The root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the lack of communication between the parties involved. That's concrete. Therefore, all they need to do is to stop acting like children, right? Well, if everyone could do that, we'd all be living in a utopia by now. But in this case, it's not just about people acting like children. It involves religion.
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| Source: bibleplaces.com |
Take Jerusalem for example. Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel, which the Israelis insist is their rightful city since it was once the capital city of the Kingdom of Israel around 3000 years ago. However, the Palestinian Authority (the group representing Palestinians) claim it to be theirs, making it the most fiercely contested piece of land in modern history. Why? Jerusalem just happens to be the holiest city in the world to three of the world's biggest religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
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| Source: bibleplaces.com |
This is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, said to be where Christ was crucified and buried. But since Christians make up only 2% of the Israeli population, they don't matter much in the trenches of Israeli-Palestinian politics.
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| source: wikipedia.org |
This is what matters: Temple Mount (Hebrew), or Haram al-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic).
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| source: sacred-destinations.com |
This is the Dome of the Rock, Islam's third holiest site. It's built right on the Haram, specifically the Foundation Stone, which is the rock from which the Prophet Muhammed is said to have ascended into heaven. This is where the Prophet is said to have been taught to pray.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque, situated next to the Dome, is one of the holiest mosques in Islam. All Muslims used to pray towards it before Mecca was established as a Muslim focal point.
In Judaism, Temple Mount is the place where the Holy Temple, the most holy place for Jews, once stood. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D., and its destruction came to symbolize the start of the Jewish Diaspora (their exile).
The Western Wall (or the "Wailing Wall") is the only remaining part of the Temple that was destroyed in the Roman conquest. Jews go to the wall to pray and leave prayers on pieces of paper between the stones.
The Foundation Stone, the stone at the heart of the Dome of the Rock, is where the Ark of the Covenant (a chest containing the Ten Commandments given to the Jews by God) used to be placed upon. It is the holiest site in all of Judaism.
Now this is where it gets convoluted: the Jews believe that their Temple will be rebuilt on Temple Mount with the coming of the Messiah, who will then bring judgement down on the heathen and reward the faithful. But one tiny problem: that's where the Dome of the Rock currently stands. So if the Jews ever want to proceed with their plans of Judgement Day, they must tear down the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. So you can see why Jews and Muslims might be so fierce about these thirty five acres of land. Indeed, it's been the cause of many bloody clashes between Israelis and Palestinians.
Jerusalem is the crux of the conflict. Can it be sorted out? Perhaps, but more on that in a bit.
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| source: sacred-destinations.com |
The Al-Aqsa Mosque, situated next to the Dome, is one of the holiest mosques in Islam. All Muslims used to pray towards it before Mecca was established as a Muslim focal point.
In Judaism, Temple Mount is the place where the Holy Temple, the most holy place for Jews, once stood. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D., and its destruction came to symbolize the start of the Jewish Diaspora (their exile).
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| source: levitt.com |
The Western Wall (or the "Wailing Wall") is the only remaining part of the Temple that was destroyed in the Roman conquest. Jews go to the wall to pray and leave prayers on pieces of paper between the stones.
 |
| source: wikipedia.org |
The Foundation Stone, the stone at the heart of the Dome of the Rock, is where the Ark of the Covenant (a chest containing the Ten Commandments given to the Jews by God) used to be placed upon. It is the holiest site in all of Judaism.
Now this is where it gets convoluted: the Jews believe that their Temple will be rebuilt on Temple Mount with the coming of the Messiah, who will then bring judgement down on the heathen and reward the faithful. But one tiny problem: that's where the Dome of the Rock currently stands. So if the Jews ever want to proceed with their plans of Judgement Day, they must tear down the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. So you can see why Jews and Muslims might be so fierce about these thirty five acres of land. Indeed, it's been the cause of many bloody clashes between Israelis and Palestinians.
Jerusalem is the crux of the conflict. Can it be sorted out? Perhaps, but more on that in a bit.
Seok Hee - I like how you pinpoint lack of communication as the main cause and given it a location - "Jerusalem is the crux of the conflict". Using the pictures of the various holy places was a powerful way to show how different religions exist side by side - vying for power in the region.
ReplyDeleteAs we've discussed before, this is a very complex issue, and there are various causes that can be identified. Will you examine the political history as it contributes to present day conflict?
ReplyDeleteI agree, this is a very interesting post , with a clear sense of an author's voice, strengthened by the use of images to illustrate your argument about religion.
ReplyDeleteI would appreciate if you elaborated more on your thesis - you say that lack of communication is at the root of the conflict. Why is there lack of communication ? What are the consequences ?
I agree with Ms. Kotsalis whether the conflict can be reduced to Jerusalem and religion. If there are other issues, please elaborate.
I will in the next post - that's when I'll be talking about the parties involved in the conflict, which is a part of the problem.
ReplyDeleteThis topic makes me want to rant about religion!I do not understand why for something that bases itself on spiritual experiences a physical landmark is causing so many issues. but you're blog is explaining this conflict very well, the confusions just me.
ReplyDelete