A bone of contention
Michael Jansen
The author, a well-respected observer of Middle East affairs, has three books on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The author, a well-respected observer of Middle East affairs, has three books on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
7 hours ago
Palestinians are under pressure to emigrate from East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
I spent my first night in East Jerusalem in Shaikh Jarrah in the family home of a new-found Palestinian friend. In the morning, I was introduced to an Italian architect who was also staying there. He was involved in renovations at the Dome of the Rock in the Haram al-Sharif, the mosque compound on the summit of Mount Moriah in the Old City. He took me on a tour of the project, where medieval Iranian tiles were being replaced by new tiles and the old lead dome by a gold-coloured aluminium structure —which has since been replaced by gold. Jordan was then in charge of the Haram and involved in the renovations. East Jerusalem was a peaceful quiet, sleepy, comfortable West Bank backwater.