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The recent summit which took place in Berlin between Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu and US secretary of State John Kerry resulted in the reinforcement of a security change in the situation at the Temple Mount which occurred a few months ago, when Israeli police began to protect Jews who wanted to visit there, between between 8 AM and 11AM.
This was with the proviso that Jews would not pray on the Temple Mount during their visits.
This Israeli security measure followed months of violent attacks on individual Jews who visited the Temple Mount.
The Israeli government was determined to ameliorate that situation.
Yet the challenge to Israel’s presence on the Temple Mount reflects a deeper issue of the non recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, or any part of Jerusalem.
It is important to understand that the position of the United States on sovereignty in Jerusalem is stuck in American policy that was formulated in 1947:American policy is that Jerusalem is not recognized as part of Israel.
Hence, the US Supreme Court would not allow US citizens born in Jerusalem to add the word “Israel”
The US position matches the Palestinian Authority position, entitled “Ending the Occupation, Establishing the State: Program of the Thirteenth Government, as articulated by the former PA Prime Minister, Salman Fayad, based on decisions made by the PA.
In that position paper. Fayad asserted that “Jerusalem” will be the Palestinian capital of the Palestinian state – with no mention of “East Jerusalem.”
In case anyone was wondering if Fayad had made a typographical error by not mentioning “east” Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, Fayad repeated – ten times – that he meant Jerusalem – all of Jerusalem.
Fayad left nothing to the imagination, and wrote that the Palestinian state will “Protect Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the Palestinian state,” because Fayad asserted that “Jerusalem is our people’s religious, cultural, economic and political center. It is the Flower of Cities and Capital of Capitals. It cannot be anything but the eternal capital of the future Palestinian state. Jerusalem”
Fayad went on to claim that Jerusalem “is under threat” and that “ the occupying authority is implementing a systematic plan to alter the city’s landmarks and its geographical and demographic character in order to forcibly create facts on the ground, ultimately separating it from its Palestinian surroundings and eradicating its Arab Palestinian heritage”.
Fayad further claimed that “Palestinian life in Jerusalem is under daily attack through systematic violations perpetrated by the occupation regime” and that “It is the right and the duty of all Palestinians to protect their land, reject the occupation and defy its measures”, adding that the Palestinian state “bears special responsibility for nurturing our people’s ability to persevere and protect their homeland”.
Fayad added that the Palestinian government will maintain its “unreserved commitment to defending the Arab character and status of Jerusalem…. The Government will continue to do all that is possible to achieve this goal. The Government will work with all organizations to preserve the landmarks of Jerusalem and its Arab Palestinian heritage, develop the city, and secure its contiguity with its Palestinian surroundings”.
Fayad framed Jerusalem, all of Jerusalem, is an illegal settlement, postulating that “the occupying authority is pursuing its intensive settlement policy in and around Jerusalem…The occupation regime has shut down our national institutions, neglected the development of Palestinian life, continued to demolish and evacuate Palestinian homes, and restricted access to sacred Christian and Islamic sites”
Fayad went on to present a practical plan to Arabize Jerusalem, by “maintaining Jerusalem as a top priority on the Government’s agenda and“ highlighting “its predicament in the media”.
Launching programs to promote the steadfastness of Jerusalem, including: Strengthen Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem, providing financial support to help them deliver services to citizens”.
Remember: Fayad was the moderate voice in the Palestinian Authority.
Lesson to be learned: American supporters of Israel have campaigned for years to ask the US embassy be moved to Jerusalem. However, they have neglected a more fundamental issue: Demanding that the US recognize that Jerusalem as part of Israel.
Relaxing with my grandson El Roi, age 2 and a half, in the peace and tranquility of theTemple Mount, hours before the new year….with Israel police protection.
