Pending Jerusalem Legislative Initiatives: Strategic Shifts in Current Status & Potential Political Future of Jerusalem
Pending Jerusalem Legislative Initiatives: Strategic Shifts in Current Status & Potential Political Future of Jerusalem There are currently three highly significant legislative initiatives that are simultaneously being advanced in the Knesset related to Jerusalem. Each of these would have a far-reaching impact on the current status of Jerusalem and its environs in the West Bank, […]
Netayahu Unshackled: New & Dangerous Terms of Engagement on Jerusalem
At present, we are seeing three disparate trends in Jerusalem, each of which, on its own, represents a powerful dimension of the conflict: the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif crisis, embodying the religious-symbolic dimension where it is most intense; the settlements issue, representing the territorial dimension; and Jerusalem-related legislation, that deals with the thorny issue of the […]
The Latest Temple Mt/Haram al-Sharif Crisis – Provisional Post-Mortem
We are currently emerging from yet another acute crisis relating to the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif. Hopefully, the worst is behind us, but that is far from certain. The events of the past three weeks have taken place in a context of the ascendancy in Jerusalem of radical religious movements of all the three monotheistic […]
Pending Legislation Seeks Historic Changes in Current Status & Potential Future of Jerusalem
There are currently three highly significant legislative initiatives that are simultaneously being advanced in the Knesset related to Jerusalem. Each of these would have a far-reaching impact on the current status of Jerusalem and its environs in the West Bank, the plight of East Jerusalem Palestinians under Israeli occupation and the prospects for any future […]
The Temple Mount Crisis
(and other news) Major New Crisis on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif Where Things Stand The July 14 Attack The Immediate Aftermath of the Attack Is the Status Quo Under Threat Did the Closure Violate the Status Quo? Do the Metal Detectors Violate the Status Quo? Behind the Policy: Security or Politics? The Responsible Way Forward […]
The Settlement Floodgates Have Been Opened
What Has Happened Background/Context Policy Shift Paves Way for Major New Plans in Large Settlement Neighborhoods Strategic Shift Yields Major New Plans in Settlement Enclaves in Palestinian Neighborhoods “Routine” Settlement Expansion Thousands More Units (via another shift in policy/tactics?) What Has Happened Yesterday (July 4th, 2017), the Jerusalem Regional Planning Committee approved of a number […]
Jordan’s Growing Discontent with Israeli Provocations Over the Temple Mount/al-Haram al-Sharif
On May 31, Jordan conveyed an official message to the Israeli government, complaining that Israel has authorized the entry of Jewish extremists into the Al Aqsa compound “under the protection of the Israeli police.” This comes in the context of a serious escalation in recent days in the tone of Jordan’s complaints towards Israel, signaling the Hashemite […]
Cabinet Approves Projects for Old City, Historic Basin, & East Jerusalem (Inside the Barrier)
In the context of the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s “reunification,” the Israeli Cabinet approved a number of projects targeting East Jerusalem. Details of these are as follows: The Cable Car (or, the next step in the Disney-ification of the Old City & Historic Basin).On May 28, the Cabinet announced approval of a plan for the […]
Trump Signs Waiver, Postponing Embassy Move
Following months of speculation – will he? won’t he? — on June 1, President Trump signed a national security waiver of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, postponing for 6 months the requirement to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In signing the waiver, Trump follows in the footsteps of every U.S. president […]
Trump Visit & Jerusalem Day: Before, During, & After
Before Reports of Imminent New Settlement Plans. In the weeks and days leading up to the visit of President Trump to Israel and to Jerusalem Day 2017, there were credible and consistent reports of impending announcements of significant East Jerusalem-related settlement projects (notably, Givat Hamatos and Atarot), with such announcements reportedly set to coincide with the visit and […]