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The Judaization of East Jerusalem
With the Golden Dome and the ancient walls of the Old City as backdrop, the cascade of Palestinian homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan is undergoing a dramatic transition.
At first it is hard to spot the Israeli flags draped over scattered homes on the hill, but it is soon easily apparent that right-wing Jewish settlers and politically motivated archaeologists are rushing to claim this fragment of the Holy City as the ancient City of David, complete with a visitors center and busloads of young Israeli recruits and tourists, and plaques thanking generous donors for their support.
Then there is the little-noticed news that the Israeli Parliament has given preliminary approval to a bill, in violation of international law and United Nations resolutions, which would seize East Jerusalem as a permanent part of Israel. It is thus not surprising that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's belated efforts to corral reluctant world diplomats to an increasingly downgraded meeting in Annapolis are rapidly becoming mission impossible.
Every serious peace proposal addressing the creation of a two-state solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict has included the establishment of East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
At the same time, often despite pronouncements to the contrary, every Israeli government since 1967 has supported the growth of a vigorous ring of settlements around Jerusalem, designed to cut off East Jerusalem Palestinians from the West Bank, and has also encouraged the intrusion of Jewish settlers into the Arab quarters of the city itself.
Why is this important? For Palestinians, when Israel annexed East Jerusalem the state declared only 12 percent of the land zoned for Palestinian residential purposes, and that land was already developed, while 34 percent was zoned for future Jewish settlements. Thus, for the 240,000 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, there is a serious housing shortage and prices are high. This has been further complicated by construction of the 8-meter-high concrete separation wall which winds its way through the city, separating families from each other, educational institutions and employment.
The Jerusalem ID also gives Palestinians the right to work in Israel and utilize Israeli health insurance and other national benefits, as well as access to holy sites. East Jerusalem is thus a critical center for the Palestinian economy as well as political, educational and health care institutions.
Interestingly, millions of dollars of U.S. money have been poured into the growing Jewish settlements in this area. Without any complaints from the Bush administration, real estate developers openly advertise homes in the West Bank - heavily subsidized by the Israeli government - to Jews in the United Kingdom and the United States.
A particularly egregious player in this dangerous political game is Irving Moskowitz, a U.S. physician, bingo and gambling magnate, who secretly purchases Palestinian homes in and around East Jerusalem using front organizations that appear to be Arab, and then rapidly flips the property to extremist Jewish settlers, often arranging new construction and infusions of militant settlers at particularly sensitive political moments.
His foundation is also an avid supporter of American Friends of Ateret Cohanim, a group of militant Jews who believe that Jews should be in sole control of the Old City and should rebuild the Old Temple on the site of the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Moskowitz earmarks millions of dollars for militant settler religious schools most analogous to the extremist madrassas and recruitment centers often condemned in the Islamic world. These messianic, ideologically driven young Jewish students, like their counterparts in Hebron and other Jewish settlements driven by religious entitlement, are a clear impediment to any movement towards peace in this region.
It is a sad irony that the U.S. government spends millions of dollars tracking down wealthy Arab financiers who support extremist Islamic groups. At the same time, financiers like Moskowitz, using a combination of subterfuge, bribery, and U.S. and Israeli governmental collusion, openly and provocatively change the face of East Jerusalem.
At the end of the day, it is the facts on the ground that speak most clearly. One can only wonder what Israeli Prime Minister Olmert is thinking when he talks about a viable Palestinian state while actively making such a dream unreachable.
Perhaps a more honest name for the current madness is not the realization of the Road Map, but rather the steady creation of Road Blocks that are rapidly crushing the hopes of the majority of Israelis and Palestinians for a viable two-state solution.Alice Rothchild is a Boston based obstetrician/gynecologist and activist, author of Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience, published April 2007 by Pluto Press, distributed by University of Michigan Press, and cochair of Jewish Voice for Peace, Boston.
29 Comments so far
Show AllWhat an infinitely sad story.
Israel has no intentions of allowing a viable, autonomous Palestinian state to come into existence. What they say and what they do is, and always has been, two completely different things.
