The Knesset on Monday marked the 48th anniversary of the liberation of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War. "Our great love for the city mustn`t [stop] us from criticizing that which needs to be criticized and improved," Knesset Speaker Yuli- Yoel Edelstein said during the special plenary session, which was held with the participation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, designated Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Camp) and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, amongst others. "There is a lot of complex work that still needs to be done with regards to encouraging positive immigration to the city and developing workplaces, as well as fostering trust between the various publics and sectors." Edelstein said that the greatest challenge is preserving security in the capital. "The term `united Jerusalem` must not remain on paper alone; it cannot be only `de jure` sovereignty; there must be an actual expression – `de facto`," he told the plenum. Jerusalem, Edelstein added, has the potential to be a leader in fields such as biotechnology, research, high-tech and higher education. "I hope that out of concern for the city and its special status, we will grant it the necessary resources," he said. PM Netanyahu said "Jerusalem won't be divided again. It won't go back to being a frontier or a border town. This does not mean the unification is perfect. It doesn't mean that there are no problems; it doesn't mean that there aren't tasks [ahead of us]. There is a lot to perfect, and a lot to improve, but we will not go backwards." Addressing construction in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said "I have a clear position — we build in Jerusalem. We don't build to clash with the international community; we do this responsibly and judiciously because this is our natural right." The prime minister then turned to MK Herzog, saying, "This is an opportunity, my friend the head of the opposition, to clarify your position. During elections, you were quoted as saying, ‘I see Jerusalem serving as two political capitals — in East Jerusalem, the capital of the Palestinian state; and in the West, the capital of the Jewish state.' On the other hand, you also said during the elections that ‘I will keep Jerusalem unified,' and I think you have an opportunity here to tell us what your real position is." Herzog later responded in his address to the plenum, saying, "Jerusalem won't be divided again. Your ostrich policies are splitting Jerusalem. It is you who are putting a question mark around Jerusalem, and it's unfortunate that you put that question on the agenda." The prime minister also reiterated his statement on Sunday that Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people alone. "It must be emphasized that as a political center, as a national capital, Jerusalem was only our capital since the days of King David 3,000 years ago," the prime minister stated, adding that "other nations controlled it, but never made it their capital." "Anyone can figure out what will happen if we take the advice to disengage from [Jerusalem] or parts of it. We in the Middle East know what enters territory that is evacuated. What violence and barbarism." "The only thing that will ensure the free nature of Jerusalem, the freedom of worship, the liberalism, is Israeli sovereignty," he stated. MK Herzog said "Jerusalem will always be Israel`s great Hebrew capital city - diverse, vibrant, thriving, flourishing and growing, the focus of faith and the very heart of the Jewish people throughout history - past, present and future. War is war, and victory in the most successful campaign in which the city was unified there was a price. The road to achieving unity involved heroism and sacrifice, blood and bereavement." "Jerusalem is a city whose population is bi-national and beliefs differ," he continued. "It`s a city with a wide gap between east and west. It is very easy to declare and swear that we will have united Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel, but to make it really like that [...] these are insufficient declarations." "The reality is the unity is simulated, not real, very far from the biggest announcements," he claimed. "There is no dearth of those who add flash points of nationalist ideology, but they are in sharp contrast to the vision of peace and connection between parts of the city." Herzog said the main threat to Jerusalem`s unity is "nationalistic and religious zealotry." "This year we`ve witnessed vile terror attacks by those who are trying to harm the city`s unity by displaying hatred towards Israel and carrying out acts of terror. But on the Jewish side as well, there are those who try to undermine Jerusalem`s unity through their actions," Herzog told the plenum. Turning to PM Netanyahu, Herzog said: "There is broad national agreement in Israel, almost complete, that Jerusalem the capital of Israel will never be separated or divided again. There are cross-party red lines regarding Jerusalem. But does this mean that it will remain a political bone of contention forever? Will it become a stumbling block in the relations with Arab countries whose positions and sensitivity you are aware of? Does this mean that Jerusalem is destined to remain a separated and conflicted city? Heaven forfend!" "The missed opportunities until now do not absolve us of our duty to stubbornly and persistently pursue peace."
