Ministers okay bill mandating two-thirds majority for dividing Jerusalem

Bibi’s Ministers approved this. Is this indicative of the Cabinet’s will as a whole? This Bill even prevents negotiating the division. Now that’s how to create a red line. Better still passage would effectively take Jerusalem off the table. Ted Belman

By LAHAV HARKOV, JPOST

A bill requiring a two-thirds majority in the Knesset for negotiations to divide Jerusalem was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation Sunday.

The proposal, by MK Ya’acov Litzman (UTJ), was brought back to a vote after Justice Minister Tzipi Livni appealed it in October.

Litzman’s bill mandates that 80 MKs are necessary to authorize any negotiations with the Palestinians on whether to give up any part of Jerusalem.

Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On said “the vote reveals the true face of the Netanyahu government, which is committed to an ideology of the complete Land of Israel and wants to sabotage any future peace treaty.”

“The Netanyahu government sends Livni to negotiate, but at the same time allows the Knesset to put in preconditions that torpedo any possibility of negotiating on Jerusalem. Even the Netanyahu government knows that there won’t be an agreement without dividing sovereignty in Jerusalem. Therefore, supporting this bill goes against logic and allowing the government to negotiate on anything,” Gal-On stated.

Litzman declined comment Sunday.

In October, after appealing the bill when it was first approved by the Ministerial Committee, Livni said that responsible ministers must allow the government to make policies before they reach the Knesset.

“Members of the coalition are ruining the ability of Israel to make diplomatic decisions and saying the government shouldn’t deal with security concerns out of some kind of populism,” she said incredulously. “Do they want the government to defend our interests, including Jerusalem, or do they want to lead us all to chaos?” Livni emphasized at a Hatnua faction meeting that “no one can teach us about Jerusalem and no one loves Jerusalem more than us. Jerusalem isn’t a haredi or religious matter, it is a deep, national one.”

December 16, 2013 | 19 Comments »

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19 Comments / 19 Comments

  1. yamit82 Said:

    Democracy based on one person one vote for Israel is the worst of all possible forms of governance.

    In marriage too, “Wives should be subject to their husbands”. Did your cats survive the storm?

  2. Since the existing law re: Jerusalem and Golan that were annexed is not what we call basic Law (Akin) to and with the status of constitutional law which would require a super-majority of 75% of the knesset the current laws are regular laws requiring only a simple majority to amend or rescind. Rather than referendum why not make the Jerusalem and Golan laws basic laws requiring a Super-Majority??? Only if it fails to become law would a referendum come into play.

    A Super-majority is necessary to negate the 100% Arab vote in favor of ceding Land and Jerusalem for Peace. They should be barred from any such vote as they are not loyal citizens and in fact traitors to the Jewish State. No Arab should have a voice in determining the national character or political future of any part or portion of the Jewish State….. Here we have an example why Democracy based on one person one vote for Israel is the worst of all possible forms of governance.

  3. @ bernard ross:
    Petitioned The President of the United States

    Help pre-empt the internationalization of Jerusalem!

    On June 3rd, Obama’s favorite think tank, the Center for American Progress, released a report recommending that Israel cede its full control of Jerusalem’s sovereignty to an international peacekeeping body. On July 1st, at the online forum for Middle East Strategy at Obama’s alma mater, Harvard, Professor Michael Barnett agreed and explicitly suggested handing over those areas currently controlled by the PA and the Israeli military to the UN. It seems fairly clear that Obama will soon follow this precedent and pressure Israel to either divide or internationalize Jerusalem.

    We must act now to preempt UN governance over Jerusalem!

  4. @ bernard ross:
    Petitioned The President of the United States

    Help pre-empt the internationalization of Jerusalem!

    On June 3rd, Obama’s favorite think tank, the Center for American Progress, released a report recommending that Israel cede its full control of Jerusalem’s sovereignty to an international peacekeeping body. On July 1st, at the online forum for Middle East Strategy at Obama’s alma mater, Harvard, Professor Michael Barnett agreed and explicitly suggested handing over those areas currently controlled by the PA and the Israeli military to the UN. It seems fairly clear that Obama will soon follow this precedent and pressure Israel to either divide or internationalize Jerusalem.

    We must act now to preempt UN governance over Jerusalem!

    The UN is a morally bankrupt institution with automatic majorities for the most ridiculous preferences of dictatorial Third World states. Moreover, for decades the UN has shown an entrenched anti-Israel bias, singling out Israel for every type of abuse. It was the UN that declared Zionism, the Jewish national movement, to be racist, and it is the UN that hosts anti-Semitic Durban-type conferences that annually adopt hundreds of anti-Israeli resolutions.

    Additionally, the UN is hardly so effective an organization that it can issue credible security assurances. The UN peacekeeping record is very flawed. In the Arab-Israeli arena, the UN forces have played a particularly dysfunctional role. Will they fight Hamas? The recommendation to place the security of Israelis in the hands of the blue helmets vastly overestimates what the UN can do, and shows disregard for the welfare of Israelis who face Palestinian hatred and terrorism.

