“Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem”: Seeking New Ways to Settle the Middle East Crisis

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you prosper.

May there be peace within your walls, and prosperity inside your fortresses.”

For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.”[1]

Sourse: Unsplash

 Jerusalem is known as the “Holy Land” to the three Abrahamic religions. The Bible calls Jerusalem the City of Peace, but no city on earth has seen as many wars as Jerusalem. Throughout its long history, Jerusalem has been attacked 52 times, captured 44 times, besieged 23 times and destroyed twice.

The creation of the State of Israel changed the balance of power in the Middle East region, triggering a series of Arab-Israeli wars that increased national concerns and intensified the confrontation between regional powers.

In April 2023, shortly before the launch of another Israeli military campaign, “Operation Shield and Arrow”, against “The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine”[2], the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security issued a wake-up call of an imminent war in Israel that may be inevitable. According to the experts, “Israel is seen from the outside as a torn society, gradually losing its ability to function and its domestic problems could dismantle its military capability. Due to regional and global balance changes, Israel’s strategic environment becomes more problematic and dangerous than it has been for decades. The State of Israel must adopt a new paradigm that prioritizes security needs over other legitimate needs”.

In recent years, interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has waned, both among the world powers and on the part of the Arab states. The reasons include the shift in U.S. foreign policy priorities toward the Asia-Pacific region and the strengthening of alliances in Europe. Moreover, Middle Eastern regional leaders have become more interested in economic cooperation issues rather than regional security issues. Confrontations are transformed into cooperation. The neighboring Arab states realized that it was more beneficial for them to maintain economic and technological relations with each other and with the Jewish state. As a result, Israel is gradually losing the support of the world community and is left to fend for itself in the face of external and internal security threats: how to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat and how to respond to terrorist groups in the Palestinian territories. According to the opinion of Munir Zughair[3], the Palestinian expert and chairman of the North area of Jerusalem, the Palestinian people also feel insecure as hundreds of UN promises to resolve the conflict remain on the negotiating table. “In the current situation, Palestinians live under an occupation that limits their rights under Article 4 of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the protection of civilian persons in times of war. In the current circumstances, this affects the lives of Palestinian citizens”[4]. The expert believes that the leaders of some Arab countries were influenced by the United States and made a compromise: they made peace with Israel in return for their security. However, the entire Muslim population of the Middle East and Maghreb continues to support the Palestinian people in their struggle for their rights.

The resumption between Iran and Saudi Arabia has resonated in Israel, exacerbating internal contradictions in the country's government. Iran is becoming involved in the global political process, which can affect not only the development of its nuclear potential but also strengthen its positions in neighboring countries in the region. Nevertheless, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is trying to normalize relations with the Saudi monarchy and considers this a priority. At the same time, Israel does not rule out the possibility of a military conflict with Iran and is ready to repel any threat posed by the Islamic state. Anyway, the strengthening of the Islamic power center in the region may have an impact on the development of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to an Israeli expert on the political conflict in Jerusalem, Professor of Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Moshe Amirav[5], the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the key to Israel's political stability and security in the region. “The Iranian threat to Israel has been the most important one for the last 20 years but the Israeli army is prepared to repel it. But now this issue is being used more as a struggle for influence. Iran will not try to attack Israel. There will be no peace in the Middle East until the Palestinian issue is resolved through the signing of agreements[6]”.

There can be no doubt that the regional leaders of the Middle East are in a race to be the economic leaders of the region. Through a close partnership with the United States, Israel secured a leading position. This position was strengthened when Israel signed the Abraham Accords. Nevertheless, the fear of the current Israeli government is reasonable. Iran continues to support the Palestinian people in their battle for independence.

“Iran is the "big brother" to the Palestinian people. Our people share the same religious values. For the Palestinians, Iran is a strategic partner, just as the USA is for Israel. The Palestinian National Security Forces purchase weapons, technology and information from Iran[7]”.

The lack of political intent and readiness for dialogue in both the Israeli and Palestinian governments is influencing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There is an increase in internal security risks. The unresolved political problems on both sides give rise to radical ideas in both Israeli and Palestinian society.

“Now peace with the Palestinians is almost unlikely. Their government is weak, and the Israeli government is radical. The problem is local, and other factors in the Middle East are of secondary importance. Palestinian and Israeli youth are frustrated with their governments, so they are pessimistic about justice. The country is now split[8]”.

