As a delegation of The Elders wrap up their current Middle East visit, delegation leader Mary Robinson said in Jerusalem on Thursday afternoon, according to their press release, that “Jerusalem lies at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and agreement on its future must also be at the heart of any solution. The changing ethnic and religious character of the city has regional and global implications. As Elders we try to bring hope, but I was shocked at the practices the Jerusalem authorities are being allowed to get away with. All kinds of clever methods are being used to surround and squeeze the Palestinian population – tunnels, settler houses, new roads, and now tourist attractions. A solution must be found that respects the human rights of all.”
Earlier, also according to the press release:
+ “The Elders met the Mayor of Jerusalem [Nir Barkat] to convey their concerns about settlement building in the city and the expansion of the King’s Garden Park [in Silwan]. Municipal services to the Palestinian neighbourhoods are extremely poor, with schools, water services and roads receiving a fraction of the investment of the rest of the city … [They] warned the Mayor that current planning policies are a serious obstacle to an Arab-Israeli peace agreement“.
+ “Representatives of the Palestinian-Arab citizens of Israel, who make up 20 per cent of the population, also met the Elders yesterday, and outlined the laws that discriminate against them as citizens. Former US President Jimmy Carter said: ‘As I said to the Speaker of the Knesset today, Israel’s treatment of its Arab citizens and other minorities is very disturbing. These people have not enjoyed equal social, economic and political rights for decades. Now there are more than twenty proposed new laws that would further erode their rights. I am particularly concerned about proposals to require non-Jews to pledge loyalty to Israel as a Jewish state. I do not see how such an oath can be consistent with the rights of Muslims, Christians and others who are not Jews. Israel is in danger of damaging its credibility as a democracy’.”
+ Ela Bhatt, one of The Elders, from India, a pioneer in women’s economic empowerment and non-violent resistance said: “The situation here seems much worse than when we were here last year. Tension is very high and there is a lack of mutual trust, but I appeal to people not to resort to violence. This does not mean being weak. Non-violent struggle requires great courage and may mean that some people are hurt or even lose their lives. I believe that creative civil disobedience, with clear goals, will ultimately be much more effective than violence. The key to success is self-reliance. Nothing will change unless people organise themselves and reduce dependency on others”…