabs and Jews need new homes in Jerusalem and the budget is already provided. Not to build is counterproductive and is not a part of his vision for Jerusalem.

Barkat is not a settler, he is not an expansionist. He understands Jerusalem - Jerusalem is a city of Arabs and a city of Jews.

The "Proximity Talks" will fail.
The Palestinians are counting on the Jews to build in Jerusalem. For them it is an excuse to torpedo the talks. For the Israelis it is a necessary for survival.

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