Kasrils says Israel's behaviour worse than apartheid

[Tom Joad]

http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=38370,1,22

PRETORIA – South African Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils Thursday accused Israel of conducting a policy against the Palestinians that was worse than apartheid.

Speaking on the sidelines of a UN meeting on the situation in the Palestinian territories, Kasrils said South Africa’s townships had never been attacked by helicopter gunships and tanks, in contrast to the military means employed by Israel.

“The analogy between apartheid and Israel’s occupation of Palestine is often made. It is not the same thing. The occupation is absolutely worse,” Kasrils told reporters.

“It is important that we tell the Israeli authorities they are behaving like fascists when they do certain things, although we are not calling it a fascist state.”

[azurnoir]

1. This one will difficult to deny

Mr Kasrils is a Jew, so the usual antisemitic screed won't work, however in some ways he is right. Unfortunately the Israelis break international law again and again, they disregard UN resolutions again and again and they do it free of any real consequence. The UN can't sanction them because the US will veto it and any USW politian is too scared to say anything. What for me is evidence of the fact is that Israeli government and other occupation supporters overreact with a vengeance to any suggestion that they are in the wrong, so much so that certain words can not be used in connection with Israels actions genocide and apartheid are two examples.

[sabbat hunter]

2. all sides

have disregarded UN resolutions not just israel.
Lebanon has refused to disarm Hizbollah.
syria has refused to recognize israel, negotiate a peace treaty.

most arab and islamic countries refuse to recognize israel.

by demanding jerusalem the palestinians are in violation of UN resolutions as well.

[breakaleg]

3. Given that Israel will never agree to having Jerusalem as an independant city

accessible by all, and insists on keeping it for themselves... Palestinians asking for half of the city is outrageous? More outrageous than say a 40 year occupation and every other unspeakable act Israel has committed towards them?

This is really laughable.

[henank]

4. No more outrageous than what the Arabs did to Jerusalem

If the Arabs had agreed to keeping Jerusalem an international city, as was mandated by the partition plan in 1947, and if the Arabs had not destroyed 58 synagogues in the Jewish quarter and expelled all its Jewish residents, vandalised the Jewish cemetery and used its gravestones as latrine floors, Israel would have had no need to recapture it in 1967. Having seen how the Arabs keep their "promises" why should Israel allow them half the city now? They had their chance in 1947 and blew it.

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. are you not aware that in 1948

hundreds of Palestinian villages were destroyed and along with it hundreds of cemeteries, mosques and churches?

are you not aware that during various IDF operations in the West Bank, numerous mosques, churches, community centers, schools, and health clinics have attacked at times floors used as latrines?

I think such attacks by any side on religious, cultural and historic institutions and landmarks are deplorable; and should be condemned no matter who does it.

"In its attempt to eradicate Palestinian historical root Israel had destroyed about 1200 Islamic mosques, razed hundreds of Islamic historical cemeteries, and written numerous “laws” to allow easy confiscation of Islamic properties (Waqf) such as the “Absentee Owner law”. Considering the fact that Israel had destroyed and evacuated about 600 Palestinian towns in 1948, each with at least one mosque, this number is conservative.

Many mosques were converted into synagogues, others were turned into restaurants, bars, dancing halls, drug houses, whore houses, clubs, and even governmental buildings, and others were turned into stables for farm animals; cows, sheep, and horses, while many others were fenced out, neglected and allowed to deteriorate and collapse"

Christian churches were not spared from Israeli aggression. Many Byzantine archeological finds had been ignored, damaged, or built over since they do not have any historical significance to Israeli history. During the Israeli attacks on major Palestinian cities in March 2003 the Israeli army bombed the Sumerian church in Nablus. In Bethlehem Israeli Apache helicopters sprayed the Assyrian church with bullets, took a statue of Virgin Mary as a practice target, sprayed Nativity Church with bullets and burned some of its quarters during a siege of the church. In the town of Beit Jala the Israeli army took over the Lutheran Church and its orphanage and the nearby mosque, stationed themselves on their roof tops and started shooting at the civilian houses in the town.

