Bibi has hinted at flexibility on the issue. In a 2011 interview with Piers Morgan, he spoke of the need for a “creative solution” on Jerusalem and characterized Israel’s insistence on keeping the entire city as its “position going into negotiations.” In another interview, he also said that there were Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem that “everyone knows” will stay in Israel’s hands (seeming to imply that the Arab neighborhoods were negotiable). In recent months, he has been conspicuously silent about Jerusalem (he was conveniently in China on Jerusalem Day, the holiday marking the reunification of Jerusalem, when Israeli prime ministers typically give bombastic speeches vowing never again to divide the city). Polls consistently show that in a vacuum Israelis oppose dividing Jerusalem. But when presented with it as part of a package that would end the conflict, they accept the package by a two-to-one margin. Palestinian polls, though less overwhelming, show a similar phenomenon. Compromises on refugees and other issues are seen as distasteful but palatable as part of a deal that ends the occupation and creates a viable Palestinian state.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:28:47 +0000
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