'The Elders' say changing character of East Jerusalem is an obstacle to peace

[News_Editor]

'The Elders' say changing character of East Jerusalem is an obstacle to peace

2010-10-22 03:24:49 GMT+7 (ICT)

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BNO NEWS) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and two other members of 'The Elders', a non-governmental organization (NGO) that is comprised of former world leaders, met with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat on Thursday morning as well as Palestinian residents.

Former Irish President Mary Robinson, who is the Elders' delegation leader, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and Ela Bhatt, a pioneer in women’s economic empowerment and non-violent resistance, are currently in the Middle East to encourage support for a two-state solution in order to bring peace to the region.

On Thursday, the group visited the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan where they learned that many homes are threatened with demolition to make way for the King's Garden Archaeological Park. Many Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem have been evicted as settlements expand and those who are politically active or speak out against the settlements, according to The Elders, face deportation and imprisonment.

Silwan is a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood of East Jerusalem, but hundreds of Israelis have settled in the area with the assistance of a right-wing organization dedicated to locating Jews in the area.

Experts and residents spoke to the Elders about the changing character of East Jerusalem and also met with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, who shared his vision and planes for Jerusalem.

"Jerusalem lies at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and agreement on its future must also be at the heart of any solution," said Robinson. "The changing ethnic and religious character of the city has regional and global implications."

She added: "As Elders we try to bring hope, but I was shocked at the practices the Jerusalem authorities are being allowed to get away with. All kinds of clever methods are being used to surround and squeeze the Palestinian population - tunnels, settler houses, new roads, and now tourist attractions. A solution must be found that respects the human rights of all."

The Elders conveyed their concerns about settlement building in Jerusalem during the meeting with Barkat. They said municipal services to the Palestinian neighborhoods are extremely poor with schools, water services and roads receiving only a fraction of the investment of the rest of the city.

The Elders appreciated that the Mayor wants to improve the living conditions and education of Palestinians as well as Israelis, but they warned the Mayor that current planning policies are a serious obstacle to an Arab-Israeli peace agreement.

"As I said to the Speaker of the Knesset today, Israel's treatment of its Arab citizens and other minorities is very disturbing," Carter said. "These people have not enjoyed equal social, economic and political rights for decades. Now there are more than twenty proposed new laws that would further erode their rights."

Carter said he is particularly concerned about proposals to require non-Jews to pledge loyalty to Israel as a Jewish state. "I do not see how such an oath can be consistent with the rights of Muslims, Christians and others who are not Jews. Israel is in danger of damaging its credibility as a democracy," he added.

Barkat explained to The Elders his vision for improving the quality of life for all Jerusalem residents and, in particular, the Mayor showed the group his initiative for Silwan and additional areas in eastern Jerusalem.

"The city must never be broken in two," Barkat said after the meeting. "No divided city in the world has ever succeeded. In fact, I asked the Elders how they can celebrate the reunification of Berlin while at the same time advocate the division of Jerusalem. It is the ultimate inconsistency."

"It is clear to me that involvement of biased third parties in the peace process does more damage than good. It pressures both sides to rush into a bad deal," he added.

On Wednesday, the Elders met with Mahmoud Abba, President of the Palestinian Authority, and PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to discuss the stalled final status negotiations.

And on Tuesday, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called for the inclusion of the militant group Hamas in the Middle East peace process. "We believe that Hamas should be included in all the major efforts to peace ... It is part of the Palestinian people," Carter was quoted as saying.

Carter also called on Israel to completely lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip because - he said - Palestinians are 'living in a cage' in Gaza.

The former U.S. President made the remarks during his visit to Syria, where he was accompanied by the other two members of The Elders.

The Elders, led by former Irish President Mary Robinson, met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Hamas leaders in Damascus. The purpose of the meetings was to discuss the Middle East peace process and the Gaza blockade.

"1.5 million Palestinians are held in a cage or prison while their human rights are taken away," Carter said. "The blockade is one of the most serious human rights violations on Earth and it must be lifted fully."

Assad told Carter that Israel is not willing or able to make peace with Palestinians and the Elders were told that people living in the region have very low expectations that the U.S.-led peace talks could succeed.

Hamas is labeled by the United States and the European Union as a terrorist organization but despite that, the Elders met with Hamas exiled top official Khaled Meshal.

On Friday the Elders will meet Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Barak and will brief the diplomatic community on their trip.

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