Politicians will continue using religions to wage wars until people understand the real teachings of these religions. Religions teach of one God; a supreme consciousness whom we are part of. Although there is only one God, yet different nations have their own different ways of worship depending on their level of spiritual development. God had deemed all living creatures on Earth worthy of her/his precious gift of a living soul. Thus all humans are brothers and sisters in divinity. The soul is the holiest of holies, and our bodies are the only temples that God wants us to build, to preserve and to sanctify. There is no sanctity or honor in killing another human soul. Living in peace with others is the only real way to worship God. "

link:

http://www.amin.org/look/amin/en.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=7&NrArticle=34031&NrIssue=1&NrSection=3

.

[henank]

7. You miss my point

I'm not arguing about whatever you claim Israel did or didn't do in 1948. It's all open to interpretation and I can bring as many sources as you. The battle of words is pointless. I'm talking specifically about what Breakaleg said that Israel thinks that "Palestinians asking for half of the city is outrageous?". And the fact remains that Arab actions in Jerusalem do NOT inspire Israel to make any concessions on Jerusalem. This in addition to the fact that Jerusalem was never an Arab capital of any country or entity at all, simply a dusty backwater that had no attraction at all until the Jews decided to return to it.

As for your claim that Israel systematically destroys Christian archological sites, your claim is breathtakingly ridiculous. Have you ever actually visited Israel and seen the hundreds of Christian and pre-Christian sites dotted around the country? Have you actually seen the way they are cared for? Do you not realize that Israel allows Christian organizations and churches to run their own sites?

And now compare this to the way the Arabs "care" for Jewish sites. For example the destruction of Joseph's tomb in October 2000 (http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1991to_now_alaqsa_josephstomb.php) or the way they care for Christian sites anywhere in the Arab world. Again, none of this inspires Israel to make any concessions on Jerusalem, especially considering it is the Jews' holiest site.

[Shaktimaan]

8. I am having trouble buying the numbers

in this article. Do you have corroboration?

[Douglas Carpenter]

13. Walid Khalidi's organization: "All That Remains"

runs the website "Palestine Remembered"

They have put together a very extensive list of villages, towns, and neighborhoods that were destroyed or depopulated during the Nakba of 1948 or shortly after the departure of the villagers. The concentrations of the info is on the towns and villages themselves and usually includes information about destroyed cemetaries, mosques and churches within those towns and villages. However, I could not find that their website listed a specific count of religious sites because they were included in the individual accounts of the towns and villages:

http://www.palestineremembered.com/index.html

.

[oberliner]

9. Regarding the numbers

Your source says:

"considering the fact that Israel had destroyed and evacuated about 600 Palestinian towns in 1948, each with at least one mosque, this number is conservative."

Where does that number 600 come from?

On numerous sites I have seen the number set at around 400 (418 being a commonly cited figure).

[Douglas Carpenter]

11. I've usually seen the figure ranging between 400 to 500 to 600

I would agree that 418 is the most common figure I have come across.

Sometimes those difference are a result of definition. A smaller collection of houses might have been counted as a village by one researcher but not another; or what one researcher called a village extension another defined as a separate village.

It is not unusual in this sort of research to find some range of differences.

[oberliner]

12. Dr. Elias Akleh is not a particularly credible source

and is prone to exaggeration.

To wit:

"Zionism is a newer name for an ancient racist, expansionist, and imperialist political movement, whose aim was, and still is, the establishment of a strong “Jewish-only” empire (Greater Israel) in the Middle East, which was considered the heart of the ancient world, and the center of all trade."

"With the unconditional support of the American administration (the global bully and greatest Satan as viewed by the Islamic World) Israeli government had received an open hunting license to, one more time, turn Palestinian territories into killing fields using cruel terrorist methods that surpassed those of the Nazis’."

"In Gaza Strip Israeli snipers routinely target Palestinian children playing in the streets."

(Those are selections from Palestine: Israeli Killing Fields, published on March 16th of this year)

In November of 2005 he published a piece expressing his feelings about International Holocaust Day:

"While all these genocides are recognized internationally by all historians, there is still some controversy about the realities of the Jewish Holocaust. One cannot help but wonder why many historians, throughout history, had questioned the number of Jewish victims. They even had questioned the existence of death “gas chambers”, and argued that mass murder in these “small” gas chambers is impractical. They claimed that the small gas chambers were used to kill the germs on prisoners’ and soldiers’ clothing, and the “crematory chambers” were used as efficient sanitary way of getting rid of dead bodies. They argued that the Nazis had enslaved the Jews and others into “labor concentration camps” to keep the German war industry functioning as replacements for German workers, who had to go to war. Nazis could be cruel and cold hearted yet they were also industrial and not foolish to murder any working force. The decision of the General Assembly establishes the Holocaust as a given fact, and rejects any historical research or study that may lead to its denial or straightening the facts about it. The hallow of the Holocaust is to be maintained."

