Israeli Defense Minister hints at handover of East Jerusalem

In an interview with Al-Jazeera television, the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, stated that parts of East Jerusalem could potentially form the capital for a future Palestinian state.

Ehud Barak

His statement differs from previous policy positions outlined by the Jewish state, in which Israeli officials claim the entirety of the city of Jerusalem for Israel.

The takeover of Israel in 1967 is in violation of the United Nations Resolution which called for the creation of the state of Israel in 1947.  In that resolution, the city of Jerusalem was declared to be an international city, under the jurisdiction of the United Nations, and open to everyone.  During the war that followed the creation of Israel on Palestinian land, the state of Jordan took over Jerusalem, and it remained under Jordanian control until 1967.

The status of Jerusalem has been one of the most contentious issues of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, as the reclamation of the city is one of the Palestinian Liberation Organization's three key demands, along with release of prisoners and return of refugees.

In the interview with Al Jazeera television, Barak stated, "We can find a formula under which certain neighborhoods, heavily-populated Arab neighborhoods, could become, in a peace agreement, part of the Palestinian capital that, of course, will include also the neighboring villages around Jerusalem."

Other Israeli ministers, such as Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, sharply criticized the Defense Minister's statements, saying they do not represent the policy of the Israeli government as a whole.