Mayor Kollek, Palestinian Activist Discuss Status of Jerusalem

JERUSALEM —  A secret, first meeting between Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek and Palestinian activist leader Faisal Husseini was disclosed here Friday.

The two men held a cordial discussion Monday under the auspices of a Hebrew-language Jerusalem weekly, on condition that the meeting not be made public immediately. Their conversation was published Friday.

Both Kollek and Husseini stressed that the conversation was in no way a “negotiation,” but both had proposals to make on touchy Israeli-Palestinian issues.

During the meeting, Kollek, mayor for the past 25 years, insisted on maintaining the unity of the capital, which has been racked by turmoil since the beginning of the Palestinian uprising three years ago.

Husseini, who has been jailed by the Israelis for his suspected activities with the Palestine Liberation Organization, proposed the establishment of two capitals--one Palestinian, one Israeli, both in Jerusalem.

“I can see even two municipalities and one umbrella municipality,” said Husseini, envisioning a Palestinian capital on the east side of Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan during the 1967 Middle East War, and an Israeli capital on the west side.

According to political sources, this was the first time a prominent Palestinian had raised the possibility of joint rule in Jerusalem.

Kollek said during the meeting that “I personally recognize that the Palestinians are a people.”

But he disagreed with the concept of neighboring capitals, saying, “I don’t believe in the idea that in one city there could be two capitals, because it would mean a frontier--a customs frontier, a police frontier, different laws, different prosecutions.

“And the city would in no time be divided as it was before. So it can’t be.

“I don’t believe that any divided city can function.”

Kollek indicated that the continued occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is draining Israel, adding, “I don’t want to be part of ruling 1,600,000 Arabs.”

But he added, “We cannot give up Jerusalem.”

The question of Jerusalem is among the knottiest in Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Jerusalem remained divided after the 1948 war of independence, but Israel annexed Arab East Jerusalem after taking it in 1967.

The Palestinians insist that East Jerusalem must be the capital of any future Palestinian state. Israelis maintain that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of the Jewish state.

During the talks, Kollek urged Palestinians to take part in civic projects, while Husseini said such activity would be tantamount to recognizing Israeli rule.

Despite the seriousness and sharpness of the issues, both men were polite. The conversation, moderated by Israeli journalist Danny Rubenstein, began on a humorous note:

Rubenstein: I shall conduct this meeting in English.

Kollek: Mr. Husseini’s English is perfect, isn’t it?

Husseini: I don’t know if it’s perfect or not. Sometimes it’s perfect, sometimes not.

Rubenstein: But his Hebrew is perfect.

Kollek: Mine isn’t.