I think that those two excerpts demonstrate that this gentleman is not entirely credible.

(Both of these pieces can be found at the site you linked to for his statement about the mosques)

[Douglas Carpenter]

14. thanks for pointing that out

And I apologize for that. I certainly will not use his information. Shows what happens when I try to write something up in a hurry. I just get sloppy. I was rushing because my taxi was waiting for me to take me into town. Anyway I have deleted him from my source list and my journal.

But their is simply no question that during the Nakba of 1948 a great number of cemeteries and mosques and some churches were destroyed in the carnage. The almost total destruction of more than 400 plus villages would have included at least an equal number of cemeteries and mosques and a fair number of churches. The Organization, "All that Remains" with its website, "Palestine Remembered" founded by Walid Khalid, Professor of Middle East History and University of Massachusetts at Amherst includes a great deal of information on this matter as it documents the destruction that occurred during the Nakba of 1948

There is also no question that during military operations in the West Bank and the Gaza a great deal of damage has been done to Mosques and some to churches. Even UN General Assembly Resolution ES-10/10 specifically mentions it. link: http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/361eea1cc08301c485256cf600606959/72da83ff10657c9985256bc2005b8d23!OpenDocument

"Deploring the destruction of holy sites in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including mosques and churches, and expressing its expectation that the Israeli military siege on the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem will end immediately, "

the Greek Orthodox Church in Nablus was severally damaged when opened on by tank fire and no particular explanation:

"The donors' report estimated the historic Old City suffered an estimated $42.5 million worth of damage. In addition to homes, many of them multi-story houses for extended families, the destruction hit an ancient mosque, traditional soap factories, a Greek Orthodox church and an Ottoman-era bath." link: http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/headlines02/0521-04.htm

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bethlehem was occupied by the IDF for a number of days, a great deal of damage was done on their compound and material from their offices was confiscated again for no particular reason that has been given.. This is documented by Pastor Mitri Raheb in his two books:

Bethlehem Besieged: Stories of Hope in Times of Trouble by Mitri Raheb
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Bethlehem-Besieged-Stories-Times-Trouble/dp/0800636538/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8701952-4352901?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179219467&sr=1-1

and
I Am a Palestinian Christian by Mitri Raheb
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Am-Palestinian-Christian-Mitri-Raheb/dp/080062663X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-8701952-4352901?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179219558&sr=1-2

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. approximately 70% Bethlehem Christians

"seven out of ten Christians in Bethlehem believe Israel treats the town’s Christian heritage with brutality or indifference.

The Bethlehem poll, which was carried out by the Palestinian Centre for research and Cultural Dialogue, shows on the other hand that more than two-thirds (73.3%) of Bethlehem’s Christians believe that the Palestinian Authority treats Christian heritage with respect"

In the last 5 years about 400 Christian families left Bethlehem. In Bethlehem 78% of Christians said they were leaving because of the Israeli occupation while only 3.2% said it was the rise in Islamic movements. 12.5% attributed it to both.

link: http://www.zogby.com/News/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1224
__________

If you check with the Christian community in either Nablus or Bethelehem you will hear a number of disturbing details.
______________

But all that aside, there is no possible way to achieve a peace settlement without a compromise on Jerusalem; that will not happen. There cannot be a resolution to the conflict without a compromise on Jerusalem. That will not happen.

Here is one possible scenario that is less than completely satisfactory toward either Israelis or Palestinians, but it beats the alternative to forever fighting an endless conflict:

this is the proposed Geneva Initiative compromise on Jerusalem:
Article 6 – Jerusalem

link to actual text of the Geneva Accord:

http://www.geneva-accord.org/Accord.aspx?FolderID=33&lang=en

1. Religious and Cultural Significance:

i. The Parties recognize the universal historic, religious, spiritual, and cultural significance of Jerusalem and its holiness enshrined in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In recognition of this status, the Parties reaffirm their commitment to safeguard the character, holiness, and freedom of worship in the city and to respect the existing division of administrative functions and traditional practices between different denominations.

ii. The Parties shall establish an inter-faith body consisting of representatives of the three monotheistic faiths, to act as a consultative body to the Parties on matters related to the city’s religious significance and to promote inter-religious understanding and dialogue. The composition, procedures, and modalities for this body are set forth in Annex X.

