Calm returns
The two main news items in Israel have been the rioting of Palestinian Arabs in East Jerusalem and the spat with the US over the announcement of further Israeli building in East Jerusalem. Both of these situations seem now to be returning to relative calm.
The rioting was associated with a "day of rage" proclaimed by Hamas in response to the dedication of the rebuilt great synagogue, The Hurva, in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The PA and the Islamic Waqf (religious authority) also called for the Arabs to gather in Jerusalem to protect the Haram-al-Sharif. This rioting was not related to the building of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, as much of the media inaccurately reported. The rioting resulted from the age-old tradition of the Arabs to riot when they feel that the Temple Mount, the Haram al-Sharif, is in danger from the Jews. Of course, there was no danger and there is no intention of the Israeli Government to change the status quo there, but the Arabs have this tradition of anti-Jewish riots, and they oppose any move by the Jews to enhance their situation in the Old City.
Remember that for the 19 years between 1948 when it was captured by the Jordanians and 1967 when the Israelis recaptured it, the Jewish Quarter lay completely in ruins and all the synagogues had been desecrated and destroyed. In 1929 when there were serious riots in Jerusalem and Hebron in response to similar false claims that the Jews were attacking the Haram-al-Sharif, 79 Jews were killed in Hebron and the Jews were totally expelled from there. Now, with the Israeli authorities in charge, the Arab mob do not have free rein to kill Jews. There was one shooting of a policeman last night in the Arab village of Ras-al-Amud, 15 police were injured and 60 Palestinians were arrested. But, today calm has returned and the al-Aksa Mosque is open to all who wish to worship there.
Likewise, the US Administration, bearing in mind the response that their harsh criticism of PM Netanyahu and his Government had evinced both in Israel and the US (from Republicans and many Democrats who are in fear of losing votes), started to back-pedal. The criticism was more muted and there were indications that the mood had changed from one of total rejection to one of trying to find a compromise. This may come in the following way, all the building that was approved, although in areas of eastern Jerusalem beyond the former "green line" or ceasefire border, is in purely Jewish areas, none of it is in Arab areas, such as Arab East Jerusalem. As PM Netanyahu stated, none of the building approved directly interferes with any Arab area, and in fact of 23 areas of approved future building, 7 of them are for Arabs in Arab areas. All previous Israeli Governments since 1967 have had the policy of building Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem to accomodate the burgeoning Jewish population. So although it is clear that the PA will oppose any Jewish building in Jerusalem, it is not in the US interest to support that biased Palestinian policy. At any rate, an accomodation must be found before both PM Netanyahu and Secty of State Clinton speak at the AIPAC conference in Washington next week.
The rioting was associated with a "day of rage" proclaimed by Hamas in response to the dedication of the rebuilt great synagogue, The Hurva, in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The PA and the Islamic Waqf (religious authority) also called for the Arabs to gather in Jerusalem to protect the Haram-al-Sharif. This rioting was not related to the building of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, as much of the media inaccurately reported. The rioting resulted from the age-old tradition of the Arabs to riot when they feel that the Temple Mount, the Haram al-Sharif, is in danger from the Jews. Of course, there was no danger and there is no intention of the Israeli Government to change the status quo there, but the Arabs have this tradition of anti-Jewish riots, and they oppose any move by the Jews to enhance their situation in the Old City.
Remember that for the 19 years between 1948 when it was captured by the Jordanians and 1967 when the Israelis recaptured it, the Jewish Quarter lay completely in ruins and all the synagogues had been desecrated and destroyed. In 1929 when there were serious riots in Jerusalem and Hebron in response to similar false claims that the Jews were attacking the Haram-al-Sharif, 79 Jews were killed in Hebron and the Jews were totally expelled from there. Now, with the Israeli authorities in charge, the Arab mob do not have free rein to kill Jews. There was one shooting of a policeman last night in the Arab village of Ras-al-Amud, 15 police were injured and 60 Palestinians were arrested. But, today calm has returned and the al-Aksa Mosque is open to all who wish to worship there.
Likewise, the US Administration, bearing in mind the response that their harsh criticism of PM Netanyahu and his Government had evinced both in Israel and the US (from Republicans and many Democrats who are in fear of losing votes), started to back-pedal. The criticism was more muted and there were indications that the mood had changed from one of total rejection to one of trying to find a compromise. This may come in the following way, all the building that was approved, although in areas of eastern Jerusalem beyond the former "green line" or ceasefire border, is in purely Jewish areas, none of it is in Arab areas, such as Arab East Jerusalem. As PM Netanyahu stated, none of the building approved directly interferes with any Arab area, and in fact of 23 areas of approved future building, 7 of them are for Arabs in Arab areas. All previous Israeli Governments since 1967 have had the policy of building Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem to accomodate the burgeoning Jewish population. So although it is clear that the PA will oppose any Jewish building in Jerusalem, it is not in the US interest to support that biased Palestinian policy. At any rate, an accomodation must be found before both PM Netanyahu and Secty of State Clinton speak at the AIPAC conference in Washington next week.
posted by Jack Cohen at 2:01 PM
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