Blair, Catholicism and Government House Jerusalem

Having been accepted in to the Catholic Church last month, the Quartet’s representative approach will be to follow the Vatican’s stance on Jerusalem, rather than that of an impartial interlocker. The Quartet, comprising of the USA, Russia, EU and UN, by virtue of its composition certainly cannot be considered an impartial neutral international body but one whose ultimate objective is to serve their economic masters, namely the major oil producing countries, followed in close proximity by those of the church.
When UK Prime Minister, Blair’s foreign policy with regard to the status of Jerusalem was that of the 1947 Corpus Separandum, to internationalize the city. Lest it be forgotten that when this failed to materialize in 1948 and the city was split between Israel and Jordan, only the UK and Pakistan recognized the Jordanian occupation. At the same time the UN attempted to give lip service to the Corpus Separandum by illegally occupying Government House (under the guise of it becoming UNTSO HQ) in a so called "No mans land" overlooking the City as if to send us a subtle message.
Initially, the UK as the Mandatory Authority on behalf of the League of Nations established its Government House to serve as the headquarters for the British high commissioner to Palestine in the Augustus Victoria Complex. In 1931 Government House moved to a purpose built elegant white sandstone chateau located in a 16-acre compound strategically located on a hilltop overlooking the Old City where this colonial edifice was hidden among pines and cypresses. The structure, built in an octagonal shape of locally quarried stone, was designed by architects A. Harrison and C. Holliday. Under its Arab-style roof domes are banqueting halls, while landscaped gardens offer views across to the Old City of Jerusalem and a well-appointed penthouse apartment in the impressive main tower crowns the entire structure. The unusual shape seems to have been a favorite of the architects. It is evident in the private apartment of the high commissioner as well as in the fountain – similar to those found in North African palaces – in the formal garden. Other distinguishing features of the building are its domes, interior arches, crossed vaults and a monumental four-meter high ceramic fireplace of Armenian tiles created by David Ohanessian. Clearly it was the British intention never to implement the purpose of the Mandate otherwise it would not have been built with Arab features. Opened in Sir Arthur Wauchope, the then High Commissioner for Palestine, it served as the residence of a number of British high commissioners.
The British Military Headquarters was located in the King David Hotel facing the Old City walls, located on the "Inner Parkway", subsequently Julian’s Way. The land was purchased from the Greek Orthodox Church in 1928 for $150,000. The hotel was built in 1929 at the height of the Arab riots and the Hebron massacre. Over 87 percent of the workforce were Jewish. The hotel being opened in January 1931. In 1939 the British Army expropriated 40 rooms and 17 offices on the top floor and subsequently established it as their headquarters. Of course this was several kilometers north from Government House.
At the termination of the Mandate on May 15, 1948, the Union Jack was lowered from the roof of the King David. The British High Commissioner Sir Alan Cunningham had left Jerusalem the day before. As fighting between Jews and Arabs broke out in the city, the hotel was turned into the Red Cross headquarters. The hotel's manager succeeded in reaching an agreement between the nascent Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Jordanian Arab Legion (under its British Commander Glub) to declare the King David a demilitarized zone. However, this was not respected due to its vital location and the hotel once again remained in the battle zone, and the Red Cross who had taken over the building subsequently evacuated the building and it was taken over by the United Nations. However whilst the UN flag flew from the hotel’s flagpole, the hotel still remained in the firing line.
In the meantime, the Red Cross relocated to the abandoned Government House and due to the former’s presence it was considered a demilitarized zone, just like the King David. However, the complex was found unsuitable for the Red Cross purposes and it relocated. As with the King David Hotel, the UN followed on the heels of the Red Cross to occupy the complex and according to the story was finally leased (but from who nobody knows) to the United Nations in the same year for the amount of one dollar per year
In 1967 the Jordanian’s opened up the front with post 1948 Jewish Jerusalem by attacking Government House at 11:30 a.m. on 5 June and the IDF lost 21 troops in recapturing the complex and immediately handed it back to the UN.
Clearly, as representative of the Quartet, the new catholic, would be serving his new Papal masters well if he pressed their agenda for the Corpus Separandum. To effect this, what better place to administrate the City from than UK built Government House in Armon Hanatziv, with Spin Tony as the Governor General on behalf of the "International Community". He tried to use the complex on July 2007 as Quartet representative, fortunately with no success, but not for the lack of trying!
Deputy Prime Minister Ramon, had been sending out trial balloons to divide the city before Annapolis and Olmert has on more than one occasion loudly hinted he was prepared to cede parts of the city, whilst Abbas wants the whole of the Old City. Now Olmert is openly talking of capitulating to pressure to divide the city – no doubt under Blair’s influence. Lest it be forgotten, several years ago one very senior Israeli politician promised the Vatican that the city would be internationalized and they could control it.
