It’s time to talk about Jerusalem / Dr. Meir Margalit

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If Israeli media reports regarding America’s appeal to the Israeli government to immein diately halt construction East Jerusalem are true, than such a demand is a refreshing development and an important contribution, unlike any other, to working toward peace in the region.

For many years, Israel has been able to create the impression within the Western world that the issue of Jerusalem is non-negotiable. Israel’s consistent insistence that Jerusalem is a non-issue found prominence within world consciousness to the point where few were willing to raise the matter as a point of negotiation. Yet anyone who seeks to promote peace in the Middle East must insist on bringing the issue to the table. The issue of Jerusalem is, in fact, at the heart of the conflict, and peace will remain unattainable until the city is divided in a way that allows for East Jerusalem to be the capital of a Palestinian state.

Solutions to the question of Jerusalem are many and various. There are those who advocate for a territorial division, and others who are in favor of a functional division. Nonetheless, what remains certain is that the city will have to be divided, and that within its territorial expanse will rise two capital cities for two nations/peoples.

Looking toward division is, in fact, a reflection of the realities on the ground; the city is already divided and all our leaders vows of devotion and empty words of “the city that was reunified” are irrelevant. There is another reality that must not be overlooked; the city is divided by invisible walls stretching higher than those erected between Israel and Jordan in 1967. Jews don’t voyage into East Jerusalem and the municipality systematically discriminates against its Palestinian residents. Palestinian and Jewish residents of the city view one another with apprehension and lack of trust, and despite 42 years of Israeli jurisdiction it is nearly impossible to find instances of cooperation and coexistence between the two communities.

A divided Jerusalem is unavoidable; it is an indispensable reality if peace is to be realized, and anyways, the city is already politically divided. The Obama administration is correct in putting these issues on the negotiation table from the start. Today, Israel knows what the American government thinks, but the United States must act on its words in order to be taken seriously by the State of Israel. If the American government does not take concrete steps toward achieving its vision immediately, America’s image will weaken and Israel will think that America’s policy is toothless. The new administration must act quickly and use its influence to apply heavy pressure so as to prevent Netanyahu’s government from creating facts on the ground that will severely cripple any possibility for a just resolution to the conflict. It is easy enough to create provocations in East Jerusalem, and there are too many pyromaniacs wondering our city streets waiting for any opportunity to set the city on fire. The settlers and their supporters in the government admit to the fact that time is not on their side, and are planning the next provocations to disrupt every American effort toward promoting peace in the region. There is no time to waste; America must take every necessary step to ensure Israel ends the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. This is no easy undertaking, but in the end, history will undoubtedly recognize such great efforts.