JERUSALEM (AP) — Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat says any partition of the city as part of a future peace agreement will not work, insisting only a united city could function and thrive.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press Tuesday, Barkat says his administration has treated the city’s Arab residents honestly and equally and even they oppose partition.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators recently resumed peace negotiations after a five-year lull. The Palestinians demand the eastern sector of the city as their future capital and consider any Israeli construction there illegal settlements that hinder the prospect of peace. Arabs make up about a third of Jerusalem’s 800,000 residents.
Barkat said a partition should be off the table: “It will never function, it will never work. It is a bad deal.”
Source: Associated Press
