Jerusalem Watch: Benjamin Netanyahu’s Address

#5Last week, three of our staff members attended the Interdisciplinary Center’s eighth annual World Summit on Counter-Terrorism. For four days, leading decision makers, businessmen, government representatives, academics and security service personnel from all over the world gathered in Herzliya, Israel, to discuss the challenges the West faces in countering the global spread of terrorism. Conference organizers scheduled the event to coincide with the seventh anniversary of 9/11.

We have attached excerpts from two speeches given at the conference. The first two clips are from Likud Chairman and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who kicked off the conference Monday night, September 8, as one of the keynote speakers. The other clip is from a speech given the following day by U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, who is a Democratic congressman from the state of Washington.

For more about the conference, read Friday’s column, “Iraqi MP: ‘This is Not the Time to Give Up.’”

Are Negotiators Discussing Jerusalem?

In other news from Jerusalem, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Thursday he intends to resign as soon as Kadima picks his successor. He will, however, remain in power as long as it takes the Kadima head to form a new coalition. If his successor is unable to do that, it would force a general election. According to one poll, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is leading by a solid 15 percent margin over Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz. The Kadima vote is scheduled for this Wednesday.

Also last Thursday, the U.S. Consul General Jacob Walles reportedly made a comment picked up by a Palestinian daily indicating that the division of Jerusalem was currently being discussed with negotiators. The leak angered many Kadima members, who have been led to believe that Jerusalem would be left till the end of negotiations over a Palestinian state existing side by side with Israel. Prime Minister Olmert said the report was untrue, but he also believes there is still a chance for a final status agreement to be in place by the end of the year.