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Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's Capital Won't Undermine the Peace Process

(Politico) Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer interviewed by Susan B. Glasser - "People take the embassy issue, or...recognizing Jerusalem as the capital, and they connect it with the peace process. But as you know, the peace process with the Palestinians began in 1993. Jerusalem's been our capital since 1948, '49, '50 when we actually moved everything over there." "I don't think it's going to undermine the peace process at all. On the contrary, I think it will actually lay a cornerstone for peace because what it says is that under any peace agreement in the future, Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel. That's clear. If somebody could show me any kind of peace plan that doesn't have Jerusalem be capital of Israel, I'd like to see it. Every single peace plan that's ever been put down has Jerusalem be a capital of Israel." "I don't think the United States recognizing Jerusalem as a capital will prevent any sort of peace agreement from happening in the future. It's not actually a sensible argument. What it will do is it will right a historic wrong. Something that should have happened 69 years ago will finally happen. And then we have to get about the process of trying to advance peace between the parties. I think the message that it will send to the Palestinians is, 'Hey, wake up. Understand that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. You have to deal with that reality.'"
2017-12-05 00:00:00
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