According to some jews, most of Egypt and Saudi Arabia also belongs to them. Hence Eretz Israel. Why do you think Israel has never defined their borders? They are still too busy stealing lands from its neighbours, forget just from the Palestinians. And people wonder why the rest of the ME is wary of this rogue state....And this meeting in Annapolis is just another farce so that they can blame Abbas, just like they blamed Arafat, for not accepting the Bantustans.
horrified:
I am afraid you are partly wrong. Abbas would not have been allowed to attend the Annapolis farce unless he had already signed on to some form of apartheid for his people.
But, as you say, he will soon be scapegoated anyway and thrown away by his masters, if his own folks don't get him first. Such is the life of a quisling.
According to UN resolutions, Jerusalem is supposed to be neither Israeli nor Palestinian. Jerusalem is not Israel's to give away. If the Palestinians take over Jerusalem, UN Forces should immediately invade and expel them.
The Annapolis meeting is a sham. Bush and the Israeilis have nothing new they are willing to offer. The expansion of settlements and the dividing up of Palestinian territory have already made the possibility of a viable Palestinian state a moot point on the gorund. The only real alternative is a single state for both people with equal citizenship for all.
The Israelis need to stay in their designated areas of the city and should be told this in no uncertain terms. The religious sites should be open to all people of all religions.
Unfortunatly, the Arabs have not exactly been models of how to administer the area in the past. During the occupation by Jordan, all the jews were expelled and over 2 dozen ancient synagogues were destroyed, along with tombs and graveyards. The jews were also denied access to the Wailing Wall and other sites. In the last couple of years, the PLO has destroyed the tomb of Joseph and, last I heard, was using it as a trash pit.
A little respect from both sides for the feelings of other religions would go a long way.
Someone please keep a scorecard on the number of Israeli violations of United Nations resolutions. They are the world champions of illegality and their ever expanding empire is to ratified by a forced agreement with the puppet palestinian representative and the American-Israeli occupation forces. it is too bad the Palestinians do not have the military means to demand justice.
The mere acknowledgement of facts on the ground as they exist brands one as an anti-semite = cynical exploitation as enforcement of politically correct, accepted conventional view.
bligh:
Got any links that aren't from Right-wing Zionist sites ( google destruction of tomb of Joseph and see). Meanwhile:
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/history/rel-christians.html
Vern, I have a better idea. Why don't you go to google images and type in "Joseph's Tomb" and see for yourself. Or, if you don't like that one, check out what happened to the Church of the Nativity a few years back.
I guess calling for mutual respect was too controversial for some.
Bligh, you are here to obfuscate as normal and shift the blame on the Palestinians and Palestinians only. You sound like the Suadi judiciary system that punishes the rape victim and let the rapist go. You are a sad man.
Really horrified, I'm from Georgia. You need to use smaller words than "obfuscate" if you are going to insult me effectively.
Apparently, it is only permissible to shift sole blame onto the ISRAELI'S for everything that is wrong in the middle east -as you do. To actually suggest that BOTH sides might work to show respect for each others religion becomes "blaming the victim".
Well, at least my kids like me!
"Well, at least my kids like me!"
bligh, I like you too!
I am having difficulty adjusting to the high level of hostility in these discussions. And when the ad hominems start, I just tune out.
Be well.
Bligh, did not know that the word 'obfuscate' is too big for you....I have not insulted you...just called you for what you are. I don't care whether you are from Georgia or Timbuktu....
I can't even listen to public radio these days -- they may as well rename it "Middle East News Network". As an American, shouldn't I be more concerned about the status on the ground in our neighboring countries?
As the man well said: this Zionist regime occupying Palestine shall perish from the page of time.
The Annapolis Conference is an exercise in futility. Even if Bush really wanted to alleviate the plight of the Palestinian and crate a Palestinian state, which is obvious he does not, the US Congress that is almost to a man in the pocket of AIPAC, will definitely not let it happen. The conference is a joke; attendees are jokers.
