Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has an idea for PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) regarding the latter’s determination to have Jerusalem serve as the capital of a Palestinian state. In an interview with the Times of Israel ahead of Yom Yerushalayim, the mayor rejects any plan that entails PA (Palestinian Authority) sovereignty over any area of Yerushalayim. As far as Mr. Barkat is concerned, international pressure on Israel to halt construction in so-called “occupied areas”, referring to areas over the Green Line, is “illegal”.

The mayor is clear in his position, that Jerusalem may not be divided and plans seeking to chop up the Jewish capital are non-starters. Actually, he feels that plans designating areas of Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine will not only fail to improve relations between Israel and the PA, but worsen the situation.

Regarding former Prime Minister’s unprecedented land peace offering to the PA, Barkat calls that plan a “terrible mistake”, adding “thank G-d Olmert is no longer the prime minister.” He continues pointing a finger of blame at Olmert as mayor of the capital as well as Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky, for he feels they both set the capital backwards by 15 years, citing the negative migration during their tenures.

When asked to comment on the Women of the Wall and their effort to hold prayer services in tallis and tefilin at the Kosel, he expressed his opposition. He simply feels that just like Christians and Reform Jews have held events in the nearby Davidson Center; that is the place for the Women of the Wall ceremonies as well. He feels that if the court permits them to do so, then their actions are legal but questions what the right thing to do is.

The mayor is not pleased with the situation vis-à-vis Har Habayis and the banning of Jews from the Holy Site. He admits that changing the status quo regarding Jewish tefilla on Har Habayis is not a simple task and it should not be done without first working out the issues with the players involved.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)