Reports & Commentary

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"Quiet revolution that is freezing Palestinians out of Jerusalem"

By Rory McCarthy

In the brochure handed out by the mayor's office in Jerusalem last week, there were pretty sketches illustrating a development that would turn a poor, crowded area into a park, with streams, restaurants and hotels. It talked of reviving the area's "ancient glory" and returning the site to "an island of green" just outside the walls of the Old City. True, some houses would have to be demolished but they had been built illegally and anyway the plan was a "win-win" for both the residents and the city, said the mayor, Nir Barkat.

Except that Jerusalem is not any city: it is at the heart of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and planning projects like this are political and potentially volatile. The area under the spotlight is Bustan, part of Silwan in east Jerusalem, home to Palestinians and, increasingly, to well-funded, heavily guarded Jewish settlers. Most of the world, including Britain, does not recognise Israeli sovereignty in the east of the city, the part it captured in 1967, occupied and then annexed.

Analysis

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"Welcome To Israel, Joe!"

By Yousef Munayyer

When he visited the Middle East, then Senator Barack Obama had a rude awakening. He was on the ritual visit for American presidential candidates to Israel, which usually consist of touring sites of significance to Jews and declaring support for the state of Israel. This is important for American politicians who pay homage to an influential pro-Israel lobby, and it was even more important for President Obama. His background, his middle name, his father’s religion and his associations with Arabs and Muslims made him a target of critics who claimed he would be soft on security.

So, with a yarmulke upon his head, Barack Hussein Obama recited prayers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. But before his prayers could transcend the clouds and make it up to heaven, Obama was reminded just what he was getting into. In the crowd of onlookers and media that had formed around him, a heckler yelled out, “Jerusalem is ours, Obama. Jerusalem is not for sale, Obama.”


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