    In conclusion, the belief that a UN trusteeship would bring law and order, prosperity, and political stability to the Palestinians is divorced from Middle East realities. The Palestinians are beleaguered by problems similar to those that haunt other Arab societies, such as in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Somalia. The UN is hardly the remedy for the emerging failed states in the Arab world. Neither UN administrators nor generous outside funding can save the Palestinians from their problems.

    According to Onejerusalem.org, which has thus far been on target in terms of predicting Obama’s middle east policy-the idea of the U.S. stripping Jerusalem from the State of Israel is a very real threat. They are confident this idea will be part of a comprehensive peace plan the Obama Administration will try to impose this fall…unless we can stop them!

    Sign the petition by filling out your contact information and address in the yellow spaces to the right of the letter below, and the Change.org system will automatically send the letter below (which you can edit if you wish) to the President and your senators and representatives.

  5. yamit82 Said:

    The corpus separatum in Resolutions 181 and 194

    Who came up with that stupid idea. I can imagine the Southern Baptist embracing that resolution.

  6. @ bernard ross:
    Obama Insinuates Internationalization of Jerusalem
    United States President Barack Obama referred to Jerusalem as the “secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims” in an address
    Thursday, June 4,2009 08:08

    United States President Barack Obama referred to Jerusalem as the “secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims” in an address to the Muslim world Thursday.
    Obama said the world had a responsibility “to work for the day when… Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together.”
    The ambiguous comment, made during an extensive speech at Cairo University, was interpreted by many as a call for the internationalization of Jerusalem.
    Obama said the Palestinians had “endured the pain of dislocation” for more than 60 years and must “endure the daily humiliations – large and small – that come with occupation.”
    “The situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable,” he said, adding that the U.S. would not “turn our backs” on the Palestinian “aspiration” for statehood.
    Obama directly called on Israel to “acknowledge” the right of the Palestinian people to have a state and “stop” the construction of Jewish communities in the territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
    While the wording was sharp and forceful, Obama did not unveil his plan for Israel to make peace with the Arab world. The White House has indicated that this has been pushed off for a different venue.

  7. bernard ross Said:

    U.S. PLAN GIVES JERUSALEM HOLY SITES TO VATICAN. International mandate to control sections of Israel’s capital

    This is an updated version of the partition plan for the internationalization of Jerusalem: The corpus separatum in Resolutions 181 and 194

    Netanyahu: Obama Will Try to Internationalize Jerusalem Sites

    Likud chairman MK Binyamin Netanyahu warns incoming US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will try to internationalize holy sites in Jerusalem.

    Obama Insinuates Internationalization of Jerusalem
    United States President Barack Obama referred to Jerusalem as the “secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims” in an address
    Thursday, June 4,2009 08:08

    United States President Barack Obama referred to Jerusalem as the “secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims” in an address to the Muslim world Thursday.
    Obama said the world had a responsibility “to work for the day when… Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together.”
    The ambiguous comment, made during an extensive speech at Cairo University, was interpreted by many as a call for the internationalization of Jerusalem.
    Obama said the Palestinians had “endured the pain of dislocation” for more than 60 years and must “endure the daily humiliations – large and small – that come with occupation.”
    “The situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable,” he said, adding that the U.S. would not “turn our backs” on the Palestinian “aspiration” for statehood.
    Obama directly called on Israel to “acknowledge” the right of the Palestinian people to have a state and “stop” the construction of Jewish communities in the territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
    While the wording was sharp and forceful, Obama did not unveil his plan for Israel to make peace with the Arab world. The White House has indicated that this has been pushed off for a different venue.

    Petitioned The President of the United States

    Help pre-empt the internationalization of Jerusalem!

    On June 3rd, Obama’s favorite think tank, the Center for American Progress, released a report recommending that Israel cede its full control of Jerusalem’s sovereignty to an international peacekeeping body. On July 1st, at the online forum for Middle East Strategy at Obama’s alma mater, Harvard, Professor Michael Barnett agreed and explicitly suggested handing over those areas currently controlled by the PA and the Israeli military to the UN. It seems fairly clear that Obama will soon follow this precedent and pressure Israel to either divide or internationalize Jerusalem.

    We must act now to preempt UN governance over Jerusalem!

    The UN is a morally bankrupt institution with automatic majorities for the most ridiculous preferences of dictatorial Third World states. Moreover, for decades the UN has shown an entrenched anti-Israel bias, singling out Israel for every type of abuse. It was the UN that declared Zionism, the Jewish national movement, to be racist, and it is the UN that hosts anti-Semitic Durban-type conferences that annually adopt hundreds of anti-Israeli resolutions.

    Additionally, the UN is hardly so effective an organization that it can issue credible security assurances. The UN peacekeeping record is very flawed. In the Arab-Israeli arena, the UN forces have played a particularly dysfunctional role. Will they fight Hamas? The recommendation to place the security of Israelis in the hands of the blue helmets vastly overestimates what the UN can do, and shows disregard for the welfare of Israelis who face Palestinian hatred and terrorism.

