Long Netanyahu’s best ally in Europe in blocking UN recognition of Palestine , Angela Merkel is very angry that all her moves to get talks restarted have been thwarted by the announcement of a new 1,100-home Jewish settlement in Jerusalem

Documentary maker Eli Ungar-Sargon, aware that Palestinians are seen in the US and srael as very anti-Semitic, set out to investigate racism amongst Israelis – and found a disturbingly high level of anti-Arab feeling – and ignorance of the political options – which, unlike the ‘marginal’ anti-semitism of Palestinians, is ‘mainstream’ in Israel

In the name of ‘our biblical heritage’ right-wng Israelis are trying to eradicate all evidence of Arab habitation and culture in the land , including from maps and road signs

A march in Jerusalem last Friday attracted 1500 supporters – watch it on youtube,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWZaq_o7e6g&feature=player_embedded.
They marched for Palestinian statehood – or freedom. Jerry Haber’s blog is followed by a critical, but hopeful, blog by Jalal Abukhater

Take an area where traditional heads of household have been dispossessed of all political and economic authority, add guns and drugs, take away any police authority and you are left with the violent chaos that is the Palestinian village in Area B

Reuters has produced this brief history of who supported which borders, when

The renowned Palestinian intellectual Eward Said (1932-2003) first delivered this paper in London in 1995. It is a passionate account of Jerusalem’s actual history of many faiths and cultures and deplores the failure of Palestinian leaders to provide their own history and vision of the city. Now reprinted by Jerusalem Quarterly

A fence has been built on a West Jerusalem playground to keep children from a secular nursery school from playing with peers at an ultra-Orthodox one. Ultra-Orthodox parents said they were displeased that the secular school was so close, and their representatives lobbied the municipality for a fence, completed last week…

Bradley Burston’s writes about the proposed Museum of “Tolerance” which he characterises as a settlement being built in West Jerusalem: on disputed land, causing direct and prolonged damage between Palestinians and Israelis, tarnishing Israel’s image as a democratic state – and more…

Jeremiah Haber responds to Jeffrey Goldbert who asked in a recent blogpost “Would Muslims Give Up Control of Mecca?”, He shows quite how miscast this question is in the context of Jerusalem’s history and reality today.

The Berlin based campaign in support of Firas Maraghy continues to grow. At 4pm yesterday, a letter with 115 signatories was sent to Daniel Barenboim, the Argentinian/Israeli conductor – text below. We only had 24 hours to collect signatures but they came in from all over the world. In the meantime, the two petitions are [...]

JfJfP writes to the OECD: “It is with amazement and alarm that we note the decision of the OECD to hold their conference on “Industry and Policy Approaches to Foster Green Growth in Tourism” in Jerusalem in October…”

Firas Maraghy is from Jerusalem. He is currently resident in Berlin and has been on hunger strike since July 26th in front of the Israeli embassy building. The wickedly Kafkaesque situation in which he and his family have been placed by Israeli authorities is outlined below. It forms the basis of a petition addressed to the Israeli [...]

A group of official and private British-Jewish organisations have jointly invited ultra-right wing Israeli Minister Benny Begin to give the keynote address at “Yom Yerushalayim” celebrations in London on 11th May. These include the Jewish National Fund (JNF), the Zionist Federation (ZF), Hendon United Synagogue, Ner Israel Community, “One Jerusalem” and Likud-Herut UK…

Uri Avnery writes: “The case of Bil’in is especially conspicuous… because the motive trying to hide behind the Fence is so striking. Not Zionism. Not security or defense from the terrorists. Not the dreams of generations. Not the vision of Theodor Herzl, whose 150th birthday is being celebrated now. Just money. Lots of money…”

Demonstrative report from Al Jazeera’s Jacky Rowland on the differences in access to central Jerusalem for two sets of commuters trying to get to work: residents of the illegal settlements and Palestinians from Shuafat and Beit Hanina.

On 16 April Elie Wiesel published a full page ad signed by himself in the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, calling for Jerusalem to be taken out of current political discussions – “For me, the Jew that I am, Jerusalem is above politics.” Jewish protestors at Sheikh Jarrar have issued a response…

Thomas Friedman writes:”I’d summarize it like this: In the last decade, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process — for Israel — has gone from being a necessity to a hobby. And in the last decade, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process — for America — has gone from being a hobby to a necessity. Therein lies the problem [...]

News from Birthright Unplugged who are seeking 10,000 signatures for a petition against the continued plans to build a so-called Museum of Tolerance by the Simon Weisenthal Center. Deadline is 22nd March 2010 – so you have 6 days!

Reality Tours with Rotem Dan Mor introduce you to some of the key social realities of Jerusalem’s rich and diverse communities while allowing you to experience first-hand its beautiful places, stories, cultures and people.