RABBI DANIEL KIRZANE
  • Home
  • About
  • Sermons
  • Teaching
  • Ritual in Education
  • Publications
  • Weddings

Jerusalem as Israel's Capital

12/8/2017

0 Comments

 
Earlier this week, President Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, igniting opprobrium and applause from around the world.  How are we to think about this announcement?  Is it a game changer or mere rhetoric?  Does it derail any hope for peace or revitalize a stalled process?  Reasonable people disagree on the matter, and I hope to learn from people of all sides in informing my own opinion.  At the end of the day, it's crucial that regardless how we feel on this issue, we continue to speak peaceably with one another so that our disagreements don't tear us apart but rather ennoble and enrich us and our community.
Capital of Peace: Jerusalem and the Quest for Peace
 
With every service, we heed our tradition’s ancient call: שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלָ‍ם, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Ps. 122:6).
 
The destiny of Jerusalem—in Hebrew Yerushalayim—is to be an Ir Shalom, a city of peace.  Tragically, this sacred city, holy to three ancient faiths, has far too often attracted conquest and violence.  Our tradition has struggled to hold together two dynamic truths: that Jerusalem stands for everything virtuous and good while at the same time fostering throughout the ages tremendous suffering.
 
And so our sages have taught of the singularity of Jerusalem:
 
Ten portions of beauty are in the world—nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world.
Ten portions of suffering are in the world—nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world.

 
And so it is with wisdom, hypocrisy, and Torah:
 
Ten portions of wisdom are in the world—nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world.
Ten portions of hypocrisy are in the world—nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world.
Ten portions of Torah are in the world—nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world.
[1]
 
The good and the bad intermix, vying for the soul of Jerusalem.  We pray that the worldly Jerusalem--Yerushalayim shel matah—can achieve the spiritual ideal of the heavenly Jerusalem--Yerushalayim shel ma’alah.
 
But even here, our tradition is conflicted.  On the one hand, we envision an ideal Jerusalem that stands for the peace and security of the Jewish people, at last free from generations of violence.

  • Jerusalem built up, a city knit together (Ps. 122:3).  This means: a city that makes all Israel friends, from now until the end of days.  R. Ze’ira said: And at that time alone shall the tribes make pilgrimage there—Tribes of Yah—as witness for Israel (ibid. 4).[2]
 
But on the other hand, Judaism has also taught that Jerusalem is a symbol of peace for all humankind, a haven of purity and piety not only for Israel but for the entire world.

  • Rabbi Yohanan said: Jerusalem is destined to become the metropolis of all lands.[3]
 
  • [And in the heavenly Jerusalem,] every single person will know God’s name and give God praise, as the Master of the Universe says, “See what I have given in the land – this is to praise the name of the Eternal.”[4]
 
So which is it?  Does Judaism want Jerusalem to be a global city, a beacon of international collaboration?  Or does our tradition envision a secure fortress for Jews alone, an ancient inheritance from an everlasting covenant?
 
The answer, of course, is all of the above.  We yearn for Jerusalem to be both exclusively Jewish and expansively universal.  Sadly, these two dreams compete with one another, both in our religious imagination as well as in our political reality.
 
/
 
As I’m sure many of you have heard, Jerusalem has been much in the news this past week.  Breaking from decades of precedent, President Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States would formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and would begin preparation to relocate the American embassy there.  He said:

  • My announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. …
 
  • I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. …
 
  • I've judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.  This is a long-overdue step to advance the peace process and to work towards a lasting agreement.[5]
 
Officially, the President is enforcing the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which passed by overwhelming majorities in Congress.  This act, which came into effect in November of 1995, only four days after Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, instructed the United States embassy to move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem upon formal acknowledgement that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital city.[6]  Presidents have demurred on this responsibility, citing national security risks, for the past twenty-two years, though the Congress has continued to uphold its intention as recently as six months ago.[7]
 
Now, that intention is reality.  The American president has acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a fact that has been evident since the founding of the state in 1948 and which has been the position of the Israeli government since its inception.  Moreover, the president has begun preparations for moving the American embassy to Jerusalem, a process which could take as long as four years.[8]
 
Mah nishtanah?  What difference does it make?
 