 

The Six-Day War Impacts

After the results of the Six Day War in 1967, politicians were naive to believe that the Muslim world would be satisfied with religious autonomy and would not make political demands over the holy sites (The Temple Mount). Over the years, this place became a rallying point for opposition throughout the Muslim world. The Temple Mount has become the powder keg of the conflict in the Middle East[9]. The first Palestinian intifada in 1987 seems to have finally buried the idea of a two-state solution and planted the seeds of a bloody struggle. The rise of Hamas[10] movement divided Palestinian society, and Israeli politicians naively believed that the political rivalry between Hamas and the PLO would allow them to put the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue on the back burner. The ideas of radical Islam began to spread rapidly as the conflict between the PLO and Hamas intensified. “Hamas was not an organization as most people understood organizations, with rules and a hierarchy. It was an idea. You can’t destroy an idea. For Israel, the PLO nationalists had been simply a political problem in need of a political solution. Hamas Islamized the Palestinian problem, making it a religious problem. Thus for Hamas, the ultimate problem was not Israel’s policies. It was the nation-state of Israel’s very existence[11]”.

Today, Hamas remains a key player in Palestinian policy, although it is undergoing changes due to geopolitical shifts in the Middle East. The movement seeks to develop bilateral relations with the countries of the region, but frequent disagreements within the movement's hierarchy between its internal and external leadership do not allow the development of a unified policy. Against this background, a new generation of militants is rising up, forming alliances outside the framework of the organization and carrying out terrorist attacks. They are difficult to track down because they do not have any organizational structures in place. One of the reasons for the weak government's inability to control such a trend is the leaders' unwillingness to devote themselves to the national idea and the dominance of personal motives. Yasser Arafat had this idea. That's why he succeeded in forming the Palestinian people as a unified nation. According to Moshe Amirav, Abu Mazen is very pragmatic and does not think about how he will be remembered in history, unlike Yasser Arafat. He has once said that the most important thing for him is how the Palestinian people will remember him after his death.

 

The Temple Mount. A return to the religious paradigm

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue to be a source of political tension both inside and outside Israel. All long-term attempts to solve the problem have failed to make significant progress. Perhaps instead of looking for political ways to solve this problem, the world community should pay attention to the religious component of the problem. It is necessary to return to the roots of the Arab-Israeli confrontation, which are in the heart of Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount. In the opinion of Moshe Amirav, the mistakes made at the end of the Six-Day War with regard to the status of the Temple Mount played a key role in the conflict. “At the Camp David talks in 2000, Ehud Barak, Yasser Arafat and Bill Clinton came close to peace. The Temple Mount is the key to peace for the whole of the Middle East. All the leaders of the Muslim countries I have met believe that if we find a solution on the Temple Mount, it will be easier to solve other aspects of this problem[12]”.

The Haram al-Sharif (the Temple Mount) is a "holy place" for both Jews and Muslims. The Jews believe that this is the place where the world was created and the place where it will come to an end. Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from here. Jews and Muslims believe that the prophet Abraham stood here ready to sacrifice his son to demonstrate how much he loved God. The Palestinians as well as the rest of the Muslim world, believe for religious reasons that the Temple Mount cannot be divided. Therefore, all proposals to preserve Israel's sovereignty over any part of its territory are not acceptable[13].

Jerusalem is crucial to any peace initiative because of its religious and political significance. According to Munir Zugair, it is impossible to live in peace in Jerusalem as long as the Palestinian territories continue to be occupied. “Today, Palestinians are discriminated against on several levels, for example, in the provision of municipal services to the population. The Palestinian people's desire is to have equal rights and peaceful coexistence with the Jews[14]”.

Both sides want peace despite the crisis in governments, external challenges and threats to security. “Today, Israel is still close to peace with the Palestinians. The issue what is Israel willing to give in exchange for peace and what will Israel get in return? It is possible to find a mutually beneficial Jerusalem solution. Israel should come forward for the Palestinians because Israel is stronger. Israel should take responsibility and find a solution for peace[15]”. The solution to the Palestinian problem is the key to Israel's stability and security in the region. According to Moshe Amirav, even the resumption of relations between Iran and Israel is possible if the Palestinian problem is resolved and a mutual interest is found in economic or even military cooperation.

