Netanyahu: Jerusalem will always be Israel's capital
Speaking at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of Jerusalem, the prime minister says Jerusalem issue not holding up peace, but rather refusal to recognize Jewish state; Abbas responds by saying, 'East Jerusalem, with its holy sites for Islam and Christianity, is the capital of the Palestinian state and will remain so forever.'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Wednesday evening that Jerusalem will always be Israel's capital.
"Was Jerusalem ever the capital of another people but the Jewish people?" Netanyahu wondered aloud. "There was no such thing. Has anyone other than us guarded the freedom of worship of believers of all religions? Quite the opposite. This is guaranteed to all religions only under Israeli sovereignty."
Speaking during a ceremony at Jerusalem's Ammunition Hill, marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of the capital, Netanyahu vowed once more that "The Temple Mount and Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty."
A day after US President Donald Trump visited Israel and the West Bank in an effort to relaunch peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the prime minister declared "We want peace and extend a hand of peace to our neighbors," while at the same time stressing that "it is not Jerusalem that is holding up peace. What is delaying peace is the consistent refusal to recognize the Jewish State under any borders and to end this conflict once and for all."
The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas responded to Netanyahu's statement, saying that "East Jerusalem, with its holy sites for Islam and Christianity, is the capital of the Palestinian state and will remain so forever."
According to Abbas's office, Netanyahu's words create tension and undermine Trump's efforts to establish peace between Palestinians and Israelis.
President Reuven Rivlin also spoke at the ceremony, calling on the government to address the growing poverty in east Jerusalem. "We cannot sing a song of praise for a unified Jerusalem while east Jerusalem is the poorest urban area in Israel," the president said, adding that "sovereignty in Jerusalem means responsibility for all of Jerusalem."
The president welcomed the actions of the government and the Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Ze'ev Elkin (Likud) as well as the actions of the municipality to improve the situation in east Jerusalem. "The things that are actually done are welcome and desirable, but there is so much more that needs to be done," Rivlin said.
Around 75,000 people attended the traditional Dance of the Flags in the Old City as part of the Jerusalem Day celebrations and 50 years for unification of the city under Israeli sovereignty. In the afternoon there was a confrontation between left-wing activists who tried to prevent the parade from crossing into the Muslim Quarter, but were evacuated by Border Police forces.
The Jerusalem Municipality invested an unprecedented NIS 500,000 in the parade. The marchers, dressed in blue and white and holding the Israeli flag, left the center of town toward the Old City. At the IDF Square they split up, with some marching through the Muslim Quarter to the Western Wall. Many of the marchers were Yeshiva students.
Yoel Elbash, 25, from Netanya was among the marchers. "It's very exciting to celebrate Jerusalem Day in its Jubilee year, and it's important for us to come here and strengthen the city." Ilan Blatt, 18, from Beit Shemesh echoed this sentiment, adding, "50 years to Jerusalem is the greatest thing for the people of Israel."