2. Capital of Two States

The Parties shall have their mutually recognized capitals in the areas of Jerusalem under their respective sovereignty.

3. Sovereignty

Sovereignty in Jerusalem shall be in accordance with attached Map 2. This shall not prejudice nor be prejudiced by the arrangements set forth below.



4. Border Regime:

The border regime shall be designed according to the provisions of Article 11, and taking into account the specific needs of Jerusalem (e.g., movement of tourists and intensity of border crossing use including provisions for Jerusalemites) and the provisions of this Article.
5. al-Haram al-Sharif/ Temple Mount (Compound)

i. International Group

a. An International Group, composed of the IVG and other parties to be agreed upon by the Parties, including members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), shall hereby be established to monitor, verify, and assist in the implementation of this clause.

b. For this purpose, the International Group shall establish a Multinational Presence on the Compound, the composition, structure, mandate and functions of which are set forth in Annex X.

c. The Multinational Presence shall have specialized detachments dealing with security and conservation. The Multinational Presence shall make periodic conservation and security reports to the International Group. These reports shall be made public.

d. The Multinational Presence shall strive to immediately resolve any problems arising and may refer any unresolved disputes to the International Group that will function in accordance with Article 16.

e. The Parties may at any time request clarifications or submit complaints to the International Group which shall be promptly investigated and acted upon.

f. The International Group shall draw up rules and regulations to maintain security on and conservation of the Compound. These shall include lists of the weapons and equipment permitted on the site.

ii. Regulations Regarding the Compound

a. In view of the sanctity of the Compound, and in light of the unique religious and cultural significance of the site to the Jewish people, there shall be no digging, excavation, or construction on the Compound, unless approved by the two Parties. Procedures for regular maintenance and emergency repairs on the Compound shall be established by the IG after consultation with the Parties.

b. The state of Palestine shall be responsible for maintaining the security of the Compound and for ensuring that it will not be used for any hostile acts against Israelis or Israeli areas. The only arms permitted on the Compound shall be those carried by the Palestinian security personnel and the security detachment of the Multinational Presence.

c. In light of the universal significance of the Compound, and subject to security considerations and to the need not to disrupt religious worship or decorum on the site as determined by the Waqf, visitors shall be allowed access to the site. This shall be without any discrimination and generally be in accordance with past practice.



5. al-Haram al-Sharif/ Temple Mount (Compound)

i. International Group

a. An International Group, composed of the IVG and other parties to be agreed upon by the Parties, including members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), shall hereby be established to monitor, verify, and assist in the implementation of this clause.

b. For this purpose, the International Group shall establish a Multinational Presence on the Compound, the composition, structure, mandate and functions of which are set forth in Annex X.

c. The Multinational Presence shall have specialized detachments dealing with security and conservation. The Multinational Presence shall make periodic conservation and security reports to the International Group. These reports shall be made public.

d. The Multinational Presence shall strive to immediately resolve any problems arising and may refer any unresolved disputes to the International Group that will function in accordance with Article 16.

e. The Parties may at any time request clarifications or submit complaints to the International Group which shall be promptly investigated and acted upon.

f. The International Group shall draw up rules and regulations to maintain security on and conservation of the Compound. These shall include lists of the weapons and equipment permitted on the site.

ii. Regulations Regarding the Compound

a. In view of the sanctity of the Compound, and in light of the unique religious and cultural significance of the site to the Jewish people, there shall be no digging, excavation, or construction on the Compound, unless approved by the two Parties. Procedures for regular maintenance and emergency repairs on the Compound shall be established by the IG after consultation with the Parties.

b. The state of Palestine shall be responsible for maintaining the security of the Compound and for ensuring that it will not be used for any hostile acts against Israelis or Israeli areas. The only arms permitted on the Compound shall be those carried by the Palestinian security personnel and the security detachment of the Multinational Presence.

c. In light of the universal significance of the Compound, and subject to security considerations and to the need not to disrupt religious worship or decorum on the site as determined by the Waqf, visitors shall be allowed access to the site. This shall be without any discrimination and generally be in accordance with past practice.



iii. Transfer of Authority

a. At the end of the withdrawal period stipulated in Article 5/7, the state of Palestine shall assert sovereignty over the Compound.

b. The International Group and its subsidiary organs shall continue to exist and fulfill all the functions stipulated in this Article unless otherwise agreed by the two Parties.

