House Speaker Newt Gingrich may inject himself into the explosive politics of Jerusalem with a high-profile visit to the contested site of a proposed new U.S. Embassy in the Holy City.
Chief Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat warned Wednesday that Gingrich’s symbolic gesture could spark new violence in Israel and appealed for him to reconsider.
“I’m not sure how many votes (from pro-Israel Americans) he will win for this, but he may be counting body bags, I’m sure. . . . It will have grave repercussions,” Erekat said in an interview.
Gingrich (R-Ga.) announced earlier this week at a rally on the Capitol steps that when he and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) visit Israel next week to participate in 50th anniversary celebrations, they will visit the proposed site of the new United States Embassy.
Gephardt says he plans to join Gingrich in the event after receiving assurances that, contrary to reports circulating in Jerusalem, it will not involve a ceremonial cornerstone-laying or groundbreaking.
“It’s just supposed to be a press conference,” said Erik Smith, a Gephardt spokesman. “We’ve heard rumors about laying a cornerstone. The speaker’s office has told us that’s not true.”
The prospect of the visit has been the topic of intense discussion in some quarters of Washington and Israel, and especially in the West Bank.
Gingrich insists the visit is entirely in keeping with U.S. policy and appropriate during the celebration of 50 years of Israel’s statehood.
“And we will declare that not just in honor of the first 50 years, but in preparation for the next 50 years, the time has come to break the ground, build the building and accept that self-determination means the people of Israel get to define where their government sits, and the people of Israel get to ask where our ambassador should be,” Gingrich declared. “And they have chosen Jerusalem, and we should be appropriately responsive.”
President Clinton has put off a congressional push to move the U.S. Embassy by 1999 from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is claimed by both Israel and the PLO as their capital, pending negotiations on a final settlement in peace talks.
U.S.-sponsored Mideast peacemaking has been stalemated for 14 months, and the sensitivity of the Jerusalem issue raises fierce passions, prompting Erekat to warn that even calling attention to a possible change in the status quo of the Holy City could spark Palestinian riots.
“It’s against the peace process, and I believe if he does that he will be inviting lots of bloodshed in this area,” Erekat said.
Erekat’s appeal comes against the backdrop of bloodshed a year ago when Congress staked out a position.
Last June 10, the House focused attention on the sensitive issue of Jerusalem–holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians–by voting 406-17 on a non-binding resolution endorsing an “undivided” Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and calling on Clinton to do the same. It was followed with a House vote the next day to authorize $100 million to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. The votes sparked violence in the Palestinian territories and outrage throughout the Arab world.
Gingrich’s plan to visit the site and declare his support for the Embassy transfer could magnify the frustrations among Palestinians over the deadlock in peace negotiations. Still, informed of Erekat’s warning Wednesday, a spokesman for Gingrich in Washington reiterated the Speaker’s intention to go to the site to declare his support for the move.
“Why would a Palestinian threaten bloodshed over a peaceful visit?” asked Gingrich’s press secretary, Christina Martin. “Why must Palestinians threaten violence instead of talking matters through?”
However, Erekat insisted, “This is not a threat. We cannot make threats. We just know things will get out of hand. . . .
“The U.S. policy toward Jerusalem is that it is an issue to be decided in the final-status talks. I don’t think Mr. Gingrich should negotiate on behalf of the U.S. and decide to have a fait accompli on unilateral actions.”
After weeks of unsuccessful Clinton administration efforts to get Israel’s government to agree to hand over an additional 13 percent of West Bank land to the Palestinians, Gingrich and other Republican leaders on Capitol Hill have launched a new round of criticism of U.S. policy in the Mideast, saying officials are trying to dictate Israel’s security needs.
Israeli government spokesman Moshe Fogel called Gingrich a “friend of Israel” who has “excellent relations” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Fogel restated Israel’s view that it would welcome the move of the American Embassy to Jerusalem, whenever it occurs.
He also condemned Erekat’s remarks, noting: “It’s exactly those types of threats of violence that are so disturbing in such a peace process. The Palestinians want the fruits and benefits of concessions by Israel in the context of a peace process, but anytime they don’t like what’s happening they want to wield this sort of violence.”
