Dovish groups team up to oppose ‘unilateral actions” in Jerusalem

Five left-leaning pro-Israel organizations have teamed up to release a statement on Jerusalem that backs the Obama administration’s opposition to "unilateral actions" in the city and criticizes others for not sticking to "facts and law" when making arguments about Israeli construction there.

The statement from Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, Meretz USA, and J Street says that "issues of borders and sovereignty related to Jerusalem should be determined through negotiations in the context of a regional, comprehensive resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict" and "unilateral actions that inflame tensions, impair negotiations and make the ultimate resolution of issues surrounding Jerusalem more difficult, are unhelpful and should be avoided at this particularly sensitive moment" — adding that they support the Obama administration’s policy on this issue.

The statement comes a week and a half after the United States asked Israel not to continue with plans to build 20 apartments for Jewish residence in Sheik Jarrah, a neighborhood considered the heart of Palestinian culture in eastern Jerusalem.

The five organizations also slammed those who have defended Israel’s right to build in the area. urging that "those who choose to enter the debate on Jerusalem do so carefully and with arguments based on facts and law – not ideology. For instance, it is a matter of law and of fact that Arab residents of East Jerusalem do not have the right to purchase state-owned property in West Jerusalem – and the overwhelming majority of all land in Israel is state- owned. Claims that somehow Jerusalem’s Arab residents currently have the same rights to live where they choose as Jewish residents are simply untrue and provide an inaccurate picture of a city that remains divided based on ethnicity, religion and geography."

The statement appears to be somewhat of a response to a statement issued last week by the Conference of Presidents on the Jerusalem issue. The statement said that the organization found "disturbing the objections raised to the proposed construction of residential units on property that was legally purchased and approved by the appropriate authorities" and said that "the United States has in the past and recently raised objections to the removal of illegal structures built by Arabs in eastern Jerusalem even though they were built in violation of zoning and other requirements often on usurped land."

Americans for Peace Now and Ameinu are members of the conference but say they were not consulted about that statement.

The full statement is after the jump:[[READMORE]]

Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, Meretz USA, and J Street released the following statement on the Obama Administration’s policy on Jerusalem today:

We are Jewish American organizations who have a deep and abiding connection to Jerusalem and believe that Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of the state of Israel.

Along with 76 percent of Jewish Americans, we support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, believing it is an essential interest of Israel’s as well as of the United States.

Jerusalem is perhaps the most sensitive final status issue that will have to be resolved. We believe that issues of borders and sovereignty related to Jerusalem should be determined through negotiations in the context of a regional, comprehensive resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Unilateral actions that inflame tensions, impair negotiations and make the ultimate resolution of issues surrounding Jerusalem more difficult, are unhelpful and should be avoided at this particularly sensitive moment.

We support the Obama administration’s effort to move quickly toward a comprehensive, regional resolution to the conflict, its call on all sides to take steps that move in the direction of peace, and its opposition to unilateral actions that make resolution more difficult.

Finally, we urge those who choose to enter the debate on Jerusalem do so carefully and with arguments based on facts and law – not ideology. For instance, it is a matter of law and of fact that Arab residents of East Jerusalem do not have the right to purchase state-owned property in West Jerusalem – and the overwhelming majority of all land in Israel is state- owned. Claims that somehow Jerusalem’s Arab residents currently have the same rights to live where they choose as Jewish residents are simply untrue and provide an inaccurate picture of a city that remains divided based on ethnicity, religion and geography.