How To Keep Jerusalem United And Jewish
Published: March 19th, 2015
The elections in Israel are over, and frantic efforts are beginning in earnest to form a new government. As we write this, we have no clue as to who will win and what the next Knesset will look like. All the better: The subject we wish to address is far above and beyond run-of-the-mill politics. It the future of Jerusalem, the City of David, Beauty of the World, the Eternal Capital of the Jewish people.
If the election campaign was a time to stand strongly for what we believe in, this is all the more so when the elections are behind us. As the various political parties negotiate for a position in the governing coalition, they must always keep in mind: “What do we really stand for? What will we never compromise in our headstrong rush to ensure a position of influence and stature in the new government?”
The answer for most parties, we note with great anguish, is not Jerusalem. Yes, they pay lip service to the holy city, but underneath, there is despair, pessimism, and a willingness to give in. We speak, therefore, both to those who would allow transient pressures to govern their approach towards our sacred assets, and especially towards those would not, and hope that our words are heard.
In a nutshell: It is incumbent upon all Zionist parties to demonstrate clearly their belief that Yerushalayim, whole and united under Israeli sovereignty, is an absolute imperative for the Jewish people. Each party must have a practical plan, with appropriate detail, to ensure that this sublime goal is attained.
The plan must be two-pronged: It must first present our claims to Jerusalem and their justification from various angles – historic, religious, demographics, legal, security, and more. Second, it must specify deliverable actions and approaches to ensure that Jerusalem remains ours, with an emphasis on housing construction, transportation, tourism, and government.
We have addressed the first of the above elements numerous times in this column. In brief, these points must be repeatedly emphasized: Jerusalem’s historical and religious connections with the Jewish people… The lack of Muslim historical bonds with the city, even in the PLO’s original covenant of 1964 which does not mention Jerusalem… Its overwhelming Jewish majority for nearly 150 years… The international San Remo resolutions giving us “title” to the holy city under international law… The demographic and security dangers of placing Jerusalem neighborhoods under PA control (or worse)… etc.
In terms of the second goal, we note with sorrow that neither the city fathers nor Israel’s national leaders have formulated a comprehensive policy to direct Jerusalem trends in housing, demographics, public relations, tourism, and much more, toward the objective.
KeepJerusalem’s research has shown that there does not exist an official 10- or 20-Year Policy Plan geared toward maintaining, strengthening, and perpetuating the current united status of Jerusalem. Various experts we have consulted sadly concur with this conclusion. At the same time, left-wing pro-Palestinian organizations have stepped in to fill the vacuum with efforts to prepare such plans, or portions thereof. Their papers receive much attention among world governments, and even from Israeli government bodies and think tanks.
We must step up to the plate and fill the void by formulating the outline and main points of an appropriate plan. In this article, we concentrate on concrete steps in the following areas: law enforcement and security; tourism; housing construction; education; economic development; governance of the holy sites; public relations; neighborhood development; a master transportation program; and more.
A committee of experts must be assembled to work on these issues to formalize and develop practical ideas for the above – something that KeepJerusalem has been working on and sees as a critical objective. Guidelines and principles to appear in a truly pro-Jerusalem plan would include:
Housing: * To stop the exodus of young Jewish couples from Jerusalem for lack of affordable housing, a master housing plan must be formulated, setting housing construction goals in the city for the next 5-10 years, and designating areas and neighborhoods for development.
*New construction must concentrate on the “new” neighborhoods liberated in the Six-Day War – as opposed to the concentration today on luxury housing complexes in western Jerusalem. Thousands of dunams (quarter-acres) must be expropriated adjacent to the “new” neighborhoods, such as Gilo, N’vei Yaakov, and others, creating a reservoir of tens of thousands of housing units for the next two decades.
*Changes in zoning plans must be facilitated when necessary for city growth. The process by which housing permits are received must be streamlined.
Demographics: *The purchase of land, by individuals and associations, should be encouraged – such as via tax and investment incentives, and the shortening of the permit-process – in order to guarantee the Jewish character of the city. A determined fundraising campaign for the purchase of properties must also be initiated.