Well, if the American embassy does indeed move to Jerusalem, it will be the only one.  Currently, no nation has an embassy there, though as many as sixteen have held their diplomatic headquarters there over the past fifty years.  International law recognizes Jerusalem as “corpus separatum,” an area that technically belongs to no state, with the hopes that an eventual peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians will settle the matter of which land belongs to whom.[9]  America’s change in policy reflects a shift in the international dynamic whereby the United States seems to be more closely aligning its position with that of the government of Israel.
 
Understandably, this news has raised a lot of questions in America and abroad.  Is it good or bad or simply rhetorical?  Will it derail peace initiatives or reinvigorate them?  Who are the winners, who are the losers, and what are the stakes?
 
This evening, I’d like to share a sampling of some answers to these questions that might inform our own opinions.  As our textual tradition shows, there’s more than one way to think about Jerusalem, and this current issue is no different.  I’ll try to lay out two major interpretations of the president’s actions.  The first is that America’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital hurts our chances for peace and therefore is a mistake.  The second is that this decision disrupts a stalled peace process and has the potential to inspire a breakthrough in negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.
 
/
 
First, a statement that should come as no surprise.  According to Tal Schneider, the Diplomatic and Political Correspondent for Globes Business Newspaper:

  • There is consensus inside Israel that this is good; it confirms what they already believe.  [When they heard the announcement,] Israelis were thrilled and emotional. … [President Trump] gave a good performance, [and he delivered a] clear message.  Israelis loved to hear it.[10]
 
At the same time, she also points out that many Palestinians felt exactly the opposite.  Jerusalem is a deeply divided city, and this policy shift has the potential to intensify the tension in the area.  This symbolic action from the United States can be interpreted as American approval of Israel’s positions and a disavowal of Palestinian ones.  It removes the veneer of impartiality America has endeavored to uphold in negotiations between the two parties.
 
That’s exactly how Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas feels.  He declared President Trump’s announcement an abandonment of America’s role as an honest broker of peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.  He said:

  • The U.S. can no longer function as a diplomatic sponsor and [peace] mediator.[11]
 
Saed Erekat, the chief Palestinian peace negotiator, agreed.  He sees the move as a death knell to the decades-old peace process that has always focused on the foundational principle of “two states for two people.”  He said:

  • President Trump has delivered a message to the Palestinian people: the two-state solution is over. Now is the time to transform the struggle for one-state with equal rights for everyone living in historic Palestine, from the river to the sea.[12]
 
This view is echoed nearly unanimously by political and religious leaders around the world: America’s actions seem to violate the principles of diplomatic engagement, which have for decades insisted on a negotiated two-state solution to the current situation.
 
This is also the official position of the Reform Movement, which worries that President Trump’s announcement derails the possibility of peace negotiations.

  • While we share the President’s belief that the U.S. Embassy should, at the right time, be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, we cannot support his decision to begin preparing that move now, absent a comprehensive plan for a peace process.  Additionally, any relocation of the American Embassy to West Jerusalem should be conceived and executed in the broader context reflecting Jerusalem’s status as a city holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.[13]
 
That’s also why Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, opposed the move.  She said:

  • T’ruah supports the establishment of a Palestinian state side by side with Israel. In order to be acceptable to both parties, this resolution will necessarily include a capital for each state in Jerusalem.  But today, we find ourselves very far from this resolution.
 
  • President Trump’s decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel constitutes a symbolic gesture that serves no useful purpose, moves us no closer to a peace agreement, indicates his lack of understanding of the complexities of the region, and will likely lead to unrest and even violence.
 
