Eli Yishai
Photo: Daniel Bar-On
Don’t relinquish a symbol
Jerusalem is cornerstone of Jewish people and must not be divided
For millions of people, Jerusalem is the ID card of the Jewish people, and renouncing parts of it means blurring this ID. I regret to see people who fail to grasp Jerusalem’s value. I ask them: Why do you think that those who are engaged in diplomatic negotiations with us, either as dialogue partners or as mediators, are pressing us to renounce it? Are we dealing with territorial distress on the other side in this respect? The answer is of course no.
The growing pressure on Israeli negotiators in all matters pertaining to the Jerusalem question attest to the declarative value attributed by the Palestinians to getting it. Our public conduct in relation to the diplomatic negotiations is what gives rise to this pressure on us. The Palestinian demand for Jerusalem shows us the added value of the Jewish people’s eternal capital.
Every time I attempt to find logic in perceptions that in one way or another espouse the division of Jerusalem, I become agitated. The Shas movement backs peace, on condition that it will be genuine peace. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef even ruled more than 30 years ago that when we are engaged in a genuine diplomatic process, we can regrettably make painful concessions.
Yet in the situation we are facing today, the process is almost virtual. The current Palestinian leadership does not control even its few supporters. How can anyone think of the delusional notion of renouncing anything, and particularly Jerusalem?
This is not just a mere territorial concession, but rather, the renunciation of a symbol. And Jerusalem is not only a Jewish symbol. Millions of people aspired to reach it without even seeing a picture of it. They only relied on stories passed on from one generation to the next. Can anyone explain the aspiration to reach such place, without seeing it, based only on stories? Only the fact that we are talking about a cornerstone of the Jewish people can help us in grasping it.
Jerusalem’s protective vest
Therefore, Shas ministers will be serving as Jerusalem’s protective vest, and it will not be part of the negotiations. The moment it will be brought up for discussion, Shas will immediately quit the government, in line with the decision of the Torah sages council.When we received information about construction limitations in the Jerusalem area, Shas members traveled to Pisgat Ze’ev and Beitar Ilit in order to examine developments on the ground. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef also enlisted for the cause and spoke with the prime minister. Later we were told that no construction freeze will take place in the city.
I have no intention to advise east Jerusalem residents where to live. Yet if they continue to constitute a hotbed for suicide terrorists, as happened in the terror attack at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem, they will be considered as an explosive belt. Neutralizing such belt in a manner that prevents it from exploding is better than the risk inherent in removing it.
In order to ensure that east Jerusalem does not explode on us, we must put it in order rather than distance it from us. The preoccupation with the city’s unity is not relevant to its sewage system, but it is relevant to our sovereignty there – and this is where many people err.
Eli Yishai is the deputy prime minister, minister of trade, industry and employment, and Shas chairman