*Trends must be identified and concrete steps taken to ensure that they perpetuate a Jewish majority. These can be in the form of rental aid, new-business incentives, job creation and the like.
*Municipal planning for the areas bordering the city: This must take into account two scenarios: The formation of a Palestinian state bordering the city, notwithstanding our strong objections to such a development, and perpetuation of the status quo.
Education: *Curricula in all Israeli schools should include a focus on Jewish legal and rights to the city, the importance of its unification, and ways to strengthen ties between Jews all over Israel and throughout the world with Jerusalem. Students must be taken on school trips to Jerusalem at least three times in their 12 years of school.
*Arab schools funded by Israel must follow the above guidelines, and must certainly teach only historic truth. Textbooks, including new ones, must be constantly reviewed to ensure accuracy and lack of incitement.
*Jerusalem Day must become a national holiday, with appropriate budgetary funding.
Security and Defense: *Protection against terrorism must be enhanced, and laws to this end must be more strongly enforced: terrorist homes must be razed, incitement must be stopped, police must respond aggressively against throwers of rocks and firebombs. Steps must be taken to ensure that heavily Arab-populated areas not become off-limits to Jews and Israeli police; law enforcement must be strengthened in these areas. Residents who do not possess either citizenship or permanent resident status must be evicted.
Managing a City with a Large Minority: *Practical steps must be implemented to improve management of a city with a sizable Arab minority, in terms of housing, municipal administration of different neighborhoods, holy and historic sites such as archaeological digs and finds in Arab-populated neighborhoods, and strengthening awareness of Jerusalem’s historic Jewish past.
*Arab housing must be governed by fair but strict rules. Illegal construction must be razed, while all due effort is made to streamline the process of receiving permits and proper zoning areas. For instance, a special Exceptions Committee must be authorized to grant approval in cases where the only problem is the lack of a tabu (local land registry) entry.
Tourism: *In 2013, 75% of all tourists to Israel visited Jerusalem. The goal should be much closer to 100%. This involves capitalizing on that which is unique to this city: Thousands of years of Jewish history; the Old City and everything in it; beautiful parks, gardens, and even residential buildings; top-tier cultural institutions; international events, etc. Christian holy places must be marketed more aggressively for their non-Jewish tourism potential. Jewish access to the Temple Mount must be secure, facilitated, and enhanced. The “original” status quo must be restored, whereby Jewish prayer is allowed, even if only by individuals.
Holy Sites: *Free access must be maintained. They must be managed wisely so that they will not serve as an “excuse” for pressures to divide the city.
Transportation: *Already-existing master transportation plans for highways encircling the city must be implemented. New roads must be planned and built leading directly into outlying neighborhoods such as Kidmat Tzion.
Economics: * In addition to the efforts already being made by the government of Israel and the Jerusalem Development Authority, additional grants and incentives should be given to those who wish to transfer, establish, or expand their businesses in Jerusalem. The departure of thousands of young Jerusalemites to central Israel, generally for lack of affordable housing and/or employment, is a trend that must be stopped. Existing industrial areas must be upgraded and new ones must be built.
*Plans to move government and military offices to the capital must be sped up and implemented.
PR and Diplomacy: *The law currently states that a “special majority” of the Knesset – 61 MKs – is necessary in order to pass a law removing Israeli sovereignty from parts of Jerusalem. Long-ongoing efforts to raise that number to 80 MKs must be brought to a successful conclusion. In addition, a high-level committee should be formed to work intensely to have countries move their national embassies to Jerusalem.
A practical plan to sustain a united Jerusalem and keep it thriving and dynamic cannot be formulated without the ideas and contributions of many people. KeepJerusalem invites our readers and supporters to propose additional ideas towards the goal of ensuring an eternally Jewish and united Yerushalayim.
Please e-mailinfo@KeepJerusalem.org.
About the Author: Chaim Silberstein is president of Keep Jerusalem-Im Eshkachech and the Jerusalem Capital Development Fund. He was formerly a senior adviser to Israel's minister of tourism. Hillel Fendel, past senior editor at Israel National News/Arutz-7, is a veteran writer on Jerusalem affairs. Both have lived in Jerusalem and now reside in Beit El.
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