6. The Wailing Wall

The Wailing Wall shall be under Israeli sovereignty.

7. The Old City:

i. Significance of the Old City

a. The Parties view the Old City as one whole enjoying a unique character. The Parties agree that the preservation of this unique character together with safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the inhabitants should guide the administration of the Old City.

b. The Parties shall act in accordance with the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List regulations, in which the Old City is a registered site.

ii. IVG Role in the Old City

a. Cultural Heritage

1. The IVG shall monitor and verify the preservation of cultural heritage in the Old City in accordance with the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List rules. For this purpose, the IVG shall have free and unimpeded access to sites, documents, and information related to the performance of this function.

2. The IVG shall work in close coordination with the Old City Committee of the Jerusalem Coordination and Development Committee (JCDC), including in devising a restoration and preservation plan for the Old City.

b. Policing

1. The IVG shall establish an Old City Policing Unit (PU) to liaise with, coordinate between, and assist the Palestinian and Israeli police forces in the Old City, to defuse localized tensions and help resolve disputes, and to perform policing duties in locations specified in and according to operational procedures detailed in Annex X.

2. The PU shall periodically report to the IVG.

c. Either Party may submit complaints in relation to this clause to the IVG, which shall promptly act upon them in accordance with Article 16.

iii. Free Movement within the Old City

Movement within the Old City shall be free and unimpeded subject to the provisions of this article and rules and regulations pertaining to the various holy sites.

iv. Entry into and Exit from the Old City

a. Entry and exit points into and from the Old City will be staffed by the authorities of the state under whose sovereignty the point falls, with the presence of PU members, unless otherwise specified.

b. With a view to facilitating movement into the Old City, each Party shall take such measures at the entry points in its territory as to ensure the preservation of security in the Old City. The PU shall monitor the operation of the entry points.

c. Citizens of either Party may not exit the Old City into the territory of the other Party unless they are in possession of the relevant documentation that entitles them to. Tourists may only exit the Old City into the territory of the Party which they posses valid authorization to enter.

v. Suspension, Termination, and Expansion

a. Either Party may suspend the arrangements set forth in Article 6.7.iii in cases of emergency for one week. The extension of such suspension for longer than a week shall be pursuant to consultation with the other Party and the IVG at the Trilateral Committee established in Article 3/3.

b. This clause shall not apply to the arrangements set forth in Article 6/7/vi.

c. Three years after the transfer of authority over the Old City, the Parties shall review these arrangements. These arrangements may only be terminated by agreement of the Parties.

d. The Parties shall examine the possibility of expanding these arrangements beyond the Old City and may agree to such an expansion.

vi. Special Arrangements

a. Along the way outlined in Map X (from the Jaffa Gate to the Zion Gate) there will be permanent and guaranteed arrangements for Israelis regarding access, freedom of movement, and security, as set forth in Annex X.

1. The IVG shall be responsible for the implementation of these arrangements.

b. Without prejudice to Palestinian sovereignty, Israeli administration of the Citadel will be as outlined in Annex X.

vii. Color-Coding of the Old City

A visible color-coding scheme shall be used in the Old City to denote the sovereign areas of the respective Parties.

viii. Policing

a. An agreed number of Israeli police shall constitute the Israeli Old City police detachment and shall exercise responsibility for maintaining order and day-to-day policing functions in the area under Israeli sovereignty.

b. An agreed number of Palestinian police shall constitute the Palestinian Old City police detachment and shall exercise responsibility for maintaining order and day-to-day policing functions in the area under Palestinian sovereignty.

c. All members of the respective Israeli and Palestinian Old City police detachments shall undergo special training, including joint training exercises, to be administered by the PU.

d. A special Joint Situation Room, under the direction of the PU and incorporating members of the Israeli and Palestinian Old City police detachments, shall facilitate liaison on all relevant matters of policing and security in the Old City.

ix. Arms

No person shall be allowed to carry or possess arms in the Old City, with the exception of the Police Forces provided for in this agreement. In addition, each Party may grant special written permission to carry or possess arms in areas under its sovereignty.

x. Intelligence and Security

a. The Parties shall establish intensive intelligence cooperation regarding the Old City, including the immediate sharing of threat information.

b. A trilateral committee composed of the two Parties and representatives of the United States shall be established to facilitate this cooperation.

