Jerusalem will seal the fate of the current peace negotiations. Jews and Arabs must square the circle and recognize the legitimate demands of each side in order to clinch a genuine peace agreement. Is doing so a geometrical impossibility or can Jerusalem transcend the limits of political geometry?

In order to explore the avenues that could lead to peace, it is essential to empathize with the aspirations of both Jews and Palestinians. What do Arabs expect from the negotiations over Jerusalem? They expect access to Muslim and Christian holy sites, sovereignty over Arab East Jerusalem and the recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state. What do Jews demand in exchange? They demand a peace agreement that does not pave the way for snipers to shoot at Jews across the Kidron Valley.

The Gordian knot negotiators need to tackle is reconciling Arab sovereignty aspirations with Jewish security rights. This political aporia can only be solved by looking beyond the bounds of European political convention. Although there are good reasons to oppose a Palestinian militarization of east Jerusalem, there is no reason Arabs in east Jerusalem should be ruled by Israeli laws. Should it thus not be possible to agree that European Union – or United Nations-led security forces enforce Palestinian laws in east Jerusalem?

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