Jerusalem Today: What Future for the Peace Process?

Ghada Karmi, Editor. Jerusalem Today: What Future for the Peace Process? Reading, U.K.: Ithaca Press, 1996. 191 pp. Hardcover, no price indicated.

Jerusalem, the Holy City of the three great monotheistic religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam, has often been called the "City of Peace" in religious writings and prayers. In fact there is probably another spot on earth which during the known centuries of human history has been so contentious and virtually soaked with the blood of those who fought for its domination. In Jerusalem, religion has always been strictly interwoven with politics, and even the Christians there, despite all their deeply spiritual doctrine, just like King Solomon before them, wanted to build "a house for the name of the Lord and a house for his [their] Kingdom." After several thousand years of struggle and the dramatic events of the last century, Jerusalem was included into the "final status issues" in the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, the most controversial and substantial ones, regarding which both parties are, in practice, still unable to find any common language and vision.

The book under review is based on a selection of papers which were first presented in June 1995 at a conference held in London, England on "the current status of Jerusalem and the future of the peace process," and it intends to provide "a comprehensive view of Jerusalem from all its major aspects" (p. xvii). The book begins with Edward Said's keynote essay, which, like his other writings, is eloquent and insightful. The rest of the book is divided into four parts, discussing the legal status of Jerusalem, its present ownership, changing character and historical and legal significance. Although the authors' opinions are often different, nevertheless they are all in agreement on two basic issues: (1) the preservation of the unique and pluralistic character of the city, and (2) the defense of the Palestinian rights to live there and to enjoy an equal political and socio-economic status with the present Jewish majority.

The papers included discuss a variety of topics and problems regarding the Holy City, its past and present. However, all the issues concerning Jerusalem are so strictly interrelated that it is not possible to discuss them separately, and only a more general holistic approach can provide any chance of an informative and potentially effective presentation. For instance, in Rodman Bundy's view, legal rules alone will not "provide the answer to the status of Jerusalem" (p. 50) and "the matter is more likely to require a creative diplomatic solution freed from the strict constraints of law" (Ibid.). In fact, as Edward Said indicates, Jerusalem's realities cannot be "defined only as those that present themselves as facts on the ground" (p. 18) and also need to include "intentions, ideologies, and the record of past performance and practice" (Ibid). Karen Armstrong's essay, "Jerusalem in History" is particularly thoughtful and revealing from that point of view; it stresses that as "the history of Jerusalem has been inextricably bound up with religion," the city "has become a religious symbol to Jews, Christians and Muslims because it has signified that ultimate value which gives meaning to our lives in a flawed and tragic world" (p. 111).

Their attitudes and approaches to the Holy City varied and even now, they are still quite different. Roughly speaking, here one can discern two main ideologies whose influence in history was changing, depending on the time and spiritual orientations of the parties involved.

The first was based on domination and exclusivism, the second on pluralism, openness and sharing the land and inherent sacred values with the others. An example of the first attitude may be the Christian Crusaders who, after their capture of the Holy City in 1099 A.D., massacred all its Muslim and many of its Jewish inhabitants. The other approach was shown by Caliph Umar, who after his conquest of Jerusalem in 638 A.D., left the Christians in undisputed possession of their holy places and even invited back Jews to live in the Holy City (p. 114). Also now if the Israeli leaders and their supporters believe in the rigorous distinction between Jew and non-Jew and consider the land of Israel-especially Jerusalem- to be a perpetual trust held by Israel for the Jewish people, most of the Palestinians and many others, including some Israeli Jews, are willing to see it as a center where various ethnic groups and religions can live and operate on the basis of equal rights and freedoms. Because of the present-day bal ance of power, Israeli authorities are still able to continue the policy of unyielding acquisition of land and subjugation of the local Palestinian population. Under Netanyahu's regime, even more than in early 1996 when the book was published, it seems likely that "the writing is on the wall for Jerusalem as we have known it" (p. xvi). Although most of the papers included in the monograph did not conceal the anxiety and misgivings of their authors about the immediate future, on the other hand, however, some of them still express some optimism, even though their hopes are based on somewhat different premises. An Israeli peace activist, Un Avnery, writes on the changing Israeli attitude toward Palestinians and the growing Israeli acceptance of accommodation and sharing with them the same piece of land and the same Holy City. Karen Armstrong rejects "facile consolation," but still believes that "a solution can be found that is based on inclusion, continuity, and coexistence, rather than exclusion, expulsion and expropriation" (p. 117).

Israel's position is privileged, not only due to her sheer power of physical occupation and direct control of Jerusalem, but also to its advanced intellectual research of its past and present, and the sources of data and information at its disposal. However, in regard to the Palestinians, as a British scholar has recently pointed out: "In contrast to the work already carried out on the Israeli side, the lack of preparedness is still immense." (Michel Dumper, "Jerusalem Under Israeli Rule," Journal of Palestine Studies, XXVII, No. 2 (Winter 1998), pp. 98-99.)

This book is thus a timely contribution, even though its general character and content obviously cannot correspond to the ever present urgent needs and expectations. Although on the whole it is quite well informed and well written, nevertheless it is just a compilation mainly of short essays and can neither cover nor discuss in depth all the essential problems of the Holy City. Its unique character and the present political significance both require an increased effort to study its history and present predicaments. The book undoubtedly represents one more step in the right direction, but many more should follow soon in order to elaborate a new vision of Jerusalem's future, a vision which will correspond to our global civilization and the hopes of the majority.

Andrej Kreutz is with the Center for Eastern Research and Studies, the Institute for International Studies, University of Lodz, Poland.