Surely, the Olmert government does not subscribe fully to the Clinton Parameters. Still, a solution to the future of Jerusalem may not be as insurmountable as it may seem.

Affinity to Jerusalem

The Jewish affinity for Jerusalem extends over millennia and represents the embodiment of

Many Israelis and Palestinians envision Jerusalem as becoming a microcosm of Israeli-Palestinian coexistence.

Jewish existence and freedom.

The Jews’ holiest shrine, the Temple Mount, the remnant of the Second Temple — the Western Wall — is in Jerusalem, and no Israeli government would survive should it contemplate physically dividing the city again.

For the Arabs, Jerusalem is equally sacred. Two of the holiest Arab shrines, the al Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, along with many Muslim educational institutions, are in East Jerusalem.

Amicable solution

At the Taba negotiations both sides accepted the principle of control over each other’s respective holy sites.

According to this principle, Israel’s sovereignty over the Western Wall would be recognized although there remains a dispute over the delineation of the area covered by the Western wall and especially the link to what is referred to — in President Clinton’s idea — as the space sacred to Judaism of which it is part.

An open city

There were several other issues over which the two sides continue to disagree but

Once other difficult issues are resolved, a solution to the future of Jerusalem may not be as elusive as some skeptics argue.

there was a shred of sentiment that an amicable solution would eventually be found.

Since more than 250,000 Palestinians live in the city, and no artificial separation or wall can be erected that can effectively isolate the interspersed Arab and Jewish communities from each other, both sides favored the idea of an open city.

The Israeli side suggested the establishment of an open city whose geographical scope encompasses the Old City of Jerusalem plus the area defined as the Holy Basin.

Reality on the ground

Conversely, while the Palestinian side was also in favor of an Open City they insisted that continuity and contiguity were preserved.

The Palestinians emphasized that the Open City is only acceptable if its geographical scope encompasses the full municipal borders of both East and West Jerusalem.

Future of Israel

Here too, while both sides held fast to their positions, they felt that the reality on the ground will ultimately fashion a mutually accepted formula.

The Jewish affinity for Jerusalem extends over millennia and represents the embodiment of Jewish existence and freedom.

Indeed, many Israelis and Palestinians envision Jerusalem as becoming a microcosm of Israeli-Palestinian coexistence. Thus, once other difficult issues are resolved, a solution to the future of Jerusalem may not be as elusive as some skeptics argue.