By Mahasweta Muthusubbarayan
US President Donald Trump always evokes strong sentiments and reactions to his actions. The latest outrage committed by him is recognising Jerusalem as Israels capital or at least, it is an outrage in the eyes of the Arab world. The Arab League swiftly cried foul, charging that the US can no longer be relied upon as a broker of peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Trumps action has drawn condemnation from States across the Arab peninsula, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar, not to mention the Palestinian Islamist Hamas. However, why are the middle-eastern countries which rarely see eye-to-eye on anything, all united in their condemnation of Trumps move? Why is the city so important to the Arabs?
The birth of Israel
Israel is probably the only Jewish State in the world. There is a history of the formation of the present-day Israel and Palestine. The land of Palestine was originally a British-administered territory (after World War I) with a predominantly Arab population. From the beginning of the 1900s to 1947, more than half a million Jews in Europe came to Palestine, which they believed to be their rightful land (because of Jerusalems significance in Judaism) and got into a violent conflict with the Arabs. Britain was unable to resolve the situation and the UN stepped in. Israel was born in 1947 and was promised 56% of British Palestine.
This evoked the ire of the Arab nations and led to battles between Israel and Syria, Jordan and Egypt. Israel emerged the victor, with more territory than it was originally promised. It took away a large chunk of the original Palestine, leaving the residual Palestine with only the West Bank, the Eastern Quarter of Jerusalem (which was under Jordan) and the Gaza strip (under Egypt). The result was that the native Palestinian Arab Muslims were left without a state and without most of Jerusalem. Zionism, an ideology which believes that Judaism is both religion and nationality, was adopted in Israel and the present government is loathed to concede any Palestinian territory, Jerusalem included, to Arab Muslims.
The religious angle
The ancient city is probably the most religiously significant place in the world, being important to three religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. With regard to Islam, Jerusalem is the holiest place after Mecca and Medina. It is home to the Dome of Rock and the al-Aqsa mosque (a seat of learning). It is believed that Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven one night from the stone in the Dome of Rock and met and prayed with other prophets during his heavenly sojourn. Jerusalem was also the original direction of prayer (Qibla) for Muslims before it was changed to Mecca. Arabs call the city as Al-Quds meaning house of holiness.
Some people also believe that Arab tribes predating the Hebrews built Jerusalem. Many prophets are believed to have lived in the city. At any rate, it was conquered by the first Islamic Caliph and has historically almost always been under Muslim rule (later as part of the Ottoman Empire), except during the era of Crusades, till the last millennium. It remained a place of great political and religious import for the Caliphs who were considered the spiritual and the political head of Muslims all over the world. The holy site in Jerusalem is now considered to be a waqf. Israel took East Jerusalem, which houses the Muslim quarter, from Jordan after the 1967 war.
The current situation
Control of the holy city is a crucial element in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The UN once suggested internationalisation of the city so that people of all faiths could access it but this was rejected by the Arabs. The Security Council has denounced Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem by declaring it as occupied Palestinian territory and no country except the US has so far recognised Jerusalem as Israels capital. Israel originally took control of West Jerusalem after Britains exit when the territory was without a sovereign and views Jordan as having illegally annexed East Jerusalem in 1948 and therefore considers itself justified in re-conquering the territory in 1967. The 1993 Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization mandated negotiations over the status of Jerusalem but Israel later went back on its promise, claiming the whole of Jerusalem for itself.
The Palestine Liberation Organization is open to negotiations on West Jerusalem but is unwilling to give up East Jerusalem to Israel, claiming it for the capital of a new Palestine State. The Arab countries have obviously backed the Muslim Palestinians, given Islams historical and religious attachment to Jerusalem. Further, some territories currently under Palestinian control have at some point in time been under the control of surrounding Arab States. Hence, the attachment of Arabs to Jerusalem has caused the widespread resentment over Trumps recognition of undivided Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
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