Palestinian officials cited by Ynet on Wednesday said that US President Barack Obama intends to formally bequeath them the eastern half of Jerusalem when he unveils his new Middle East peace initiative in Cairo next month.
The Palestinian Authority officials said that Obama will go further than presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton in that he will prejudge the outcome of negotiations by calling for Israel to fully surrender those areas of Jerusalem that were illegally occupied by Jordan from 1948-1967.
America’s last two presidents refrained from calling for the redivision of Jerusalem, aware of how unpopular that option is with Israelis in general, and acknowledging that the current agreements between Israel and the Palestinians say that the future status of Jerusalem is a matter for bilateral negotiations.
The new Obama plan will also reportedly include a firm timetable for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state that will not be adversely affected by ongoing Palestinian violence.