These voices represent the opposition to the move.  And as Rabbi Jacobs predicted, there has indeed been some violence at organized demonstrations.  Thousands of protestors have responded to a call from Hamas to ignite a “day of rage.”  Fortunately, however, the widespread violence that was feared never materialized, and Jerusalem entered Shabbat fairly quietly earlier today.  The peace within Jerusalem has been credited to the Israeli police forces, which worked hard to ensure smooth access to both Muslim and Jewish prayer within the city.[14]
 
/
 
We may take heart that protests were within a reasonable limit over the past couple days.  Hopefully, Israelis and Palestinians alike will find a way to come together despite—or even because of—this change in policy.  Indeed, according to several observers, President Trump’s announcement may actually bring us closer to peace.
 
This is because, at the end of the day, Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, regardless of international recognition.  Even Jewish groups that oppose the president’s action hasten to affirm their agreement on this matter.  Jerusalem is and should be the capital of the Jewish State.
 
So, when the president says it out loud, he does little to affect the so-called “facts on the ground.”  Practically, nothing has changed, and avenues remain open for East Jerusalem to remain the capital of a future Palestinian state.  This is the position of the American Jewish Committee, a long-time advocate for the two-state solution, as outlined in their official statement:
 
  • The President’s declaration does not affect either the role of the United States as the essential facilitator of Israeli-Palestinian peace or the necessity of negotiations to resolve final-status issues of the conflict, including Palestinian claims regarding the disputed eastern part of Jerusalem.
 
  • [AJC CEO David Harris said,] “The administration’s commitment to advancing that peace process is most welcome.”[15]
 
Former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro agrees.  He has outlined how this move could advance rather than disrupt peace negotiations:
 
  • Mr. Trump must be clear on two points: The embassy will relocate to West Jerusalem, the area of the city under undisputed Israeli sovereignty.  He also must explain that East Jerusalem’s status will need to be negotiated, and the U.S. expects the outcome to include a Palestinian capital in the city’s Arab neighborhoods, as part of a unified city.
 
  • This approach has two advantages.  First, it reorients U.S. policy toward a two-state solution.  Second, it punctures myths that both sides use to deceive themselves and delay progress.  Palestinians will see that the U.S. strongly supports historic Jewish and Israeli claims to Jerusalem, and Israelis will hear from their ally that to end the conflict they need to acknowledge a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem.[16]
  
In other words, this was a decisive move to be sure, but a move nonetheless in the interests of peace.  It demonstrated America’s commitment to the issue and called the hand of both the Israelis and the Palestinians, urging them to move swiftly on a final deal.
 
Currently, envoys from the Trump administration—including Jared Kushner, Jason Greenblatt, Dina Powell, and David Friedman—are working on a closely-guarded peace plan.[17]  Perhaps this change of events is part of a broader strategy.
 
As well, it could be the position of the Trump administration that the two-state solution as it was envisioned nearly twenty-five years ago is dead.  If so, many would agree with them.  With several peace deals already brokered—and with none of them agreed to—many have concluded that a new paradigm will be necessary moving forward.
 
That’s how Jonathan Tobin, an editor at Commentary magazine, feels.  He suggests that American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is a necessary step in loosening the grip that anti-peace extremists hold on the Palestinian people.  He wrote:
 
  • As long as the Palestinians and their foreign enablers are allowed to hold on to the illusion that their century-old war on Zionism will eventually succeed, the sea change in their political culture that might enable peace will never happen.  While there is little chance that Trump’s attempt to jolt them into reality will succeed, such a change is a prerequisite for successful negotiations, not a barrier to them.[18]
 
Thus, whether one is interested in a classically-imagined two-state solution or a different approach altogether, it is possible that the president’s recent announcement could advance either agenda.  It might be a step in the direction of true peace.
 
/
 
People I admire hold both of these views.  Some claim with credibility that President Trump has turned the clock back on Middle East peace.  Others argue with equal fervor that this is a major victory for Israel and, eventually, for the Palestinians.  It’s impossible to know for sure who’s right and who’s wrong.
 
The President of the Union for Reform Judaism, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, is a model for how to hold the uncertainty of the current moment.  He is concerned that America has lost its position as an honest broker of peace between Palestinians and Israelis.  At the same, time, however, Rabbi Jacobs said that:
 
  • “[To hear Jerusalem recognized as the capital of Israel] is the age-old dream of the Jewish people and all of us who love and care about Israel.”
 
