QUOTE of the WEEK:
MINI-SETTLEMENTS THROUGHOUT JERUSALEM
LIKE SETTLEMENTS THROUGHOUT WEST BANK
"House after house, we will build
Jerusalem,"
Ehud Olmert
Mayor of Jerusalem - 6/1/98
MER - 2 June:
If only it were instead the Lie of the Week; but unfortunately it is
the reality of the situation. Just like nearly 150 settlements now are scattered
throughout the map of the West Bank and Gaza, rendering any Palestinian State, declared or
otherwise, unreal; so the penetration of Jewish homes, yeshivas and synagogues throughout
what was the Arab part of Jerusalem represents the mini-settlement approach of the
Israelis to this key historical city.
A contemporary map of Jerusalem today that showed where Arab homes
and properties had been confiscated and turned into Jewish homes and properties would show
the same patch-work pattern as do today's maps of the West Bank and Gaza. The Jewish
buildings are essentially mini-settlements within what was Arab Jerusalem.
On Monday, a new Jewish restaurant/banquet hall was dedicated on
Ha-Gai Street in the Moslem Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. Not far away the Israeli
flag and menorah fly high over a major Arab street -- designating one of the homes of
non-other than Israeli Minister Ariel Sharon. Sharon purposefully "settled" in
one of the most visible places of the Moslem quarter, constantly guarded by a very visible
squad of uzi-totting soldiers, to demonstrably symbolize Israeli domination.
Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert made a point of being present at the
Monday ceremony in the Moslem Quarter, and he purposefully went out of his way to praise
the Israeli extremist sect known as the Ateret Cohanim Association that is behind many of
the Israeli mini-settlements in Jerusalem.
"House after house, we will build Jerusalem," Olmert said
loudly for all to hear; just as Sharon's flag and menorah fly boldly in a kind of constant
"in their face" gesture against the Palestinians.
And sadly for the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations, Olmert's
comment is not the Lie of the Week, but rather it succinctly states what has been
happening since 1967, and what continues to happen today.
P.S. And for those who think this is even partly a matter of Likud
versus Labor, think again. Until a few years ago the mayor of Jerusalem was Teddy Kollek,
a leading Labor personality. More mini-settlements within Jerusalem, and more settlements
surrounding Jerusalem, were started and promoted by the Labor Party than by Likud. This
Good Cop/Bad Cop Labor/Likud game has been continually played against the Palestinians for
decades now; and most of the gullible or co-opted media has played along all too well all
too often.
