The year 2023 concluded at the peak of warfare and amid deep crisis in both Israeli and Palestinian societies. The October 7 massacre; 136 Israeli hostages; a bloody war with tens of thousands killed and injured; tremendous destruction in Gaza; hundreds of thousands of people displaced; an acute economic crisis in the West Bank; an escalation in settler violence - all this took place while Israel’s extremist right-wing government continues to incite and inflame and to advance its messianic views. In Jerusalem, while some attempted to utilize the war to agitate and entrench rifts, others launched aid initiatives, making connections and joint actions with East Jerusalem.
Under the shadow of war, the “full-on” right-wing government fast-tracked approval and construction of new settlements in East Jerusalem, while continuing to carry out evictions and demolitions that could lead to the displacement of entire communities. Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, acted beyond his authority and in coordination with right-wing figures in the Jerusalem Municipality in order to increase demolitions in East Jerusalem as an act of collective punishment, constantly “warning” against uprisings in mixed cities.
The war brought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back to the forefront and emphasized the importance of political processes toward its resolution—without recourse to so-called “conflict management” concepts or unilateral “declarations.” The values in which Ir Amim believes—commitment to genuine equality for all—have not lost their importance, but must now face deepened traumas that have impacted both nations and both communities in Jerusalem. Although Jerusalem is not at the center of the current crisis, it remains, at the same time, the place to which many of its consequences filter back, and a place where it is possible, despite all the challenges involved, to start working towards a just and egalitarian alternative. Jerusalem can be a s...read more
The year 2023 concluded at the peak of warfare and amid deep crisis in both Israeli and Palestinian societies. The October 7 massacre; 136 Israeli hostages; a bloody war with tens of thousands killed and injured; tremendous destruction in Gaza; hundreds of thousands of people displaced; an acute economic crisis in the West Bank; an escalation in settler violence - all this took place while Israel’s extremist right-wing government continues to incite and inflame and to advance its messianic views. In Jerusalem, while some attempted to utilize the war to agitate and entrench rifts, others launched aid initiatives, making connections and joint actions with East Jerusalem.
Under the shadow of war, the “full-on” right-wing government fast-tracked approval and construction of new settlements in East Jerusalem, while continuing to carry out evictions and demolitions that could lead to the displacement of entire communities. Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, acted beyond his authority and in coordination with right-wing figures in the Jerusalem Municipality in order to increase demolitions in East Jerusalem as an act of collective punishment, constantly “warning” against uprisings in mixed cities.
The war brought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back to the forefront and emphasized the importance of political processes toward its resolution—without recourse to so-called “conflict management” concepts or unilateral “declarations.” The values in which Ir Amim believes—commitment to genuine equality for all—have not lost their importance, but must now face deepened traumas that have impacted both nations and both communities in Jerusalem. Although Jerusalem is not at the center of the current crisis, it remains, at the same time, the place to which many of its consequences filter back, and a place where it is possible, despite all the challenges involved, to start working towards a just and egalitarian alternative. Jerusalem can be a stumbling block towards a resolution, yet, we believe it can also serve as a model for repair and hope.
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