Jerusalem, and the palestinian use of

Submitted by rick (United States), Jun 20, 2006 at 13:42

Pipes is correct about Islam's general disinterest in Jerusalem. Throughtout it's history, Jerusalem has been under Muslim authority for over a thousand years and yet never in that time was it once the capital of any Islamic entity. The last 400+ years under the Ottoman's it was a backwater type of place, with little interest by the Turks or any ARab peoples. Cairo, Damascus, Bagdad were all much more important Arab cities not to mention Mecca and Medina.

So why the emphasis now on Jerusalem. It is precisely as Mr. Pipes says due to the Arab lose in 1967. And why did arafat make Jerusalem such an issue? I believe his thinking was thus:

"If the Jews give us Jersualem it is a great tactical victory, snatching away their most holy city. It will show the weakness of the Jews and their willingness to part with what is most holy to them for a "peace" which the Muslim world will never accord them regardless.

And if they do not give us Jersualem, it is an excellent excuse and rallying cry to keep the conflict on-going until that day when we will take it ourselves by force"

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