What a feather in Blair’s cap if he could get a compromise deal by internationalizing the City thereby making us once more subservient to the non Jews.

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL UNDER SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS 252 (1968), 267 (1969) and 271 (1969) and GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 2254 (ES-V)
Addendum
1. Since the publication of the report of 18 February 1971 (A/8282, S/10124), a further exchange of communications concerning the status of Jerusalem and the United Nations premises at Government House in Jerusalem has taken place between the Secretary-General and the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations.
2. On 8 March 1971, the Permanent Representative of Israel addressed the following note to the Secretary-General in reply to the latter's two communications of 26 January 1971 (A/8282 and S/10124, para. 4):
"The Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations presents his compliments to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and has the honour, on instructions of his Government, to refer to the Secretary-General's two notes dated 26 January 1971 (A/8282, S/10124), one dealing with the premises known as Government House and the other dealing more generally with building construction in Jerusalem.
"The Permanent Representative of Israel is instructed to state that these two communications have been carefully examined and that the Government of Israel's position remains as it has been conveyed to the Secretary-General in its various communications on the subject. At the same time, the Government of Israel wishes to place on record its reservations to the various legal and other considerations advanced in those two notes, and more particularly to the references made in them to claims of the United Nations 'to the occupancy and possession of the whole of the premises' of Government House.
"The Permanent Representative of Israel avails himself of this opportunity to renew to the Secretary-General of the United Nations the expression of his highest consideration."
5. On 12 April, the Secretary-General sent the following note to the Permanent Representative of Israel:
"The Secretary-General of the United Nations presents his compliments to the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations and has the honour to refer to the Permanent Representative's note of 8 March 1971 in response to two notes from the Secretary-General of 26 January 197 - one relating to the status of Jerusalem and the other to the question of the return to the United Nations of the whole of its premises, as constituted on 5 June 1967 - at Government House in Jerusalem.
"The Permanent Representative's reply of 8 March 1971 is to the effect that the Secretary-General's two communications have 'been carefully examined and that the Government of Israel's position remains as it has been conveyed to the Secretary-General in its various communications on the subject'. At the same time, the Government of Israel wishes to place on record its reservations to the various legal and other considerations advanced in those two notes, and more particularly to the references made in them to claims of the United Nations 'to the occupancy and possession of the whole of the premises of Government House.'
"The Secretary-General notes that, presumably because of the reservations referred to in the above reply, no copy of the reported Jerusalem 'Master Plan' has been provided, nor has any information regarding it been furnished to the Secretary-General, notwithstanding the requests contained in his notes of 10 December 1970 and 26 January 1971.
"In so far as the Permanent Representative's reply of 8 March 1971 relates to the Secretary-General's note of 26 January 1971 regarding the status of Jerusalem, that reply will be communicated to the Security Council and the General Assembly pursuant to the Secretary-General's obligations to report under the relevant resolutions.
"In so far as the Permanent Representative's reply relates to the Secretary-General's communication of 26 January 1971 requesting the return of the whole of the United Nations premises at Government House as constituted on 5 June 1967, the Secretary-General notes that the reply contains no direct response to this request. Nor is any precise information given on the exact terms of the reservations which are at present held by the Government of Israel regarding the Secretary-General's request.
"The Secretary-General observes that the reservations referred, to in the Permanent Representative's note are now raised for the first time. They were not mentioned when part only of the Government House premises was returned to the United Nations. At that time the position of the Government of Israel, set out in the Permanent Representative's letter of 22 August 1967, indicated no such reservations, although the Secretary-General had previously expressly preserved the rights of the United Nations to the occupancy and possession of the whole of the Government House premises as constituted when UNTSO was forced to evacuate them on 5 June 1967. The Secretary-General would also observe that it was in reliance on the preservation of these United Nations rights that the Secretary-General authorized the return of the Chief of Staff of UNTSO and his staff to the lesser area, in the circumstances and under the conditions indicated in the Secretary-General's report to the Security Council of 11 August 1967 (S/7930/Add.27). As the reservations referred to in the note under reply relate in part to 'legal... considerations', it may be mentioned that one way of resolving any differences now arising would be to have resort to the procedure for settlement laid down in section 30 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.
"In all the circumstances of the case, and taking into account both current works by the Israel authorities within and bordering upon Government House property as constituted on 5 June 1967 as well as the absence of a direct reply to the specific request of the Secretary-General in his note of 26 January 1971, the Secretary-General is constrained to reiterate that request, namely, for the unreserved return to the United Nations of the remainder of its Government House premises.
"The Secretary-General avails himself of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Representative of Israel the assurances of his highest consideration."