Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister that many in our current administration love to hate, has come out emphatically in support of an undivided Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel. Contrary to the desires of the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their intended independent state, Netanyahu's remarks send a strong signal that Jerusalem will not be any sort of bargaining chip in future negotiations with the Palestinians. Interestingly, the Israeli Prime Minister used Sacred Scripture to bolster Israel's eternal claim to the holy city. In the course of his comments he stated that Jerusalem is mentioned 850 times in the core canon of Hebrew Scripture (the Old Testament). And while it appears 142 times in the Christian New Testament, not one of the 16 Arabic names for Jerusalem appears at all in the Koran. This, of course, is Netanyahu's response to Muslims who claim Jerusalem as their third holiest site.
It's all very interesting, and I suspect these comments have already had an impact on those in the Obama administration who tend to support the Palestinians over Israel. I'm curious to see what kind of reaction they will provide.
Here are links to two separate stories covering Netanyahu's remarks, one from Reuters and another from the Jerusalem Post:
Reuters -- Natanyahu Turns to Bible in Tussle over Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post -- Netanyahu: We Will Never Divide Jerusalem
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