Subject: Re: Jerusalem
Date: Mar 03, 2005 @ 11:30
Author: Martin Pratt ("Martin Pratt" <m.a.pratt@...>)
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The lines on the Soviet map at
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu:8085/israel/50k/08-36-011-3.jpg represent
the limits of Israeli and Jordanian territorial control under the
General Armistice Agreement (GAA) of April 1949; these lines were
described as Armistice Demarcation Lines (ADLs). A couple of weeks after
the GAA was signed, the military commanders of the Israeli and Jordanian
armies proposed closing the gap between the two lines in and around
Jerusalem and establishing a single ADL. The proposal was implemented to
the northwest and southwest of Jerusalem, but the King of Jordan refused
to authorise the establishment of a single line through Jerusalem
itself.

So the Soviet map shows the ADLs only as they existed between 3 and 25
April 1949, except between northings 15 and 22 (approx) where the
original double GAA lines plus no-man's land remained in place until
June 1967. Israel subsequently annexed East Jerusalem and the ADLs are
virtually (but not completely) invisible on the ground today. However,
while they may be relict boundaries de facto, they still of considerable
significance de jure, most notably in the context of UN Security Council
Resolution 242 - which many commentators believe makes Israel's
occupation of any territory it did not hold before 4 June 1967 illegal
under international law.

For an indication of where the ADLs were located following the April
1949 revision discussed above, see http://tinyurl.com/5nbzq.

Regards,

m a r t i n