Ah, the Jerusalem debate once again is a highlight of discussions concerning the future of Israel-Palestinian conflicts. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu reached for his copy of the Bible during a session in the Knesset in order to prove for once and for all that Jerusalem belongs to only one people — Jews. His examination of the Bible reveals the word Jerusalem is mentioned along with Zion 850 times in the Old Testament. Asked how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the hold scriptures of other faiths, he responded, “I recommend you check.” He was attempting to validate the right of Israel occupy the entire city despite the UN Partition Plan which called for dual control. He then went on to note the word, Jerusalem is mentioned 142 times in the New Testament and none of the 16 names for Jerusalem is mentioned in the Koran.
Jerusalem was a Jewish city in ancient times. After the Romans destroyed it as a capital in the 1st century, A.D. it then became a Christian city until the 7th century when Muslims seized it until Crusaders retook and it and then back to Muslims until 1967. This might be an interesting history lesson, but we live in modern times. If one accepts Netanyahu logic, we can expect numerous law suits from Indian tribes seeking return of “their land.”
Enough with word games. Peace requires making Jerusalem a city for all faiths.
