During the early stages of the autonomy talks Egypt raised the issue of Jerusalem. Israel claimed that at Camp David, in view of the prevailing differences of opinions on this issue, it had been agreed that Jerusalem would not be discussed at this stage of the talks. Egypt then demanded that the Arab Inhabitants of East Jerusalem be included in the autonomy. On 1 April, the Egyptian National Assembly proclaimed that Arab, or East Jerusalem, was Arab sovereign territory and was "an integral part of the West Bank, which had been occupied by armed forces." Israel rejected this resolution and its position was made clear by the following statement issued by the Foreign Ministry:
In response to yesterday's resolution by the Egyptian National Assembly, the Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman stressed that Israel's stand regarding Jerusalem is well known and that the decision of the Egyptian National Assembly or latest decision of the U.N. Security Council will not determine or alter anything on this matter. Our position, shared by all not only in Israel, but among the Jewish nation abroad, is that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel, and will never again be divided.
In the nineteen years during which the city was partitioned, the Jews were deprived of free access to the holy places. The Jewish quarter of the Old City was destroyed and historical synagogues and cemeteries were shattered and despoiled. On the other hand, since 1967, as all know, complete free access has been given to members of all nations and faiths to the city and its holy places.
At this moment, when the representatives of Egypt, Israel and the U.S. are working to find a way to establish autonomy according to what was agreed upon at Camp David, declarations of the kind included in the decision of the Egyptian National Assembly are not only impractical and incompatible with the Camp David agreements, but they also do nothing to help the delicate negotiations.