Unquestionably, Jerusalem occupies a central place in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and consequently in the peace process. However, Israel is currently involved in manufacturing a new “physical definition” of the city in order to maximize its political gains in any final peace agreement.

Recent Israeli proposals to “grant” administrative responsibilities to the Palestinians over parts of the city is a short sighted and narrow vision of peace and stability for the region altogether.

First, a functional/municipal approach to the issue of Jerusalem is unacceptable. Second, the redefinition of Jerusalem’s boundaries cannot be accommodated in the context of any final agreement. Third, the annexation of Israeli settlements to the city is illegal. Fourth, the annexation of West Bank areas to the city as an alternative is illegal. Fifth, the reclassification of Jerusalem suburbs, such as Abu-Dis, as parts of the city is unacceptable. And finally, the introduction of a religious approach to the Old City is unacceptable.

Any just agreement on Jerusalem must be based firmly on the legal foundation dictated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, in which the boundaries of the city are clearly defined with reference to the Israeli occupation of 1967. Palestinians have political, historical, national, and, above all, legal rights to Jerusalem; history cannot be reinvented, let alone by narrowly conceived redefinitions of boundaries.