Suffering Does Not Make a Person Noble - Final Evaluation

“When God created the world, he created ten portions of beauty.  He gave nine to Jerusalem and one to the rest of the world.  When God created the world, he created ten problems. He gave nine to Jerusalem and one to the rest of the world” (Amiry).  Before taking this class based on the Living Jerusalem Project, I thought that all nine of those problems negatively affected the Israelis.  I saw Jerusalem as a Jewish city and believed that Jews, as the chosen people of God, were always and again the victims of great persecution.  Karen Armstrong, in her book, Jerusalem, writes, “one of the inescapable messages of the history of Jerusalem is that despite romantic myths to the contrary, suffering does not necessarily make us better, nobler people” (Armstrong, 423).  Beginning with Armstrong, I began to see that because of suffering previous persecution, the Israelis have made a concentrated effort to stop being the victim and in doing so, have not necessarily become more noble, but rather, quite often, less noble.  This class has shown me, as I have experienced sympathy for both the Israelis and the Palestinians, that neither one, nor the other, is blameless, and neither have become better people as a result of this conflict.

For thousands of years, Jerusalem has been the center of contention between religious groups (Jews, Muslims, and Christians), which attempt to use the city to legitimize their divine connections to God.  The Living Jerusalem class helps students to understand the specific importance of Jerusalem in relation to this divine connection. The contemporary Israeli/Palestinian conflict began when the Zionist movement proposed a mass movement of Jews back to the ‘homeland,’ starting after World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust.  For the Jews, this was the only solution to their need for a homeland.  “There was a deep imbalance at the heart of existence, which could be rectified only when the Jews were reunited with Zion and restored their proper place” (Armstrong, 307).  On May 14, 1948, Israel declared independence.  Neighboring Arab states invaded on May 15 in support of the Palestinians.  This course’s focus centralizes on the projects for peace since.

After reading Armstrong, and gaining a basic understanding of the long and conflicted history of Jerusalem, the class was able to video conference Israelis and Palestinians who are working to end the conflict.  Each video conference was unique.  During each conversation, I found myself wanting to sympathize with whichever side of the conflict was being represented.  When Ahmed from PAYLARA spoke with us after being detained unjustly at a checkpoint, I thought the Israelis could not be more out-of-hand and was nearly outraged at the lack of global threat of punishment for Israel if it does not stop some of its current practices which limit human rights.  However, since we did not hear the other side, I am not sure how my sympathies would have balanced out.

Since this class has such a potential for influencing thought on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, some changes could be included in the future to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the conflict.  If possible, the class taught in the United States should be paired with students at both an Israeli university and an Arab university.  This inclusion is integral to ensuring that all views of the conflict are included.  In the event that one, or both, of the Middle Eastern universities cannot participate, video conferences could be arranged either with students or others who can share the viewpoint which is missing.  For this semester’s class, the viewpoint of the Jews who believe they have a right to Jerusalem and are not acting incorrectly was missing.  All of this interaction would be especially helpful on discussion days.

It would also be beneficial to have discussion days which follow the video-conferences.  The video conferences were so thought-provoking that class days in between the conferences would have been helpful.  A time to debrief and discuss about the conversations in the conferences would have been helpful in allowing equal representation of the conflict.  If there is no time, blogging about the conferences is a fine way to debrief; but as we found this semester, discussions in class were usually more productive than those on the blogs.  In an effort to secure more time for these discussions, the reading of Armstrong could serve as more of a background to the course rather than a discussion point, which would leave more time for discussions later in the class, following the video conferences.  Reading Armstrong’s Jerusalem could even be required before the class starts to meet so that students come to the class with that base knowledge.  This would allow time for more video-conferences as well as discussions.

In addition to learning from the conversations in the video conferences, reading articles written by those we were talking with or researching their organizations was an eye-opening part of the class.  In the video-conferences, each person talked generally about the conflict and about how their organization fit into working toward peace; but with individual research, each class member seemed to find different aspects of the project which struck us.  This personal research would also benefit from discussions between each videoconference.

