From DC to Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Post’s Khaled Abut Toameh, by far the best writer on Palestinian affairs among any Israeli newspaper, has a very interesting article in today’s online edition about The reopening of a diplomatic process on the status of Jerusalem. PA President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed Adnan Husseini – former head of the Islamic Waqf – as his adviser on Jerusalem affairs.

In an interview with the Post, Husseini discusses his desire to reopen the closed Palestinian institutions in the city. He specifically discusses the Orient House, the unofficial PLO headquarters in Jerusalem.

From the Jerusalem Post, Abbas wants Orient House reopened:

Orient House, served as the unofficial headquarters of the PLO in Jerusalem. Orient House enjoyed the status of an unofficial diplomatic mission - a fact that angered many in Israel, especially as some foreign ministers insisted on holding talks there with leading Palestinian figures.

Israel had argued that the presence of Orient House and other PLO-linked institutions in the city were in violation of the Oslo Accords, which banned the Palestinians from conducting such activities in Israel. The closure of Orient House was followed by similar moves against at least a dozen PLO-affiliated institutions.

Husseini also stresses that Israel cannot ignore Jerusalem during its negotiations with the PA:

Husseini appealed to Israel not to waste time with regards to discussing the issue of Jerusalem.

“We believe that we can reach a solution to the issue of Jerusalem,” he said. “We hope the Israelis will wake up and realize the importance of the city to the Palestinians. Israel must accept the fact that we will never give up our claim to Jerusalem.”

Husseini said Israel must also realize that peace can’t be achieved without a solution to the issue of Jerusalem.

“There will be no Palestinian state without Jerusalem as its capital,” he said. “This is a holy city and we want Israel to acknowledge this fact. Israel is mistaken if it thinks that the policy of driving the Palestinians out of the city can lead to peace. Peace can’t be achieved by denying the rights of others. Disrespect for others is a sign of weakness, not strength.”

Predictably, the story points to negative Israeli reaction to any proposed division of Jerusalem.

Likud MK Yuval Steinitz on Wednesday said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had proven his hypocrisy by negotiating Jerusalem’s future with Abbas. He recalled campaigning for the Knesset with Olmert, who told people to vote for him because he left the Jerusalem mayoralty to defend Jerusalem from a position of power against those who wanted to divide it.

“Olmert is a prime minister with zero public support, waiting for a verdict from the police and the Winograd Commission, who is ready to divide Jerusalem and allow it to be destroyed to save his skin,” Steinitz said.

I don’t think that this news is a coincidence. Abbas would not have appointed someone with Husseini’s pedigree to such a position unless he felt there was a potential for some sort of breakthrough on Jerusalem. This comes on the heels of the news that Olmert and Abbas discussed the status of Jerusalem during their meeting on Tuesday. Perhaps Olmert, who once served as the mayor of Jerusalem, has finally internalized the need for a division of Jerusalem. In addition, the mere appearance that Abbas may force a compromise would buoy his standing among Palestinians.