Some Progress Toward Agreements; Voice of Church Is Now Heard
ROME/JERUSALEM, JULY 26 (ZENIT.org).- After two weeks of fragile negotiations, the hopes for peace entrusted to the summit between Israelis and Palestinians in Camp David have foundered once again on the same rock: the question of Jerusalem's sovereignty.
Bill Clinton himself had the task of announcing the failure of the negotiations. Yesterday he tried unsuccessfully to mediate between the positions of his two guests, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
The U.S. President was positive in his comment on Barak's role who, prior to the failure of the negotiations, announced his willingness to transfer the control of the Arab neighborhoods of the Holy City to the National Palestinian Authority, asking in exchange the annexation to Israel of some Jewish settlements. Clinton was more severe in his comments on Arafat, as he was intransigent in claiming full Palestinian sovereignty over East Jerusalem.
Clinton revealed that some progress had been made, but he accused the Palestinian leader of not being ready for peace. The problems arose when the mediators tried to put down on paper possible points of agreement. At the beginning of yesterday's sessions, Arafat threatened to leave, as the Israeli Prime Minister failed to concede Arab sovereignty over East Jerusalem. At most, Barak offered to share the management of the Eastern neighborhoods, while the Palestinian leader insisted on complete control of the area, including the old fortress. Clinton tried to mediate again, hoping that the threats were merely strategic, as was the case last Wednesday. However, in no time he had to admit the summit's failure. Now the future is full of question marks, although the U.S. President did ask the parties not to take any initiatives and to maintain the door to negotiations open.
Although the Camp David negotiations on the Middle East pass into history as one more lost opportunity, U.S. diplomacy is reflecting on the next moves to be taken so as not to lose the small steps of rapprochement that were taken between the two fronts.
Once again, Jerusalem's future becomes one of the most difficult knots to undo, something which obviously worries the three Christian Patriarchs (Catholic, Greek-Orthodox, and Armenian Orthodox) of the Holy City, who ended their unprecedented meetings with Palestinian and Israeli Ministers yesterday.
Speaking on Vatican Radio, Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem reviewed the Camp David failure, believing that in future negotiations on this city, the Church will be able to present its point of view ."Everyone gives their opinion. Our position is always the same: it is necessary that peace be established in Jerusalem and, to accomplish this, the rights of all, Palestinians and Israelis, must be recognized. We do not play political games, but affirm that to construct peace it is necessary to have true justice. The Church's voice has been heard, the two parties have consulted us. This means that in the future, when reference is made to the holy places, the Church will be asked to express its point of view."
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