While Jerusalem has always received its fair share of attention at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, too often it is treated as an
idealized symbol rather than a real place. In debates surrounding the future of the city, religious proclamations and lines on maps overshadow the
needs and interests of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis who live, work and raise their families in the city.
This is the real struggle taking place today in Jerusalem: a battle between those whose vision for the city hinges on guaranteeing full rights and a
dignified existence for all residents, and those who place politics and divine decree ahead of the everyday needs of the people. It is a contest for
the character of the city and, in recent months, almost unnoticeably amidst the steady barrage of news from the region, it has entered a particularly
dangerous phase.
Two weeks ago, the Jerusalem office of Peace Now, an Israeli NGO that has played a leading role in tracking illegal Israeli settlement growth, received
a bomb threat that led to its evacuation. Several days later, the home of
Hagit Ofran, the
head of that organization's settlement monitoring team, was vandalized and covered with graffiti for the second time in weeks. Messages scrawled in
Hebrew on her building bore several death threats, including one that ominously declared, "Ofran, [assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin
is waiting for you."
Hagit is one of
many Israeli and Palestinian activists and grassroots leaders working
nonviolently toward a resolution to the conflict and an end to the occupation. Though they are often marginalized in public discourse, these
individuals embody some of the best hopes we have for a brighter future in Jerusalem and the region as a whole: they are committed to a nonviolent
approach, seek a future that promises security, freedom and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians, and are willing to make huge personal
sacrifices to fight for the integrity of the societies they live in. In an environment rife with political gamesmanship and cynical maneuvering, they
stubbornly insist on putting human needs first.
But, instead of having their contributions recognized, these visionaries are consistently subject to demonization and attack, and their personal safety
is now at serious risk. Ms. Ofran's case is unfortunately not the only recent display of violent intolerance Jerusalem has witnessed lately: Just over
a month ago, a group of Palestinian farmers and Israeli activists protesting peacefully against the seizure of the farmers' land by settlers were
attacked and badly beaten by angry mobs from the Jerusalem settlement-suburb of Anatot. The violence took place as Israeli police stood by, and in a
particularly sinister turn, at least one of the attackers turned out to be an off-duty police officer.
This violence is taking place at a time when prospects for a shared future in the city are dimming. As the Israeli government continues to announce one
new construction project after another in East Jerusalem, scores of Palestinians residents also face the prospect of eviction by Israeli settlers. It
is becoming painfully clear that the prevalent attitude of those controlling Jerusalem is not about preserving and equitably developing a fragile city
that is precious to all, but about aggressively claiming it as a prize to be won.
All of this means that the efforts of those striving to create a tenable future for both Israelis and Palestinians in the city are more important now
than ever. For those of us not directly involved in this work, there are two clear responsibilities: First, we must ensure that attacks against them
are denounced across the board, and that the perpetrators are caught and brought to justice. Second, and perhaps more importantly, now is the time to
increase our awareness and support for people like Hagit and the work that they do, and to encourage those around us to do the same.
Though the trends in Jerusalem are worrisome, they are by no means irreversible. It is within our power as a global audience to ensure that Jerusalem's
story is written not by extremists and obstructionists, but by those who are working pragmatically on the ground toward a sustainable, shared future.
Our attention will not only provide these individuals with some small measure of protection, it will also go a long way toward ensuring that their
vision of Jerusalem, as a holy city in which the rights and dignity of all are respected, becomes a reality.
This responsibility is what recently drove us at Just Vision to create a new short film series,
Home Front: Portraits from Sheikh Jarrah, which tells the story of an ongoing nonviolent campaign in
one East Jerusalem neighborhood. The movement was started by Palestinian residents in response to the displacement of several Palestinian families from
their homes by Israeli settlers. It quickly drew in scores of Israeli supporters who were horrified to see what was being done in their name. While it
has faced challenges, the campaign in Sheikh Jarrah has drawn crucial attention to the cynical game being played in East Jerusalem, and to the
unbearable human cost of letting ideology and political interests eviscerate people's lives and livelihoods. But more attention is needed to reverse
this trend.
Many of us have had moments where we've looked back at inspiring social movements, such as the Civil Rights or feminist movements, and have wished we
could have been there in the early days to lend our hand to unknown activists taking their first bold steps toward a new reality. Despite the seeming
hopelessness of the situation, we are now at such a moment in Jerusalem. While it is up to the residents of the city to guide it in a direction they
see fit, it falls to us to support and encourage those whose approach we believe in, and to do all we can to raise their voices above the din. It is a
remarkable opportunity. May we not squander it.
Anti-Israel propaganda works by shining a hostile light that is so intense it's sole purpose to create emotive and politically charged language that contributes to it’s demonization. Just Vision is able to produce these films because they are deeply entwined in the NGO networks that have associations with a vast international funding network traceable back to Saudi and Kuwaiti money through "C-100 Projects" that uses outfits like Just Vision to shield their donors anti-Israel operations. Thus you will rarely see who is pulling the strings unless you dig deeply and look for associations to the Board and advisers.
