Comments on: Half-Rejoicing with Jerusalem

By: Owning Jerusalem: Identity and Borders in the Holy City « South Jerusalem: Gershom Gorenberg and Haim Watzman

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:06:21 +0000

[...] response to my Jerusalem Day post earlier this week, DanH asks a related question: It has always seemed to me that, given the claims [...]

By: Y. Ben-David

Y. Ben-David — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:44:36 +0000

Everyone knows that redivision of the city means the anti-sniper walls that existed before 1967 going back up, neighborhoods with Arab population being taken over by gunment firing into the Jewish neighborhoods, and even the visiting the Kotel would becoming dangerous since the Palestinians would control both the Har Bayit overlooking the Kotel Plaza and the approachs through the Old City Christian and Muslim Quarters. If you don’t think this is realistic, look at what happened when the Olso Agreements led to Israel giving up military control of the Beit Lehem-Beit Sahur area. Gunmen took over the area and fired on the Gilo neighborhood (this led to the lives of the Arabs in those areas being intolerable as well).

Therefore, this is the choice you have…continuing the current situation or going to the one I outlines above. There is no other possible outcome. I am certain a clear majority of Israelis oppose redividing the city, because they agree with my analysis. Of course, Israel must do MUCH more to bring the services and economic situation in the Arab part of the city up to Israeli standards, and Israel has not done nearly enough in this department in the past. But this is the situation.

Incidentally, the modern post-1967 boundaries were not “arbitrarily” drawn. The job was given to then General Rehavam Ze’evi and one of the main considerations driving him was to be able to guarantee the security of the Jewish parts of Jerusalem even if Israel gave up control of the surrounding territories in Judea/Samaria.

By: Clif

Clif — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:39:43 +0000

Haim, you said…

“We cannot fully rejoice even when our enemies suffer”

That such a thought can survive is a reason to have hope for humanity. Thank you for your thoughtful essays that reveal a person who thinks continuously about what he does and his responsibility in the world. I try to do the same. It seems to me an obligation for any human being, a creature that receives so much without asking and upon whom the welfare of whole natural world depends.

By: DanH

DanH — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:14:04 +0000

Quoting from the post: “And I can’t help but be aware that peace, if it comes, will require the redivision of the city.”

It has always seemed to me that, given the claims of both sides, the only long-term solution for Jerusalem is joint or autonomous administration, not just of the holy places, but of the whole city. Yet this rarely seems to be mentioned as a possibility; instead I see assumptions about its infeasibility.

Of course it would be rancorous, but it would also force talking and cooperation. I would be interested in a post about the topic, if you are so inclined.