What Will Trump’s Jerusalem Decision Mean?
“Let’s be honest about what occurred: This was a political decision.”
10
Dec
28
Jul
Opinion | Politicians Love Jerusalem—But What About Jerusalemites?
Once again, our city has been taken over by jealousy. Once again, it has been reduced to little more than a humiliated pawn in the hands of politicians who, in their attempts to own this city, are willing, quite literally, to let her die.
10
May
Opinion | Should 1967 be Celebrated or Mourned?
Fifty years. More than half of them, many more, have been years of acrimony. Was the Six-Day War just a great triumph—or a triumph whose consequence is grave devastation? Was it worth it? Pick the facts that support your viewpoint: The 1967 war resulted in overconfidence that brought about the 1973 war; the 1967 war convinced some Arab leaders that Israel was no longer weak and that removing it by force was not a realistic option; the war enabled Jews to settle the more important regions of its ancient homeland; the war put Israel in charge of territory occupied by Palestinians.
10
May
Opinion | The Trouble With Holiness
The “miraculous” victory of 1967 returned major holy places in Jerusalem and the West Bank to Jewish control, including the Temple Mount in the Old City (known as Haram al-Sharif to Muslims), the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem. This unexpected bounty, like other seemingly wondrous developments, actually fueled intense friction between Jews and Muslims. Sadly, the miracle of Israeli control of the holy places over 50 years has reduced the possibility of a peaceful solution to the wider conflict.
02
Jan
Opinion // Is it Time to Move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem?
What is an embassy? It is an office in which people do their jobs—at times essential, at other times unimportant. It is also a symbol—of friendship, of cooperation, of relations.
29
Aug
Q&A: Author Adina Hoffman on Jerusalem Architects
In her fourth book, Adina Hoffman focuses on three brilliant Jerusalem architects.
01
Jun
Mount Zion: Jerusalem’s Wild & Sacred Backyard
Located just outside Jerusalem’s old city walls, Mount Zion is home to King David’s tomb, the room of the last supper and a former mosque. Today, a tangle of neglectful Israeli authorities has allowed the site to become a beacon for ultra-nationalist religious Jews.
01
Jan
Opinion // Living Under the “Terrorism Tree”
Attacks may be a fact of life, but Israelis will never consider terrorism “normal.”
29
Aug
Opinion | Naomi Ragen
Since the recent elections, new laws are changing Israeli society for better and worse.
01
Aug
Whose Side Is the U.S. Really On?
As U.S.-brokered negotiations begin–again–between Israelis and Palestinians, both sides want to know: Hey, America, whose side are you really on?
After living in Jerusalem for seven years and working in the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I encountered that question on more than one occasion.
My answer came after an unexpected ride on a sherut, the 10-person van that shuttles passengers between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. One night out in Tel Aviv, it was well past midnight and I was ready to go home to Jerusalem. The regular buses had stopped running, so the only way to get home was via the Jerusalem sherut.
Haphazardly huddled by the side of the road where the sherut picks up its passengers just a few of us were waiting when I first arrived, but eventually a small crowd amassed. Thirty of...