Comments Related To: Sen. Marco Rubio's visit to the Middle East: Who has the right to claim Jerusalem?

Dava,

Excellent report, as per...

Rated up/shared.

HD

Thank you for reading and commenting Herbert.

I disagree with you take on the situation. Have you lived in Isreal?

thank you for reading and commenting Miltrulz.

It is not "my take." These are issues that have been discussed for years by those far more close to the dilemma than I.

If you have an opinion, please cite it as I have presented all sides here.

My opinion will not be popular but I will say I don't believe in land for peace. If another 'group' claimed that Washington as their's would the USA give up a potion of it to that group?

I was responding to this "Rubio’s statement about Jerusalem being the capital of Israel was stunning because it assumes the nature and future of the city to be strictly Israeli, alienating the Arab world"
Whoes take was the above?

I can respond to your statement about Washington D.C.. And just so you know Miltrulz, I don't care if what you say is "popular" as long as you present it honestly from your point of view. I realize perception is reality, but perceptions can be wrong on both sides of an argument.

Washington is the people's city, and the separation of church and state are guaranteed in the Constitution. All groups are suppose to be represented--although some would question that. But in America we are free to dissent, which is the heart of democracy.

Religious freedom, however, was defined for us by Thomas Jefferson in "Notes on Virginia" in 1781, when he recognized a possible discrepancy when he saw some religious groups being wrongly characterized, like the Quakers for example who are Pacifists.

He wrote in 1781 in part:

The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god... Constraint may make him worse by making him a hypocrite, but it will never make him a truer man. It may fix him obstinately in his errors, but will not cure them. Reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error. Give a loose to them, they will support the true religion, by bringing every false one to their tribunal....

I hope this wasn't too long and drawn out, but I sincerely encourage you to voice your opinions here. : )

"The Quran instructs that it is a duty of the followers of Islam to make a hajj (pilgrimage)" - your words.. )
However, it never specifically directs a haj to Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, THE WORD JERUSALEM DOES NOT APPEAR IN The QURAN AT ALL. Or did you not know that?

Surely that waters down your insinuation that Judaism and Islam have an equal draw or claim to Jerusalem. The former has had it for thousands of years, the latter, by comparison, for a brief moment in time.

Sybille V

At the very least, he wasn't stopping to drink water this time.

Thanks for the excellent and thought provoking report!

Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that their will be agreement to make Jerusalem an international city. Israel unilaterally annexed East Jerusalem and considers it part of Israel proper not occupied territory:
"Following the 1967 Six-Day War, the eastern part of Jerusalem came under Israeli rule, along with the entire West Bank. Shortly after the Israeli takeover, East Jerusalem was annexed, together with several neighboring West Bank villages. In November 1967, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 was passed, calling for Israel to withdraw "from territories occupied in the recent conflict" in exchange for peace treaties. In 1980, the Knesset passed the Jerusalem Law, which declared that "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel",[2] thus formalizing Israel's unilateral annexation. This declaration was determined to be "null and void" by United Nations Security Council Resolution 478." From Wikipedia

Very Well Written.. rated up