"Jerusalem, A Jewish City By All Definitions"

"Jerusalem, A Jewish City By All Definitions"

The above quotation comes from this introduction by Eli E. Hertz to his illustrated and documented article entitled "Jerusalem: One Nation's Capital Throughout History".  If you missed his earlier article, an important and compelling consideration of the centrality of Jerusalem in Jewish (as opposed to Islamic) thought and practice, here's the link.

Now, he writes:

"Palestinians have nurtured a myth that historically there were two Jerusalems - an Arab 'East Jerusalem' and a Jewish 'West Jerusalem.'

Jerusalem was never an Arab city; Jews have held a majority in Jerusalem since 1870, and 'east-west' is a geographic, not political designation. It is no different than claiming the Eastern shore of Maryland should be a separate political entity from the rest of the state. 

With an overall population of nearly 800,000 today, separating East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem is as viable and acceptable as the notion of splitting Berlin into two cities again, or separating East Harlem from the rest of Manhattan. 

Arab claims to Jerusalem, a Jewish city by all definitions, reflect the "what's-mine-is-mine, what's-yours-is-mine" mentality underlying Palestinian concepts of how to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. That concept is also expressed in the demand for the 'Right of Return,' not just in Jerusalem - Israel's capital, but 'inside the Green Line' as well."

See his entire article (which may be said to refute the Palestinian Arab claims set out inthis recent overview by Alex Ryvchin) here

http://daphneanson.blogspot.com/2012/09/jerusalem-jewish-city-by-all-definitions.html