Turks occupy Cyprus. Kashmir is occupied so is Tibet some say the falklands are occupied etc. yet strangely nothing on those issues. Funny that!
But, of course, in order to appreciate this one must leave aside "narratives", i.e. fictional stories woven for political expediency, and delve, not very deeply incidentally, into the corpus dubbed 'international law'.
Hmmm, always nice to hear minority opinions like the one above.
Lets see what others, more versed in international law, have to say on the matter.
"any actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem are illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever, and calls upon Israel to cease all such illegal and unilateral measures" - UN GA
"Determines that all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which have altered or purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and in particular the recent "basic law" on Jerusalem, are null and void and must be rescinded forthwith" - UN SC
"The European Union set out its position in a statement of principles last December. A two-state solution with Israel and Palestine side by side in peace and security. A viable state of Palestine in the West Bank, *including* East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, on the basis of the 1967 lines. A way must be found to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of *both* Israel and Palestine" - EU
It should also be mention that the USA does not recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Ronit Avni writes about those who work hard to put an end to Jerusalem. they may be brave. They may be all sorts of things. But they do not write the story of Jerusalem. They write the story of the erasure of Jerusalem and of their own history, as they intend to achieve it.
Ignore
In Europe we see a very different population from the one that existed there half a century ago. Same applies to the U.S. Most of those people are immigrants, many of the ME and other Muslim countries, as well as Africa.
Would you say that all those people in Europe *keep stealing land* and should go back to where they came from? What about those among them who came there ILLEGALLY, or whose ancestors came to either continent ILLEGALLY.
It may be news to you, but migrations are as old as the world. It may also REMAIN news to you, that griping, whining, crying and accusing, does not change one thing. Working hard with what you have to improve your own status is what works. See Israel.
Only when the city is in the hands of the Israelis is this going to happen. Only since the city was liberated has it been a place when all are welcome to visit their religious sites and can practice their religion, whether Jewish, Christian or Muslum.
EJ was annexed after multiple layers of treaties and conventions following WW1 provided for Jewish territorial sovereignty therein, thereby "liberated".
For those who say "conquered", they can never coherently answer "conquered" from who? They seem to think that territory can be "conquered" from nobody.
So who is it? Turkey? No. They willingly abrogated the territory in favor of a "Jewish National Home".
England? No. They were not sovereigns and merely trustees of the 'estate'.
Jordan? No. They had no title and were occupiers.
Then who was Jerusalem allegedly "conquered" from?
http://www.jcpa.org/text/israel-rights/kiyum-gold.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28qwcVPNy3E
This responsibility is what recently drove us at Just Vision to create a new short film series, Home Front: Portraits from Sheikh Jarrah, which tells the story of an ongoing nonviolent campaign in one East Jerusalem neighborhood. The movement was started by Palestinian residents in response to the displacement of several Palestinian families from their homes by Israeli settlers. It quickly drew in scores of Israeli supporters who were horrified to see what was being done in their name.
Proof enough for anyone why I see ALL of israel as a settlement.?.
Proof enough why the 2 state solution won't work?
Proof enough that the average jewish citizen know's they are wrong?
No.
No.
You were doing fine until the 3 obnoxious and ideological questions.
— Muslim author Irshad Manji
As far as I know, not a SINGLE ONE suspect has been either arrested by the Israeli Police, (with the exception of being taken in for questioning) or indicted or convicted by an israeli Court.
Not a SINGLE ONE.
Apparently, the "right to dissent" is a right that Peace Now exercises at their own risk... because the State, the Police or the Government aren't going to do ANYTHING to protect them.
This all has taken place during Israeli rule of the city. The Arabs can forget about ruling in Jerusalem again, they had their chance, they made a mess of the place. The capitol of Palestine, if it ever comes into being, will be Ramalah. Rule over Jerusalem will be shared when rule over Mecca is shared.
The human race has no more need for such counterproductive magical thinking. You are obsolete.
If you read my post you might have seen that I derived Israel's superior position from the openness they have shown all religions, as opposed to what happened under recent Muslim rule of the city. Of course that would have required you to actually read my post, instead of going on "auto-rant".
The Israelis are working for a resolution. The Palestinians are working for an end to the occupation.
Well, the fact that you manage to squeeze out the sentence that the Palestinians are under Israeli Military Occupation is indeed a big step forward.
Who knows... in a few months time, you may even acknowledge that they are entitled to human rights as well...
But keep in mind that for the "Palestinians" ALL of Israel is "occupied", so what they're working towards is the destruction of the nation state of the Jewish people.
Besides over 90% of the Arab residents of Judea and Samaria and 100% of those in Gaza have now been living under the regimes of the PLO and Hamas for at least the last decade and a half.