Recent Political Tension

To make an understatement Israel is a place of political tension and struggles. Most of my posts have not been political because the reality of daily life takes precedent - schools, parks, B'nei Mitzvah and ecological concerns that Israelis face every day. But politics and the struggle with the Palestinians is always present in peoples' minds. In this posting I will share some of the recent issues that are in the forefront right now. They mostly are connected to Jerusalem and and the road to Modi'in. Some have reached the American media. I have compiled these thoughts before the visit of Vice President Biden (that's another story).
First there is Silwan, a neighborhood outside the walls of the Old City that was completely in Arab hands before the 1967 Six Day War. Some Israelis claim that at one time many Jews lived in that area. Yemenite Jews settled there at the end of the 19th century but left after the Arab uprisings in the late 1930's. Some right wing Jewish groups have begun to enter this neighborhood and claim property there over recent decades.
Most likely as a response to the required demolition of a Jewish building in Silwan that was built and inhabited by these Jewish settlers, Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat declared that another archaeological park would be built in this neighborhood. The first park is the archaeological work done on “The City of David” which was the early settlement in the time of King David before the Temple was built and the city expanded. To make this second park 20 Arab homes would need to be destroyed. This would serve as a symbolic reaction to the demolition of the Jewish building. Although the city officials said they would provide other housing for the displaced families there was still a protest against this park. The Palestinian residents desire to stay in their present dwellings and hold little trust that the promises will be fulfilled in an appropriate manner. The national government finally intervened halting the proposed project for the moment.
Those in support of the park said it would be to the benefit of all the local residents. However the City of David park (in reality an archaeological site) has brought almost no benefit to the local Arabs in the area. The Palestinians see this as another attempt by Israel to displace them from their homes and land. One of the arguments against such displacement and attempts to reclaim pre-1948 Jewish owned properties in Arab neighborhoods is that it opens the door for displaced Palestinians who might have claims on their own pre-1948 holdings too. The Palestinians also have a great mistrust of the Israeli government concerning housing and this is not simply paranoia.
Recently a second point of tension between Israel and the Palestinians was a declaration by Israel to make the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and the grave of Rachel in Bethlehem into national Jewish heritage sites. To many people this is no big deal. These are important sites and religious shrines for Jews. In a recent discussion with a friend we spoke about the reality that it might not even matter if these are in fact the exact locations of the historical shrines. If for thousands of years the faithful have believed that this is the spot, then, in and of itself the spot has important meaning and sacredness.
The Palestinians are saying that by making such a designation of these place Israel is trying to deny the Palestinian legitimacy and connection if not ownership of places and land they think of as theirs. On one hand Palestinians might be using this as an excuse to protest against their view of the “evil” Israel. On the other hand they may have appropriate apprehension. There have been riots in Hebron and on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem where again rock throwing from the upper level has been stopped by police intervention. One has to wonder if Israel is simply stating what it believes to be legitimate designations of important places or if it is in fact trying to take greater control of these areas. In Hebron the Tomb of the Patriarchs is considered holy to both Judaism and Islam and is shared as a sacred shrine. We also know that at times the Palestinians and other Arabs have denied Jews permission to visit their religious sites and have made claims such as denying that the Holy Temple ever existed on the site of the Temple Mount. Please understand that even when I point out negative behavior by Israel I am in no way denying negative behavior by Palestinians and other Arabs.
A third point of conflict in Jerusalem that has brought tension between Israel and the Palestinians involves a neighborhood called Sheikh Jarrah. A short time ago two Palestinian families were evicted from their dwellings because the property was previously owned in pre-state 1948 by Jews. As I mentioned above this claim can cause Israel further problems of earlier Arab ownership of many now Jewishly owned land and buildings. The game has not been played evenly. This is a quote about the situation.
“The asymmetric legal situation in Israel, through the Absentee Property Law, makes it possible for Jews to return to property that was owned by Jews before 1948 — while Palestinian property return is completely impossible. This is both unjust and unwise. In Sheikh Jarrah, this has resulted in Palestinian refugees, originally housed in the neighborhood by the Jordanian government after 1948, becoming refugees a second time. Of course, unlike the settlers forcing the Palestinians out of their homes, the Palestinians cannot return to the homes they owned before 1948 — not in Jaffa, nor in West Jerusalem or anywhere else.”
Two weeks ago on the news it was reported that in one of the recovered Jewish inhabited buildings the right wing settlers had a Purim party. Caught in a recording they were singing the praises of Dr. Baruch Goldstein who brutally shot and murdered Arab worshipers in the Tomb of the Patriarchs at Purim time in 1994. Their song of praise called these murder victims terrorists although at the time their only crime was praying in the mosque at the tomb. I was physically revolted to hear these words of praise for a Jewish mass murderer.
On Saturday evening, March 6, a rally was held in Sheikh Jarrah where a few thousand Palestinians and “Leftist” Jews protested the incursion of Jewish settlers into the traditionally Arab neighborhood. One should realize that in Israel in many communities and neighborhoods it would be impossible for Arabs to buy a home. Former Knesset member Avraham Burg wrote, “Once justice dwelled here. Now the settlers do...”
My final point regarding recent tensions between the Palestinians and Israel focuses on route 443. This is the road I often take to and from Modi'in when I go to Jerusalem. Most of the road is in the territories built on land taken from the locals. Originally this road was promised as an improvement for both Israelis and Palestinians. During the second Intifada there was stone throwing and even shooting at Israeli cars on this road. Now there are many sections with protective walls and fences to insure safety for the cars. However Palestinians are now barred from using this road on their appropriated land. The case has been to the courts that declared in the near future the road must be also open to Palestinian traffic.
Recently a flashing ad appeared on Jpost.com (the Jerusalem Post website) from a group called Shurat HaDin, “Israel Law Center,” advocating barring terrorists, Hamas and PLO from 443. This group is trying to gain support to overturn the ruling of the court. This and the above controversies continue to make trusting a difficult idea for the Palestinians. On the other side Israelis feel that every time they have given something to the Palestinians they get slapped in the face so that their level of trust is also nonexistent. There is little hope among those with whom I talk to that the newest possibility of indirect negotiations, here called “proximity” talks, will bear any fruit. With that said, we must continue to hope, pray and act in ways that will improve the future.