WHY JERUSALEM? – ISRAEL’S HIDDEN AGENDA
By Dan Lieberman
The Palestine Chronicle
July 2, 2009
Three huge granite stones rest comfortably on the top of Midbar Sinai
Street, in Givat Havatzim, Jerusalem’s northernmost district. Cut
to specification, the imposing stones represent one of several
preparations by the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement’s
to erect a Third Temple on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. Since the
Islamic Wafq owns and controls all the property on the Haram al-Sharif,
by what means can these stones be transferred to the Temple Mount and
how can a Temple be constructed there? Not by any legal means. The
stones are a provocation, which the Israel government refuses to
halt. Neglect and passivity lead to a belief that an eventual Muslim
reaction to the increasing provocations will give Israel an excuse to
seize total control of the Holy Basin – the ultimate of the properties
that Israel intends to incorporate into a greater Jerusalem.
For decades, Israeli authorities have spoken of a united Jerusalem –
suggesting a spiritual quality to its message – as if Israel wants the
home for the three monotheistic faiths to be solid and stable. By being
guided from one central authority, a united Jerusalem also offers a
preservation of a common and ancient heritage. However, by stressing
the word ‘unification,’ Israel disguises the lack of a sufficiently
supporting and verifiable historical narrative that could bolster its
thrust to incorporate all of an artificially created greater Jerusalem
into its boundaries. Coupled with inconsistencies and contradictions,
Israel’s eagerness to create a greater Jerusalem under its total
control becomes suspect. The intensive concentration on a ‘united’
Jerusalem reveals a hidden agenda that debases Jerusalem’s religious
ingathering and heightens division, hatred and strife.
Examine the Holy Basin. The Holy Basin contains well marked Christian
and Muslim institutions and holy places that have had historical
placement for millenniums. Although people of the Jewish faith
had major presence in Jerusalem during the centuries of Biblical
Jerusalem, which included rule by King Hezekiah and control by the
Hasmonean dynasties, their control and presence were interrupted
for two millennia. Extensive commentary has enabled the two thousand
years of lack of control and presence to seem as if it never happened
and that today is only a short time from the years of Hezekiah. Some
remains of Jewish dwellings and ritual baths can be found, but few
if any major Jewish monuments, buildings or institutions from the
Biblical era exist in the "Old City" of today’s Jerusalem. The often
cited Western Wall is the supporting wall for Herod’s platform and is
not directly related to the Second Temple. No remains of the Jewish
Temple have been located in Jerusalem – not even a rock.
According to Karen Armstrong, Jerusalem, Jews did not pray at the
Western Wall until the Mamluks in the 15th century allowed them to
move their congregations from a dangerous Mount of Olives and pray
daily at the Wall. At that time she estimates that there may have
been no more than 70 Jewish families in Jerusalem. After the Ottomans
replaced the Mamluks, Suleiman the Magnificent issued a formal edict
in the 16th century that permitted Jews to have a place of prayer at
the Western Wall.
The only remaining major symbol of Jewish presence in Jerusalem’s Holy
City is the Jewish quarter, which Israel cleared of Arabs and rebuilt
after 1967. During its clearing operations, Israel demolished the
Maghribi Quarter adjacent to the Western Wall, destroyed the al-Buraq
Mosque and the Tomb of the Sheikh al-Afdhaliyyah, and displaced
about 175 Arab families. Although the Jewish population in previous
centuries comprised a large segment of the Old City (estimates have
7000 Jews during the mid-19th century), the Jews gradually left the
Old City and migrated to new neighborhoods in West Jerusalem, leaving
only about 2000 Jews in the Old City. Jordanian control after the 1948
war reduced the number to nil. By 2009, the population of the Jewish
quarter in the Old City had grown to 3000, or nine percent of the
Old City population. The Christian, Armenian and Muslim populations
are the principal constituents and their quarters contain almost the
entire Old City commerce.
In an attempt to attach ancient Israel to present day Jerusalem,
Israeli authorities continue the attachment of spurious labels to
Holy Basin landmarks, while claiming the falsification is due to the
Byzantines, who got it all wrong.
King David’s Tower’s earliest remains were constructed several hundred
years after the Bible dates David’s reign. It is a now an obvious
Islamic minaret.
King David’s Citadel earliest remains are from the Hasmonean period
(200 B.C.). The Citadel was entirely rebuilt by the Ottomans between
1537 and 1541.
King David’s tomb, located in the Dormition Abbey, is a cloth-covered
cenotaph (no remains) that honors King David. It’s only an unverified
guess that the casket is related to David.
