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Emphasizing that Jerusalem should be the undivided capital of the Jewish state, the local Jewish Community Relations Council issued a seven-point statement asserting that both Palestinians and Israelis should abide by the terms of the Oslo Accords in regard to Jerusalem.

The statement, which will be sent to Israel, also offers guidelines for governing the holy city.

"[The statement] is not intended to influence policy-makers in Israel," said Rabbi Doug Kahn, JCRC executive director. "It follows a long tradition of sharing the views of the San Francisco Jewish community with the Israeli government."

Discussing the status of Israel's capital, Kahn said, "Jerusalem is one of the final status issues, according to the Oslo Accords, and is a potential dealmaker or breaker. But it's clear that it's been moved to the front of the accords."

With that in mind, members of the JCRC Middle East strategy committee decided to find consensus among Bay Area Jews on the final status of Jerusalem.

The agreement's points include:

*Jerusalem is the united, undivided and eternal capital of Israel.

*The American Embassy should be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

*The city of Jerusalem has always been central to the Jewish people. While the city has sites holy to other religions, it has never been the capital of any other nation.

*The Israeli government has stringently protected the holy sites of all faiths in Jerusalem since 1967.

*Threatening or employing violence and terrorism to influence complex political issues between Israel and the Palestinian Authority regarding Jerusalem must cease if the peace process is to move forward.

*Peacemaking requires Israeli and Arab leaders to maintain communications and to weigh the potential impact of their decisions on the peace process., including those that don't violate the Oslo Accords. such as the development of Jerusalem neighborhoods.

*Israel should continue to improve the municipal services and quality of life of all of Jerusalem's inhabitants.

The statement involved hundreds of members of JCRC regional committees, affiliate organizations and the metropolitan JCRC board, who debated each point and passed the document with 85 percent approval.

Eran Etzion, an Israeli consul in San Francisco, said he had not yet received a response from the Israeli government.

Kahn says there is nothing revolutionary about the JCRC stance on Jerusalem. The organization does not take a stand for or against the Netanyahu government on any of its points, he maintains; rather it reaffirms its commitment to the Oslo Accords and the post-1967 status of an undivided city.

"In many ways, the Netanyahu government would probably agree with many of our consensus points while taking issue with others," he said.

Mark Schickman, chair of the JCRC, added that while the statement is a message to Israel, it's just as important as an expression of the local community. It informs the media and area officials of the politics of its Jewish community. It also allows the JCRC to check the pulse of its constituents.

"It's good to check that we are still accurately reflecting what the Jewish community has to say," Schickman said.