Jerusalem will be divided in Trump plan, report says

The U.S. plan “in essence, divides Jerusalem and changes its borders,” Israel Hayom reports.

By World Israel News Staff

Another report has emerged on the details of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. American officials have said that the plan will be made public right after next month’s Knesset election.

At the center of the report by Nadav Shragai, published in Israel Hayom, is the status of Jerusalem under the terms of the U.S. plan.

When Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017, he stated that his declaration did not relate to what the final boundaries of the city would be. Indeed, his peace plan “in essence, divides Jerusalem and changes its borders,” says the report, although no source is mentioned.

Shragai reports that “portions and ideas” from the plan have already been presented to Israel, the Palestinians, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt.

Certain northern sections of the current Jerusalem municipal boundaries, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, but where an Arab village and refugee camp are located, would be transferred to a Palestinian state, along with Arab neighborhoods in southern Jerusalem captured in the same war.

At least at the first stage of implementation, Israel would maintain “broad security powers” in the areas handed over to the Palestinians, says the paper, adding that 85% of Judea and Samaria would be included in the Palestinian state, as well.

In its plan, the report continues, the U.S. administration distinguishes between the areas of “former Jordanian Jerusalem” before the ’67 war, which includes the Old City and adjacent neighborhoods, and a far larger swathe of territory which Israel annexed into its capital after the war but which had not been included within the municipal lines before that point.

The Old City and adjacent areas, including the Mount of Olives, would remain under Israeli sovereignty, according to the report. However, some of the outlying Arab neighborhoods, which became part of Jerusalem only after the ’67 conflict, would be included in the Palestinian state.

The Western Wall would remain under exclusive Israeli control.

Regarding the Temple Mount, the Americans wished to consider the establishment of a joint inter-Arab religious administration which would include other states, in addition to Jordan which currently serves as patron of the Muslim holy sites. This administration would work in tandem with Israel, according to the reported plan, and the area would remain under Israeli sovereignty.

A safe passage route would be set up between the “Palestinian” part of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

The Palestinian Authority rejects the Trump plan outright, the report says.