The Pools of Solomon, located in a village near Bethlehem, are
considered to be part of a Roman construction during the reign of
Herod the Great. The pools supplied water to an aqueduct that carried
the water to Bethlehem and to Jerusalem.
The Stables of Solomon, under the Temple Mount, are assumed to be a
construction of vaults that King Herod built in order to extend the
Temple Mount platform.
Absalom’s Tomb is an obvious Greek sculptured edifice and therefore
cannot be the tomb of David’s son.
The City of David contains artifacts that date before and during
David’s time. However, some archaeologists maintain there is an
insufficient number of artifacts to conclude any Israelite presence,
including that of King David, before the late ninth century. In any
case any Israelite presence must have been in a small and unfortified
settlement.
The Jerusalem Archaeological Park within the Old City, together
with the Davidson Exhibition and Virtual Reconstruction Center also
tell the story. Promising to reveal much of a Hebrew civilization,
the museums shed little light on its subject. The Davidson Center
highlights a coin exhibition, Jerusalem bowls and stone vessels. The
Archeological Park in the Old City contains among many artifacts,
Herodian structures, ritual baths, a floor of an Umayyad palace, a
Roman road, Ottoman gates, and the facade of what is termed Robinson’s
arch, an assumed Herodian entryway to the Temple Mount. The exhibitions
don’t reveal many, if any, ancient Hebrew structures or institutions
of special significance.
Reliable archaeologists, after examining excavations that contain
pottery shards and buildings, concluded that archaeological finds
don’t substantiate the biblical history of Jerusalem and its importance
during the eras of a united Jewish kingdom under David and Solomon.
Margaret Steiner in an article titled It’s Not There: Archaeology
Proves a Negative in the Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August,
1998, states:
"…from the tenth century B.C.E. there is no archaeological evidence
that many people actually lived in Jerusalem, only that it was some
kind of public administrative center…We are left with nothing that
indicates a city was here during their supposed reigns (of David
and Solomon)…It seems unlikely, however, that this Jerusalem was
the capital of a large state, the United monarchy, as described in
Biblical texts."
West Jerusalem is another matter. With banditry prolific and Old City
gates being closed before nightfall, living outside the city gates did
not appeal to the population. Wealthy philanthropist Moses Montefiore
wanted to attract the Jewish population to new surroundings and he
constructed the first Jewish community outside of the Old City –
Yemin Moshe’s first houses were completed in 1860. From that time
Jewish presence played a role in creating a West Jerusalem. Other
institutions, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Russian Orthodox and Muslim
soon ventured forth and owned much property in the evolving West
Jerusalem.
In 1948, After the Israeli army seized absolute control of West
Jerusalem, the new Israeli government confiscated all West Jerusalem
property owned by Muslim institutions. Reason – enemy property. Few
Muslims and no mosques remain in today’s West Jerusalem.
One contradiction. By attacking and ethnically cleansing the
Christian Arab communities of Deir Yassin and Ein Kerem, Israeli
forces characterized Christian Palestinians as an enemy. Nevertheless,
Israel did not confiscate Christian properties, many of which are
apparent in West Jerusalem. The Greek Orthodox Church owns extensive
properties in West Jerusalem, many marked by its "TΦ" (Tau + Phi)
symbol, interpreted as the word ‘Sepulchre.’
Another contradiction. Israel has cared for the Jewish cemetery on
the Mount of Olives and expanded it as a heritage site. Part of the
famous Muslim Mamilla cemetery in West Jerusalem has been classified
as refugee property and is being prepared to be demolished for the
new Museum of Tolerance.
East Jerusalem reveals more contradictions. The repeated warning
by Israeli leaders that co-existence is not feasible and that it
is necessary to separate the Jewish and Palestinian communities is
contradicted by Israel’s desire to incorporate East Jerusalem into
Israel. Incorporation means accepting somewhere between 160,000 and
225,000 Palestinians into a Jewish state. Or does it? Whereas the
older historical Jewish neighborhoods in West Jerusalem have their
character meticulously maintained or are rebuilt in their original
style, the older Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem are entirely
neglected (all of Arab East Jerusalem is neglected) or destroyed. How
much deterioration and destruction can Palestinians absorb before
they decide to leave?
Construction of Jewish homes in East Jerusalem Arab neighborhoods
proceeds and destruction of Arab homes, either declared illegally
constructed or illegally purchased, continues. On 44 dunums of
lands confiscated from Palestinian families, a private company has
constructed the gated community of Nof Zion, and conveniently separated
Palestinian Jabal Al Mukabir from other parts of East Jerusalem. No
Arabs need apply. The million dollar condominiums are advertised for
American investors.
