Thursday, November 29, 2007
Regarding the debate in this thread: About Keeping Jerusalem 'Safe, Intact and United'..., which has been interesting, here is some also interesting data (assuming it's accurate) which I think contributes to the discussion without necessarily privileging one side or the other: The Land Status of East Jerusalem
The size of Jerusalem during the Jordanian rule prior to 1967 was only 6 sq. kilometers, including the Old City (1 sq. kilometer) and five sq. kilometers around it. The areas which Israel added/annexed/occupied in 1967 were together, several times larger than Jordanian Jerusalem. Aside from the Jordanian city, Jerusalem’s new boundaries included 28 additional Palestinian villages which had previously not been considered to be part of the City.
The new municipal boundaries were based on the recommendations of a military committee, which was approved by the government. The recommendations represented interests – or thinking – of the time, and integrated military, demographic and geographic parameters. Militarily, there was a desire to control a route of military and strategic importance surrounding West Jerusalem. Geographically, the aim was to rule as large a territory as possible around what was Western Jerusalem. Demographically, the goal was to include as few Palestinians as possible in the added/annexed/occupied territories.
Arguments relating to Jerusalem's "sanctity", its status as the "eternal" capital of the Jewish people, and the necessity of keeping it united, were not taken into consideration and were not relevant to the considerations upon which the new municipal boundaries were set.
It should also be noted that the new municipal boundaries, set based on the parameters described above, were virtual and evident only in Israeli maps. There was no attempt to signify the new boundaries between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank on the ground. It is important to stress that the Arab World and the International Community never recognized the new boundaries of the city.
Here is a PDF map with various areas marked.
Update: On the other hand, Media Backspin links to a version of the original proposed partition map that indicates greater borders still.
That finger sticking north towards Ramallah is a good example of why I'm unsympathetic to Orthodox Union complaints about the sacredness of every square meter of "Jerusalem". On the other hand, it's also a pretty good illustration of the security concerns over giving up control of that area. (On the third hand, it also illustrates the argument for moving the fenceline in.)
1. The proposed partition map is for the int'l zone that was proposed for Jerusalem, beitlehem and the surronding areas.
2. Is is important to note that israel willingness to give social security and free health benefits to everyone who live in Jerusalem has driven hundreds of thousands palestinians to move into Jerusalem in any way they can.