  • He said he was open to the possibility that the move could prove to be a “concrete step closer to a peace process.”
 
  • “Or will it be an obstacle?  Only time will tell.”[19]
 
/
 
Within our community, within our own families, people will undoubtedly have their own reasoned opinions about the current situation.  And, of course, many of us will continue to raise insightful questions in the weeks and months ahead.
 
It is crucial throughout this entire discussion that we recall a pivotal lesson from this week’s Torah portion.  Here’s how the parashah begins:
 
  • Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, for he was the child of his old age; and he had made him a coat of many colors.  And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him so that they could not speak peaceably with him (וְלֹא יָכְלוּ דַּבְּרוֹ לְשָׁלֹם) (Gen. 37:3-4).
 
As we know, Joseph’s brothers later sell him into slavery, and he, in turn, will test and humiliate them until they finally reconcile.  And all because they were not able to speak peaceably together. 
 
We must be able to remain in loving relationship with one another, even across intense divides.  The issues of peace within Israel are essential and should remain at the top of our list of priorities.  But they cannot overcome our willingness to embrace one another through our differences.  Our Torah insists that we can disagree without turning against one another.
 
May this be our prayer this Shabbat – that we can conduct ourselves with dignity and compassion as we debate these critical issues.
 
May we renew our eternal commitment to peace within Jerusalem and among Jerusalem and her neighbors.
 
And may we be at peace with all who share our love of peace—even if we disagree on how to get there.  For as the Midrash says, “Great is peace, for contained within it is every blessing.”[20]


[1] Avot d’Rabbi Natan B48

[2] Midrash Tehillim on Psalm 122:3.

[3] Exodus Rabbah 23:10.

[4] Zohar, Parashat Lech Lecha, 44a.

[5] https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/12/06/statement-president-trump-jerusalem.

[6] See the text of the Jerusalem Embassy Act at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ45/html/PLAW-104publ45.htm.

[7] On June 5, 2017, the Senate passed a non-binding resolution that “reaffirms the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 as United States law, and calls upon the President and all United States officials to abide by its provisions” by a margin of 90-0.  This resolution also “reaffirms that it is the longstanding, bipartisan policy of the United States Government that the permanent status of Jerusalem remains a matter to be decided between the parties through final status negotiations towards a two-state solution.”  Text available: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-resolution/176/text.

[8] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-had-for-months-been-determined-to-move-us-embassy-to-jerusalem/2017/12/06/f721e2ba-dab7-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html.

[9] https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.826698.

[10] Shared on a call with rabbinic supporters of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.

[11] https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/1.827357.

[12] https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/.premium-1.827369.

[13] https://urj.org/blog/2017/12/05/reform-jewish-movement-concerned-about-white-house-jerusalem-announcement.

[14] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/08/world/middleeast/israel-jerusalem-trump.html.

[15] https://www.ajc.org/news/ajc-applauds-us-recognition-of-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-city.

[16] https://www.wsj.com/articles/move-the-embassy-to-jerusalem-and-promote-peace-1508883304.

[17] https://www.jta.org/2017/12/04/news-opinion/politics/jared-kushner-talks-about-his-peace-plan-and-leaves-everyone-guessing.

[18] http://www.nationalreview.com/article/454398/trump-jerusalem-move-reveals-cause-palestinian-rage.

[19] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/us/trump-jerusalem-jews.html?_r=0.

[20] Vayikra Rabbah 9:9.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    About

    “To be effective, the preacher's message must be alive; it must alarm, arouse, challenge; it must be God's present voice to a particular people.” 
    ~A. W. Tozer

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    September 2013
    April 2013
    October 2012
    September 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    April 2011
    January 2011
    October 2010
    September 2010
    September 2009

    RSS Feed

    Tweets by @dkirzane
Contact Me
  • Home
  • About
  • Sermons
  • Teaching
  • Ritual in Education
  • Publications
  • Weddings