How does the recent development in Jerusalem look from the Palestinians’ point of view? What future scenarios exist for the city’s various ethnic and religious minorities, when the only Israelis that many Palestinian children have seen are soldiers, and many Israelis never have set foot in the Palestinian part of the city?
In October, thousands of Palestinian and Israeli women set out on a peace march across the country, from the Lebanese border to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem. The women were fed up with the growing separation and violence, and with the lack of constructive action from the political authorities. An increasing number of voices are claiming the two-state solution is dead, in effect if not in words. What courses does that leave for the road ahead, and what are the impediments to the possible solutions?
The organization behind the march, Women Wage Peace, founded after the 2014 Gaza war, claims there is no lack of proposals and possible ways to a peaceful solution, but lack of political will from the authorities.
Hind Khoury was among the speakers at the march. She is a former Minister of Jerusalem Affairs for the Palestinian Authorities, and the general secretary of the Christian Palestinian organization Kairos Palestine. She has long claimed that what is lacking is the political will for change. She will give this year’s Saladin Lecture.
English By Hind Khoury Wergeland Litteraturhuset The Saladin Days 2017