Word: palestinians
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...been at the center of rare diplomatic brawl between Israel and the U.S. But even as the Obama Administration and the Israeli government square off over demands that Israel refrain from announcing new construction projects in occupied East Jerusalem, the tussle as Israel extends its grip and Palestinians push back is a flashpoint. "The tinder is dry in Jerusalem," says one Western diplomat. "Israeli moves on the ground have been a source of tension, and Palestinian side is heating up the atmosphere as well. It's unwise to predict an explosion, by the slightest spark could cause...
...Jerusalem is just one of a number of difficult "final status" issues to be negotiated in pursuit of a two-state solution - others include where to draw the borders; the fate of settlers and of Palestinian refugees who fled their homes in Israel in 1948 and were barred from returning; security; and water rights. But the fate of the Holy City is easily the most emotive, and perhaps also the most intractable point of conflict. And the very process of trying to restart final-status talks has once again put Jerusalem at ground zero in the conflict. (See pictures...
...grip on the city are slated to be finished by 2020, the policies, infrastructure and bureaucratic momentum are already in place to such an extent that if the Obama Administration fails to restrain the Israeli government now, there may never be another chance to share the city with a Palestinian state, according to prominent Jerusalem lawyer and peace activist Daniel Seidemann. "The window is closing fast," he says. "The Obama Administration hasn't blinked yet. If they do, they can pick another regional conflict to solve, because they are not going to solve this one." (See pictures of life...
...Palestinian Islamist parties, in turn, have been raising the temperature by calling on young men to turn out in force to "protect" the Muslim sites, claiming that the Israelis are trying to take control of the iconic al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock. Such gatherings have often turned into riots, with mobs throwing stones at nearby Israelis and tourists. The city's police, invariably, have been caught in the middle, trying to prevent flare-ups and casualties that could spark new rounds of violence. To do so, the police block access to prayers at the Muslim holy sites...
...Netanyahu insists that Israel is ready to resume direct negotiations, and blames Palestinian demands for a complete settlement freeze for creating an impasse. But his stance on Jerusalem may have simply reinforced the Palestinian leadership's argument that no deal can be done with the current Israeli government. (Of course, the Israelis might counter that the current Palestinian leadership with which it is being asked to negotiate has questionable political authority over its own people.) Still, the Obama Administration appears inclined to force Netanyahu to make a choice between pursuing a peace process whose contours "everybody knows" - to borrow...