The Israeli ministry of Interior has approved a plan to demolish
a kindergarten and wholesale market in East Jerusalem’s Wadi Joz
neighborhood in order to construct a new hotel close to the Old City
and near the Rockefeller Museum. The result will be the destruction
of an Arab neighborhood and its replacement by Jewish interests,
which will one day join other Jewish interests.
These are only two examples of a master plan to replace the centuries
old Arab presence in East Jerusalem with a modern Jewish presence. The
ancient Arab presence in an ancient land is further subdivided by
the Separation Wall, which runs through the East Jerusalem landscape
and detaches East Jerusalem from the West Bank, making it unlikely
for a Palestinian state to have its capital in East Jerusalem. The
master plan extends the boundaries of Jerusalem to include the large
Israeli settlement (city) of Maale Adumim. Between Maale Adumim
and East Jerusalem, Israel proposes to construct the E1 corridor,
which joins settlements in a ring and adds to the separation of
East Jerusalem from the West Bank. The E1 corridor will divide the
northern and southern West Bank and will impede direct transit between
Palestine Bethlehem, which is south of E1 and Palestine Ramallah,
which is north of E1. Construction of the E1 corridor, portions of
which are owned by Palestinians, could prevent the formation of a
viable Palestinian state.
So, if Israel is destroying Jerusalem’s heritage and subjugating its
spiritual meaning, why does Israel want to unify Jerusalem?
Israel’s Hidden Agenda
Israel is a physically small and relatively new country with an
eager population and big ambitions. It needs more prestige and wants
to be viewed as a power broker on the world stage. To gain those
perspectives Israel needs a capital city that commands respect,
contains ancient traditions and is recognized as one of the world’s
most important and leading cities. Almost all of the world’s principal
nations, from Egypt to Germany to Great Britain, have capitals that
are great cities of the world. To assure its objectives, Israel wants
an oversized Jerusalem that contains the Holy City.
That’s not all.
Jerusalem has significant tourism that can be expanded. It can provide
new commercial opportunities as an entry to all of the Mid-East. An
indivisible Jerusalem under Israeli control is worth a lot of shekels.
Israel competes with the United States as the focus of the Jewish
people. It needs a unique Jerusalem to gain recognition as the home
of Judaism.
By controlling all of the holy sites, Israel commands attention from
Moslem and Christian leaders. These leaders will be forced to talk
with Israel and Israel will have a bargaining advantage in disputes.
Whatever Israel gains the Palestinians are denied. Even if Israel
agrees to the establishment of a Palestinian state, it will direct
its policies to limit the effectiveness of that state. Since East
Jerusalem and its holy sites greatly benefit a Palestinian economy
and increase Palestine legitimacy, Israel will do everything to
prevent East Jerusalem being ceded to the new state of Palestine. An
"indivisible" Jerusalem is part of that effort.
West Jerusalem only gives Israel a North/South capital. An indivisible
Jerusalem gives Israel a forward look towards an East/West capital or
a centralized capital of the land of previous biblical Jewish tribes.
The Zionist socialist ideals and the cooperative Kibbutzim
received support and sympathy from idealistic world peoples for
many years. Israel’s attachment to the Holocaust tragedy extended
that sympathy and support to more of the world. With the end of the
Zionist dream, the decline of kibbutz life and the over-popularizing
of the Holocaust, Israel needs a new symbol of identity that captures
world attention.
If Israel has legitimate claims to Jerusalem, then those claims
should be heard and discussed in a proper forum. However, that is
not the process forthcoming. The process has the Israeli government
using illegal and illegitimate procedures, as well as deceitful and
hypocritical methods to force its agenda. Israel is not presenting
its case but is exerting its powers to trample all legal, moral and
historical considerations.
In the Museum of the Citadel of David is an inscription: The land of
Israel is in the center of the world and Jerusalem is the center of
the land of Israel.
This self praise was echoed at a West Jerusalem coffee house in a
conversation with several Israelis, A youthful Israeli abruptly sat
at the table and entered the conversation with the words: "All the
world looks to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the center of the world and
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Everyone needs Jerusalem and they
will need to talk with Israel.’
And that is why Israel desperately wants its greater Jerusalem.
– Dan Lieberman is the editor of Alternative Insight, a monthly web
based newsletter. Dan has written many articles on the Middle East
conflict, which have circulated on websites and media throughout the
world. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com. Contact
him at: [email protected]