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Fighting For Jerusalem

A slow struggle for control of the city plays out as a key to final-status talks.

GIL SEDAN

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Jerusalem

T

ensions ran high here last
Friday. According to Israeli
intelligence reports, radical
Muslims intended to stir up
trouble during their noon prayers fol-
lowing an Israeli decision to seal off a
window the Palestinians had carved out
in the southern wall of the Old City.
Police did not take any chances. A
large number of officers were deployed
around the Temple Mount to prevent
a possible outburst. Potential trouble-
makers got the message, the majority
of worshippers went home quietly and
another mine had been removed in
the battle over Jerusalem.
Although Israel and the Palestinians
agreed to leave the sensitive issue of
the city to the end of peace negotia-
tions, the fact is that both sides are
engaged in a race for control on the
ground.
Jerusalem is not only the most sen-
sitive issue standing between Israel and
the Palestinians. It is also the destina-
tion of some 4 million pilgrims
expected to visit the Holy Land at the
turn of the millennium, which raises
the possibility of new violence in the
"City of Peace."
Less than five months before "M-
Day," all sorts of people with personal,
religious and political agendas are con-
verging on Jerusalem: Jewish extrem-
ists seeking to replace the mosques on
the Temple Mount with the Third
Temple; Christians dreaming of an
Armageddon to speed up the second
coming of Jesus; and Palestinians who
insist that all of eastern Jerusalem
should become the capital of an inde-
pendent Palestinian state.
From Israel's point of view, it is in
the nation's best interest to preserve
the status quo in Jerusalem if it
to overcome the obstacles and the
challenges of this millennium year.
The Israeli government realizes that it
will be very difficult to make peace —
and political concessions — if there is
unrest in Jerusalem.
On the other hand, Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat
needs to prove to his supporters that

8/20
1999

24 Detroit Jewish News

residents who are not Israeli citizens
large-scale private construction
regardless of the ups and downs in
— regardless of their ethnic origin —
throughout the eastern part of the city.
negotiations, his ultimate goal is the
the regulation, in practice, discrimi-
Most of the building is unlicensed,
establishment of eastern Jerusalem as
nated against Arabs.
and despite Israel's occasional demoli-
the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Whereas Israelis born in Jerusalem
tion
of
illegal
housing,
by
and
large
Recently, Arafat has made frequent
who
have resided most of their lives
the
construction
has
not
been
statements that he will not rest until
overseas can return home any time,
stopped.
the Palestinians take over "the walls,
their Palestinian neighbors will, at
Israel had closed off a number of
the mosques and the churches" in
best, receive a tourist visa.
offices of the Palestinian Authority in
eastern Jerusalem. As he bargains with
The vast majority of the Arab resi-
eastern Jerusalem. But Orient House
Israel's Ehud Barak over a timetable
dents
of Jerusalem don't apply for
continues
to
operate
as
the
Palestinian
for future Israeli withdrawals from
portions of the West
Bank, he is also prepar-
ing himself for final-
status negotiations --
in which Jerusalem will
be the key issue.
So far, Israelis and
Palestinians are main-
taining a delicate bal-
ance of gains and losses
in Jerusalem.
True, Israel has built
a network of Jewish
neighborhoods in east-
ern Jerusalem — the
Palestinians call them
settlements — in which
some 170,000 Israelis
live. But the
Palestinians have suc-
ceeded in preserving a
clear division between
the eastern and western
parts of the city.
While the
Palestinians had to
Hezbollah commander Ali Hassan Deeb died when two roadside bombs demolished his car
acquiesce to the open-
Monday
in Sidon, Lebanon. Guerillas blamed Israelibr the attack and promised retaliation.
ing of the Western Wall
On
Tuesday,
two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven wounded in a fight with Hezbollah troops.
tunnel, they have also
conducted massive
reconstruction work in
Israeli citizenship as a matter of princi-
Authority's Jerusalem headquarters.
the Al-Aksa Mosque. The opening
ple. Moreover, Palestinians who
One of the main issues of contro-
carved out last week was, in fact, an
))
applied for Israeli citizenship were
versy in recent years has been Israeli
opening to ancient Al-Aksa, a recon-
asked to give up their Jordanian citi-
action to cut down on the number of
structed part of the mosque. It will
zenship, a condition most Palestinians
Arabs living in Jerusalem, a policy that
soon be inaugurated as part of a fes-
don't want because of their strong
has
been
known
as
the
silent
trans-
tive ceremony.
family ties to the West Bank and
fer.
The controversial construction at
Jordan
and their desire to travel freely
The
government
of
Israeli
Prime
Har Homa, a Jewish neighborhood in
in
the
Arab
world.
Minister
Binyamin
Netanyahu,
specif-
eastern Jerusalem, has continued
The newly appointed interior min-
ically former Interior Minister Eliahu
unimpeded — and the first apart-
ister, Natan Sharansky, has promised
Suissa, revoked residency rights from
ments are being sold — even though
to review the policy.
residents of eastern Jerusalem who had
the Palestinians previously threatened
One cannot talk of a united
not
lived
in
the
city
for
more
than
that it could lead to a renewed intifa-
Jerusalem
without proper treatment of
seven
years.
da, or uprising.
the
residents
of east Jerusalem,"
Although
the
Interior
Ministry
But the Palestinians, too, have con-
Sharansky
said.
LI
claims
that
the
regulation
applies
to
all
tinued, almost undisturbed, with