The Importance of East Jerusalem in the Middle East

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I was involved in negotiations led by President Bush and Tony Blair which led to the 2002 roadmap. I also greatly applaud the efforts made by Erhard Olmert when he was prime minister. Any resolution will inevitably involve concessions by both sides, but one critical issue in those negotiations will have to be the status of Jerusalem. The condition in which many Palestinians have to live is an affront to any concept we all share of human dignity.

Many of Israel's supporters, including Donald Trump, claim Jerusalem should be recognised as the country's capital city. After all, it has been the Jewish people's spiritual capital for millennia. But will recognising Jerusalem be the death blow for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process? Arguing in favour of the motion "The World Should Recognise Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital" were Ehud Omert, former Israeli Prime Minister; and Natasha Hausdorff, barrister at Six Pump Court Chambers and a director of the NGO ‘UK Lawyers for Israel’. Against them were former UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and leading Palestinian activist, academic and writer Ghada Karmi. The debate was chaired by Emily Maitlis, presenter of BBC Newsnight and one of the UK's best known broadcasters.

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