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of an ass, who knew the rider would be replaced by the ridden...
"The conference is a joke; attendees are jokers." If Batman finds out he's gonna be pissed....
TURK FOWLER - poetic transformation, a mere 2000 years in the making, from savior to gluttonior.
It's hardly fair to the reputation of swine, to be associated with such pathetic dreck, but perchance for the gleefully roll in one's own filth?
Namaste
__ __ __ __ We must be the change
__ __ __ __ we wish to see in the world __ Gandhi
I did Google it, bligh. I was just searching for a credible, unbiased report because it seems we are constantly channelled into viewing it all within the context of Israel being, you know, driven into the sea, when the facts on the ground indicate Israel more likely the historical aggressor. in that case, it is deceptive to pose it as all sides being equally culpable.
We need more Jewish and Gentile voices for peace in the Middle East such as this author's, and the sooner and the more the better.
AD agreed as Annapolis is a sham.
One unified state with right of return would go a long way toward peace. Baring that a Compassionate God would have let the Red Sea tides come in earlier...
whatfools, once unified state with right of return is an arab state. 'long way towards peace' i'm sure, that's an arab victory and a jewish defeat. I hear this all the time, people insisting Israel is the aggressor, but the only 'peace' such people support is Israel unconditionally surrendering to the Arabs. Sorry folks, but I'm sure Israelis would sooner put up with terrorism and even sanctions then commit mass suicide.
massud has it right. Peace in the middle east to most people means Israel rolls over and submits to Arab demands. The Arab people have the entire middle east in which to do as they please except for the tiny piece of land that Israel is trying to hold onto. Now the Arabs want that too, and the world faults Israel for fighting back. And so it has always been - blame the Jews.
Dmia, you see it as Arab vs. Jew conflict, this is part of the problem. "Oh, whine, whine, not fair, 'they' have the whole middle east and we just want this little plot of dirt. In actuality,it is Jews, mostly from Europe ,wanting the land of the people still living there, and taking it. Until we see it that way we can't even begin to tackle the problem. I have said it before, timing is everything, the Jews waited too long, the Twentieth century had lost it's stomach for conquering indigenous people.
"The Arab people have the entire middle east in which to do as they please except for the tiny piece of land that Israel is trying to hold onto. Now the Arabs want that too, and the world faults Israel for fighting back. And so it has always been - blame the Jews."
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This is the irony of the entire conflict. We here in the US, keep hearing that Israel will have to give too many CONCESSIONS for peace.
Well for starters, Israel should not even be present at the NEGOTIATING table. If you OWN a house and I want to occupy it we negotiate the price/terms based on what is mutually agreeable. Israel doesn't OWN any of the occupied lands. Due to US policy of appeasement we have empowered them and at the same time created a smokescreen back home to make people believe that Israel rightfully owns the place.
I had a discussion with a Palestinian civil rights activist from West Bank about what the Palestinians really desire. She said they are willing to compromise to a certain extent in spite of losing everything that they ever had. But they're doing so because they have no other choice in absence of any formal body that can implement a just procedure. All talks date back to the 1967 occupation but the fact of the matter is even 1948 wasn't justified. Palestinians are homeless not from 1967 but since before 1948. A lot of history has been blurred in the west through corrupt writings such Joan Peters.
Palestinians are willing to let bygones be bygones but unless the West recognizes the terrible hand that was dealt to them in 1948 which was further exacerbated by the 1967 war, we can not reach a consensus. Only if you accept that Palestinians have already lost too much will you be able to pressure Israel from usurping PA rights even further.
And all those who believe Arabs/Muslims hate Jews: We all know that's a big lie. Israel has worked very hard to diminish the lines between the identity of a jew and a zionist. Israel has skillfully become the representative of all Judaism so it can reap the benefits from westerners who are still guilty about their ancestral persecution of jews.
Massud
"Sorry folks, but I'm sure Israelis would sooner put up with terrorism and even sanctions then commit mass suicide."
