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Jerusalem is regarded as the holiest city in the world by many people. It is the site of places sacred to three of the world's great religions. The Dome of the Rock is holy to the Muslims, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to Christians, and the Western Wall of the Temple Mount to the Jews. The status of Jerusalem has been a stumbling block to all peace negotiations in the Middle East. It seems ironic that leaders and members of three of the world's great faith communities cannot find a way to coexist peacefully with each other.

Control of Jerusalem has been contested for centuries. Some of the bloodiest battles between Jews and Arabs have been fought within its walls. In the 1967 war, Israel gained control of Jerusalem. The Jews contend that it is now, and must remain the eternal capital of Israel, and that it should remain forever under Israel's sovereignty. Their government's official guidelines guarantee freedom of worship and access to holy places to members of all faiths. Within the city there is tension and the occasional skirmish, but day-to-day-life is relatively normal. To date, the Israelis maintain control of Jerusalem, although there are neighborhoods of Palestinians within the city.

The Palestinian authorities maintain that Jerusalem should be the capital of an independent Palestinian state. They demand that Israel withdraw from all territory captured during the 1967 war. At present, the status of Jerusalem has been left open until the final negotiating period of an all-encompassing peace initiative, because it will almost certainly be the greatest problem.

The question arises: should the city be split, divided between the Israelis and the Palestinians? I submit that it should not.

The chance of civil conflict would be increased. The police of one state would inevitably clash with those of the other on something. Even if the matter were minuscule, the citizenry of each side would join in to support their officers, and the result would be a battle. With the Middle East such a powder keg, it could easily escalate to something more serious.

The Israelis seem to have done well maintaining the peace in Jerusalem. There are adjustments which must be made to facilitate access of Muslims to their shrine, but these could be effected with a few strokes of a pen. Perhaps an advisory body, consisting of several representatives of each faith, could be established to recommend necessary changes in policies affecting Jerusalem to the Israeli government.

All of these three faith groups honor some version of the Golden Rule, "...thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Leviticus 19:18

If a major publicity campaign were launched and carried out by the leaders of all religions within the holy city, persistently drumming this injunction into the consciousness of every citizen, Jerusalem just might become the shining example of peace and brotherhood in the Middle East, instead of the major stumbling block to peace.

One can only imagine God smiling with delight at this development. "Well, they finally got the message. It's about time..."

Learn more about this author, Carolyn Tytler.
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