 

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Throughout the ages, the descendants of Abraham’s two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, struggled to claim the birthright and possess the spiritual heritage. Nevertheless, the shared historical memory of the two nations largely determines their present and future. The problem is that the Jewish people consider themselves part of Western, rather than Eastern civilization, says Rabbi Eliyahu Ben-Asher[16]. “The Israelis need to come to terms with the cultural aspects of the region they live and accept them”. He believes the key to resolving the Middle East conflict could be the revival of Judaism in Israel. It is necessary to negotiate with the Muslim world in the language of religion. This fact is geopolitically significant. “Secular Israel is seen by the Arab world as a crusader and an atheistic West. It would be much easier to deal politically with the Temple Mount issue in relation to the Muslim world if Israel were to say openly that the Temple Mount is of central religious importance to the Jewish people. It wouldn't look like an occupation. It would look like a legitimate religious dispute[17]”.

Perhaps, the key to solving many problems in the region should be sought in the heritage of Abrahamic monotheism. Jerusalem has to become a city where people live together rather than die together.

The Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement states: “Recognizing that the Arab and Jewish peoples are descendants of a common ancestor, Abraham, and inspired, in that spirit, to foster in the Middle East a reality in which Muslims, Jews, Christians and peoples of all faiths, denominations, beliefs and nationalities live in, and are committed to, a spirit of coexistence, mutual understanding and mutual respect[18]”. It remains to believe that one day these words will come true not only at the negotiating table and that the peace in Jerusalem King David[19] spoke in his Psalms will be achieved.

 

Solution for the Temple Mount

The principles[20] for the Custodial Accord for the Holy Places that were agreed upon by Moshe Amirav and Faisal Husseini[21]:

1. Divine Sovereignty

The special holiness of the Temple Mount would be given expression through exclusive “divine sovereignty” over the place. The importance of the place to believers of all faiths requires all the members states of the UN to guard it for them and ensure them free access, visitation, communion and prayer as they wish and in accordance with their faith.

2. International guardianship

The UN, as the body representing all the word’s nations, will formulate and international charter for the administration of the site by a commonwealth of eleven states, as follows:

• Representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council (the U.S., China, Russia, France and the UK).
• Representatives of four states representing the Arab League (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia).
• Representatives of the two states sharing Jerusalem (Palestine and Israel).

3. Custodial Arrangements

Custodial arrangements and administration of the site shell be set down in the international charter, on the basis of the following principles:

• Each state holds a right of veto over any arrangement that is determined.
• The principle of freedom of access, visitation, communion and prayer for believers is fundamental and binding.
• The Organization of the Islamic Conference shall determine who serves in the role of ‘guardian of the place in Jerusalem holy to Islam’.
• Representatives of Judaism shall determine the prayer arrangements for Jews on the Temple Mount.

 

[1]  Psalm 122

[2] PIJ has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel.

[3] Munir Zughair represents the interests of Palestinian families whose members are in jails in Israel

[4]. Interview with Munir Zughair (dated 11.04.23г.)

[5] Moshe Amirav was a member of the Likud party, an advisor to Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and was involved in the negotiations at Camp David in 2000. Moshe Amirav fought in the 1967 battle for Jerusalem.

[6] Interview with Moshe Amirav (dated 10.05.23г.)

[7] Interview with Munir Zughair (dated 29.05.23г.)

[8] Interview with Moshe Amirav (dated 10.05.23г.)

[9] M. Amirav, Jerusalen Syndrome. The Palestinian-Israeli battle for the Holy City.-Great Britain: Sussex Academic Press 2009.-230.

[10]Designated as a terrorist organization by Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

[11] Mosab Hassan Yousef, Son of HAMAS. USA: Saltriver 2010.-284.

[12] Interview with Moshe Amirav (dated 10.05.23г.)

[13] Interview with Munir Zughair (dated 29.05.23г.)

[14] Interview with Munir Zughair (dated 11.04.23г.)

[15] Interview with Moshe Amirav (dated 10.05.23г.)

[16] Rabbi Eliahu Ben-Asher, Sofer ST’’M. Interview from the official channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enGDyvJyqdo

[17] Rabbi Eliahu Ben-Asher, Interview from the official channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enGDyvJyqdo

[18] The Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement dated 15.09.2020

[19] The second king of the people of Israel. Dates of reign: c. 876-836 BCE according to traditional Jewish chronology.

[20] M. Amirav, Jerusalen Syndrome. The Palestinian-Israeli battle for the Holy City.-Great Britain: Sussex Academic Press 2009.-230.

[21] Faisal Abdel Qader Al-Husseini, Palestinian politician, work for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), co-author of The Palestinian Declaration of Independence, head of the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid Peace Conference, Minister for Jerusalem Affairs. His father was Abd al-Qadir al-Husseini, commander of the Palestinian militia in 1948. His grandfather was the Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammed Amin al-Husseini.