The near secret negotiations taking place in Jerusalem and an undeclared West Bank city are expected to cover the five final status issues that are the source of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In Washington, both sides agreed that borders, security, settlements, refugees and Jerusalem will be fully discussed during the talks mandated to last at least nine months.

While borders and security are priorities, it's believed that the hardest issues, among them Jerusalem, will be delegated to the latter part of the negotiations. By delaying discussion on Jerusalem, it's possible that the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will agree to tackle borders without Jerusalem being included within those borders, thus supporting the theory and statements by both sides that the holy city will remain undivided.

There are at least three major components that need to be dealt with regarding Jerusalem: the holy sites, the residents and certain neighborhoods. When discussing the holy sites, most people focus on the walled Old City. This one square kilometer, which in 1981 was declared a World Heritage Site, includes sites holy for Christians, Jews and Muslims. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Via Dolorosa and other locations connected to the Christian faith are not expected to be a cause of much controversy. The site of the Islamic Haram al-Sharif and the Jewish Western Wall, which are physically connected, will be the hardest issue.

At one time during the Camp David II talks, US President Bill Clinton is said to have suggested sharing this sensitive site, with the Palestinians controlling the area that includes al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards, while Israel oversees areas beneath it — a reference not only to the Western Wall, but to the location where Israelis believe the ruins of the historic Temple to be.