8. Mount of Olives Cemetery:

i. The area outlined in Map X (the Jewish Cemetery on the Mount of Olives) shall be under Israeli administration; Israeli law shall apply to persons using and procedures appertaining to this area in accordance with Annex X.

a. There shall be a designated road to provide free, unlimited, and unimpeded access to the Cemetery.

b. The IVG shall monitor the implementation of this clause.

c. This arrangement may only be terminated by the agreement of both Parties.

9. Special Cemetery Arrangements

Arrangements shall be established in the two cemeteries designated in Map X (Mount Zion Cemetery and the German Colony Cemetery), to facilitate and ensure the continuation of the current burial and visitation practices, including the facilitation of access.

10. The Western Wall Tunnel

i. The Western Wall Tunnel designated in Map X shall be under Israeli administration, including:

a. Unrestricted Israeli access and right to worship and conduct religious practices.

b. Responsibility for the preservation and maintenance of the site in accordance with this Agreement and without damaging structures above, under IVG supervision.

c. Israeli policing.

d. IVG monitoring

e. The Northern Exit of the Tunnel shall only be used for exit and may only be closed in case of emergency as stipulated in Article 6/7.

ii. This arrangement may only be terminated by the agreement of both Parties.

link to actual text of the Geneva Accord:

http://www.geneva-accord.org/Accord.aspx?FolderID=33&lang=en


link to Geneva Accord Maps:

http://www.geneva-accord.org/Map.aspx?FolderID=34&lang=en

[henank]

5. Double post

Sorry, double post.

[Shaktimaan]

15. What's laughable is your version of the history being discussed.

Israel DID agree to having Jersalem be an international city. It was rejected by the Palestinians and every Arab state. So, contrary to what you said here, Israel was the ONLY state to agree to giving Jerusalem over to be governed by an international presence.

More over, Israel is the only state in the past few hundred years to allow any religion access to Jerusalem and especially to allow each religion's holy sites to be administered by their own respective representatives. So even though The Temple Mount is the holiest site on earth for Jews, Israel decided to cede administration over it to the Waqf. Israel does not restrict access to any of these places based on religious persecution or any desire to "keep it for themselves" but according to the very real security concerns that exist. Even still, never before have so many diverse groups of people all had access to the holy sites of Jerusalem. If there's one thing that people generally give Israel credit for it is the unselfish and open manner in which they have administered the sacred areas of Jerusalem.

Israel's track record on respecting important holy sites of other religions as compared to that of any Arab state, particularly the Palestinians or Jordan is undeniably far better. As far as the mosques destroyed after the nakba, I think there's differing importance between different holy buildings. For example, I don't think it is a horrendous crime to alter or destroy village mosques that no longer had congregations. The same goes for temples found in post '48 Jordan or those in Gaza post-evacuation. Gaza was a little disheartening because they did not come under PA control after a war but through a concession made in the spirit of peace, prior to which an agreement was made obligating the Palestinians to not desecrate them as they did. Nevertheless, they eventually had to be destroyed and it isn't a huge deal. But the synogauges of Jerusalem, the cemetary, both hundreds of years old and symbols of Judaism's connection to the city... destroying those was not just an example of utilizing space more effectively, it was a real attempt at wiping Judaism's past off the face of modern Jerusalem. An equivalent would be if Israel began destroying similar mosques in Jerusalem, or Al Aqsa itself.

Palestinians asking for part of the city is not outrageous. But allowing them to administer any of the old city is nuts. There is a substantial percentage of Muslim Israelis who have just as much a right to have their religion's holy sites safely administered as the Jews do. And they also have just as much right to have Al Aqsa in their country as the Palestinians might. For Israel to abandon Al Aqsa and the temple mount would be unfair to both groups of Israelis, not to mention irresponsible considering the Palestinian's track record in governance.