    In conclusion, the belief that a UN trusteeship would bring law and order, prosperity, and political stability to the Palestinians is divorced from Middle East realities. The Palestinians are beleaguered by problems similar to those that haunt other Arab societies, such as in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Somalia. The UN is hardly the remedy for the emerging failed states in the Arab world. Neither UN administrators nor generous outside funding can save the Palestinians from their problems.

    According to Onejerusalem.org, which has thus far been on target in terms of predicting Obama’s middle east policy-the idea of the U.S. stripping Jerusalem from the State of Israel is a very real threat. They are confident this idea will be part of a comprehensive peace plan the Obama Administration will try to impose this fall…unless we can stop them!

    Sign the petition by filling out your contact information and address in the yellow spaces to the right of the letter below, and the Change.org system will automatically send the letter below (which you can edit if you wish) to the President and your senators and representatives.

  8. Actually – and Ted knows the US Constitution – a 3/4s supermajority is necessary to ratify an amendment.

    A 3/4s supermajority is more appropriate to surrender Jerusalem.

  9. “Members of the coalition are ruining the ability of Israel to make diplomatic decisions and saying the government shouldn’t deal with security concerns out of some kind of populism,” she said incredulously. “Do they want the government to defend our interests, including Jerusalem, or do they want to lead us all to chaos?” Livni emphasized at a Hatnua faction meeting that “no one can teach us about Jerusalem and no one loves Jerusalem more than us. Jerusalem isn’t a haredi or religious matter, it is a deep, national one.”

    Really? Is that why you want to surrender Jerusalem to your genocidal enemies?

  10. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni appealed it in October.

    What does “appealed” mean? Does it cause a bill to die? OR does it go to a decision of Livni’s associates on the leftist Supreme Court? As time moves forward the question of why BB appointed Livni appears more and more relevant. Perhaps she was appointed to quash any movement on the right that contradicts the foreign touted settlement plan. Her 2 portfolios appear to cover all bases for that assignment.

    Even the Netanyahu government knows that there won’t be an agreement without dividing sovereignty in Jerusalem.

    did they ever imagine the concept of NOT reaching an agreement? An agreement is the meeting of the minds not the capitulation of one party. This show that the left will take an agreement at any price. Even a used car salesman is aware that the buyer may refuse to pay the price and an agreement might not be reached. In the case of this conflict NOT reaching an agreement is a sign of sanity.
    Does the assignment of a sovereign diplomatic compound qualify as dividing Jerusalem?

  11. You can’t turn a person into a math teacher if they don’t know math and you can’t turn the Palestinians into a peace partner if they don’t even understand the concept of peace amongst themselves.

    Exactly. Does anyone remember the fable of the scorpion and the frog? Making peace in the case of the “palestinians” is simply not in the nature of the beast.

  12. Gal-on says the Israeli government is not a government “which is committed to an ideology of the complete Land of Israel”- That’s right, it also means it’s not committed to an ideology of giving up rightful land for the sake of committing suicide. Does she really believe such an incredibly irresponsible deal of again giving away more land for peace again this time to create another enclave of Palestinian hate in the heartland of the country will work? why, if she’s so concerned about Israel, does she place the blame, which is what she’s doing, on Isreali intransigience. I have to ask her a question- how can the so-called Palestinian people make peace with us, which some of us actually believe they don’t like us to much, when they haven’t master the concept of peace amongst themselves. How are they magically going to “make peace” with us when they are busy killing each other. Reeducation since Olso has gone in the opposite direction of preparing them for peace. If you just give them the land, -our land- our Jewish land- that will really bring peace. How? It’s not like they don’t have a track record. And I’ll make another analogy based outside the realm of politics but I believe makes the same point. You can’t turn a person into a math teacher if they don’t know math and you can’t turn the Palestinians into a peace partner if they don’t even understand the concept of peace amongst themselves. All of a sudden that’s going to change? Why doesn’t Gal-on say, at least, if she were in touch with reality, that the Palestinians are not ready for peace yet and at least be somewhat honest. How can she really believe she has Israel’s best interest’s at heart when she’s apparently willing to make any deal at any cost, present and future, just for the sake of making a deal. And why doesn’t she criticize the Palestinians for not abiding by previous agreements- including Oslo. What makes the carrying through and enforcement of any future deal, as ideal as she may think it is, any more secure or reasonable than before. Way back when (Oslo), the Palestinians agreed to change their charter calling for the destruction of Israel? Have they done even that?- something they did agree on- NO. Why not? and that takes a lot less effort than anything we’ve ever done. The idea that she places the blame on the government or that by criticizing the requirement for a referendum says that in her mind the negotiations are over and Jerusalem should be divided And you can’t make peace with anybody if their basic premiss is not to agree to any end-of-conflict agreement agreement.

  13. Such an agreement should also receive the consent of the city’s inhabitants in a referendum.

    Given how weak Israel’s governments have been, making it impossible to redivide Jerusalem keeps the Jewish heart whole and strong.

    Israel without Jerusalem is like a man without a heart.