JERUSALEM, Israel, 3 August 2000 (Newsroom) — An undivided Jerusalem has been an axiom of Israeli politics for decades. As recently as 1996 former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defeated Shimon Peres with the campaign slogan “Peres will divide Jerusalem.”
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators resumed peace talks today, after a one day suspension following the killing of a Jewish resident of the Gaza Strip.
US envoy Dennis Ross has indefinitely postponed a Mideast peace mission amid growing doubts the two sides can reach any agreements before President Bill Clinton leaves office on January 20th.
There is confusion and uncertainty over the scheduled visit of US envoy Dennis Ross, casting a shadow over the latest US peace efforts. Israeli and US officials here say the visit is still on, despite Palestinian claims to the contrary. A senior Palestinian source told Reuters today that President Clinton and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat agreed in a late-night phone conversation to cancel the Ross visit. Israeli officials were surprised by the report.
In one of the biggest demonstrations ever in Jerusalem, at least 200,000 Israelis came to the gates of the Old City last night to protest against President Clinton’s peace plan which calls for the division of Jerusalem. They waved Israeli flags and sang Biblical songs as the ancient walls of Jerusalem and David’s Citadel reflected a mystical purple, green and blue.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has given a conditional “yes” to the US peace proposal, giving peace one last chance before President Clinton leaves office on January 20th.
President Clinton held two rounds of talks with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at the White House, but as expected, failed to achieve a breakthrough. It now seems highly unlikely that a peace agreement will be signed before Clinton leaves office on January 20th