RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: ON JERUSALEM’S NAMING BY GOD AND THE SHARING OF JERUSALEM; JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Kafr ‘Aqab was 100% Muslim, and the same in the 1931 census . In 1945 the population of Kafr ‘Aqab consisted of 100% Muslims. In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Kafr ‘Aqab came under Jordanian rule, and was annexed in 1950 by Jordan. After the Six-Day War in 1967, Kafr ‘Aqab has been under Israeli occupation. In 2006, Kafr ‘Aqab had a population of 10,411, 100% Muslim.  In 2007, Kfar ‘Aqab was described as a middle class suburb. Now it is overcrowded, has crime and drug problems. Israeli authorities will not provide needed services, and the Palestinian authorities cannot, as it is officially in Israel.  While Kafr ‘Aqab was annexed with the rest of East Jerusalem by Israel and falls under its full jurisdiction, it is separated from Jerusalem by the Israeli -West Bank barrier wall and Israeli Municipal inspectors never inspect the area beyond the barrier. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-marriage/for-some-palestinians-in-love-this-slum-is-the-only-place-to-live-idUSKBN1D910Z

As mentioned, Kafr ‘Aqab is 2 km, or 1.25 miles from Ramallah. This is a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute car drive. Ramallah has been described as the seat of government of the Palestinian Authority and serves as the headquarters for most international NGOs and embassies. Hundreds of millions of dollars in aid flowing into the city have boosted Ramallah’s economy greatly since the end of the Second Intifada.

The Ramallah construction boom is one of the most obvious signs of West Bank economic growth, estimated at an annual rate of 8 percent. This has been attributed to relative stability and Western donor support to the Palestinian Authority. Ramallah’s buoyant economy continues to draw Palestinians from other West Bank towns where jobs are fewer. The built-up area has grown five-fold since 2002.

By 2010, Ramallah had become the leading center of economic and political activity in the territories under the control of the Palestinian Authority. During a building boom in the early years of the 21st century, apartment buildings and “five-star” hotels were erected, particularly in the Al-Masyoun neighborhood. In 2010, “more than one hundred” Palestinian businesses were reported to have moved to Ramallah from East Jerusalem, because “Here they pay less taxes and have more customers.” One local boasted to a journalist that “Ramallah is becoming the de facto capital of Palestine.” This boast was seconded by The New York Times which, in 2010, called Ramallah the “de facto capital of the West Bank.” According to Sani Meo, the publisher of This Week in Palestine, “Capital or no capital, Ramallah has done well and Palestine is proud of its achievements.” 

 Kafr ‘Aqab has not been a Jewish town in centuries if not millennia. Israel will not miss it as they basically ceded it to the West Bank by putting it on the other side of their barrier wall. But it is still East Jerusalem. Cede it to Ramallah in the West Bank. Now, the Palestinians can have some of East Jerusalem for their capital, and its a stone’s throw [no pun intended] from their de facto capital. Sadly, Israel doesn’t view it this way. Since Israeli municipal inspectors rarely if ever come to Kafr Aqab, the residents have to build, even ten story high rises, without permission. So using a ”catch 22,” now that 5 high rises are built, not only housing people, but medical clinics and schools, Israelis are preparing, as of October 2017, to demolish them, because they were built without a permit. https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-1.819121

Remember the Rabbinic midrash quotes God as wanting Jerusalem to be shared. This is the same God that promised the land to Abraham. Remember too the Rabbi’s preach ”Great is Peace.” Peace is the pipeline in which all of God’s blessings flow to us. Without peace we cannot enjoy life. https://www.amazon.com/Great-Peace-Modern-Commentary-Tractate/dp/1478183233 ;