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What planet are you living on? The planet that we belong to does not associate the word sanctions with Israel. Every country from India to Venezuela can be sanctioned but not Israel. You have a right to be an Israeli apologist. But you can at least do so without the flowery rhetoric claiming Israel to be the victim.
If you try reading even 2 pages on European history it was the White race in Europe which defeated the other white Jewish race who then turned on their vengeance against the arabs - AKA scum and savages in european history.
I'm quoting an excerpt from Finkelstein's article
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Ben-Gurion, reflecting on the expulsion option in the late 1930s, wrote: "What is inconceivable in normal times is possible in revolutionary times; and if at this time the opportunity is missed and what is possible in such great hours is not carried out - a whole world is lost." (7)
The goal of "disappearing" the indigenous Arab population points to a virtual truism buried beneath a mountain of apologetic Zionist literature: what spurred Palestinians' opposition to Zionism was not anti-Semitism in the sense of an irrational hatred of Jews but rather the prospect - very real - of their expulsion. "The fear of territorial displacement and dispossession," Morris reasonably concludes, "was to be the chief motor of Arab antagonism to Zionism." Likewise, in his magisterial study of Palestinian nationalism, Yehoshua Porath suggests that the "major factor nourishing" Arab anti-Semitism "was not hatred for the Jews as such but opposition to Jewish settlement in Palestine.
He goes on to argue that, although Arabs initially differentiated between Jews and Zionists, it was "inevitable" that opposition to Zionist settlement would turn into a loathing of all Jews: "As immigration increased, so did the Jewish community's identification with the Zionist movement…. The non-Zionist and anti-Zionist factors became an insignificant minority, and a large measure of sophistication was required to make the older distinction. It was unreasonable to hope that the wider Arab population, and the riotous mob which was part of it, would maintain this distinction."
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Why the West isn't half as concerned about the plight of the Arabs as it is about Israel can be seen in the following historical context related to terrorism which we all want to get rid of:
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Ben-Gurion passionately condemned the draconian measures for both inflicting collective punishment on the Jewish people and effectively hindering the struggle against terrorism. If only for its current resonance, this denunciation deserves extended quotation:
Two hundred and fifty thousand Jews of Tel Aviv and suburbs, core of country's social and industrial life, and thirty thousands of Jews in Jerusalem, mostly working-class quarters, isolated from all normal contact with outside world, facing complete breakdown of mechanism civilized life apart from food supplies and skeleton medical service. Industry crippled, trade paralyzed, unemployment threatening to become catastrophic. Industrial raw materials cannot enter, goods manufactured with available stock cannot be marketed outside. Workers cut off from places of work, children from schools. These restrictions have not affected terrorists nor stopped their outrages but instead have increased resentment of hard-hit population, created fertile soil for terrorist propaganda, frustrating community's attempt to combat terrorism by itself. Martial Law absolutely futile and senseless unless really meant to punish whole community, ruin its economy and destroy the foundations of the Jewish National Home. (69)
It also merits recalling, however, that although Jewish terrorist attacks (nearly 20 per month) left hundreds of British dead and wounded, the British "never deliberately fired into crowds," and "a Jewish large-scale massacre never took place and entire Jewish settlements were not demolished with explosives." The reason behind this relative British restraint, according to van Creveld, was "British recognition that Jews constituted a `semi-European' race." By contrast, Palestinians suffer at the hands of Israel the lethal fate of non-Europeans.
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sphne, you said "In actuality,it is Jews, mostly from Europe ,wanting the land of the people still living there, and taking it."
In actuality though, the Jews from europe purchased the land they settled. It was only in response to repeated Arab aggression that the Nakba eventually occurred. Which was followed by the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands all over the mid east, (resulting in a population exchange similar to India/Pakistan.) Regardless, most Israelis now are descended from Sephardic Jews.
To cast the Arabs as indigenous and the Jews as colonist is disingenuous anyway. There was an influx of both groups in the early 20th century, Arabs from other parts of the Mid East and Jews from Europe, adding to the existing populations of their respective ethnicities in Palestine.