It was enlightening to see the many ways in which the Israeli/Palestinian conflict can be approached – and how many ways peace is being pursued.  In the course of this class, participants were able to talk with Eitan Grossman from the Solidarity Movement, Ahmed from PAYLARA, Aaron from Heartbeat and Mariam Said from the West/Eastern Divan Orchestra.  Mariam Said’s husband, Edward Said, had started the orchestra with director Daniel Barenboim as a means of starting conversations between Israelis and Palestinians through music. I enjoyed learning about a project which was effective and positive.   Before speaking with Mariam, the class had the opportunity to watch the film, Knowledge is the Beginning, about the orchestra and its role in the peace process of the conflict.  Watching the film made the organization and its goals real.  I will never forget watching Daniel Barenboim use his acceptance speech for the Wolf Award (given to living scientists and musicians for "achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among peoples”) at the Knesset to question the Israeli government’s actions toward Palestinians:

“Can we, despite all our achievements, ignore the intolerable gap between what the Declaration of Independence promised and what was fulfilled, the gap between the idea and the realities of Israel? Does the condition of occupation and domination over another people fit the Declaration of Independence?”  (Knowledge is the Beginnning)

Talking with Mariam via the videoconference was easy and interactive because the class had such background with the organization garnered from the film.  I understand that not every organization, which is promoting peace in Jerusalem, has had a film made about them, but I think it would be beneficial to the class experience if more movie nights before the video-conferences were held.  Even if films are not directly tied with the conferences, the class could learn about more organizations and projects with a weekly movie night.

            To give the class even more immediate relevance, part of the curriculum could be field trips.  At the beginning of the class, when discussing the relevance of Jerusalem to Jews, Muslims, and Christians, it would be interesting to meet with religious leaders of all of the groups and hear their views on Jerusalem.  Since the class is new to Indiana University, I understand that it is still in the planning to travel to Jerusalem, but I think that the trip would be a wonderful culmination of the class.  Students would be able to experience Jerusalem and see the peace projects firsthand.

The learning experience of the class was made complete by the final projects.  At first, because the project did not have a rubric or any requirements, I was skeptical that it would be effective, but these final projects ended up helping each student to conceptualize and then produce a specific and detailed project.  Each participant was able to choose an area which interested him/her and from these projects, the class, as a whole, was able to learn about so many more topics than would have been possible if the work had not been split between the members of the class.  The final project also pushed me personally.  I became more invested in the Living Jerusalem project because I was doing my own research, and I became more invested in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict because I was more closely investigating it.  The inclusion of the ‘free-choice’ final projects is perfect for this class.

            While researching for my final project on the presentation of the conflict through films, I was intrigued by the following exchange in Munich:

Robert: We're Jews, Avner. Jews don't do wrong because our enemies do wrong.

Avner: We can't afford to be that decent anymore.

Robert: I don't know that we ever were that decent. Suffering thousands of years of hatred doesn't make you decent. But we're supposed to be righteous. That's a beautiful thing. That's Jewish. That's what I knew, that's what I was taught and I'm losing it. I lose that and that's everything. That's my soul. (Munich)

This quote expands on one of Karen Armstrong’s themes – that suffering does not make people more noble.  It is this idea that peace is needed- not just to end the violence and the hatred – but that peace is needed because peace will allow the people involved to be righteous that I found captivating throughout the class.  Through the study of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict’s effect historically and currently and the work of organizations toward peace, we see the effort to save those involved and are encouraged ourselves to work to save them as well.

Both the Israelis and the Palestinians are losing their souls because of this conflict.  The suffering from the conflict isn’t making either of them a better or more unified people.  Instead, the conflict is breaking the groups apart, creating grief and sorrow and “a religious spirit [has] emerged in Israel which foster[s] not compassion but murderous hatred” (Armstrong, 306).   I am not convinced that total peace will ever be possible, but this class has motivated me to continue learning about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict on a deeper level by investigating more thoroughly the actions of each side and analyzing what I see and hear about the conflict, rather than unquestionably accepting the information I am given. 

                                               Works Cited

Amiry, Suad. “Researching Jerusalem.”

Armstrong, Karen. Jerusalem – One City, Three Faiths. 1997.

Knowledge is the Beginning. 2005.

Munich. 2006.

Final Presentations

Last of the final presentations... 
    Meghan's presentation was an excellent introduction to the American media's portrayal of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  Great thought to look specifically at politician stances on the subject, Meghan!
    For his presentation, Michael read some poetry which referenced the conflict - and the history of the conflict in the region.  Since the class has not previously looked at poetry, this was particularly interesting and some of the poetry was so poignant...
   Addy's presentation was helpful in understanding normalization through the views of the Israelis and Palestinians - Israel believes they can normalize and then reduce the conflict and problems surrounding the conflict, while Palestine argues that the conflict must be reduced before normalization.
   The presentation on human trafficking by Abby was also enlightening.  With all of the other issues in Israel and Palestine, human trafficking is not a problem with a lot of media attention. Keep spreading the word, Abby!

Final Presentations Continued

    Third Day of Presentations!  
    These presentations were particularly interesting because they covered topics not specifically addressed in class. Alex talked about the role of sport, particularly "football," in the Israeli/Palestinian relations.  I had no idea that teams had specific rules on racial composition or that some violence within Israel stems directly from sport competitions.  Chris's presentation (a wonderfully designed PREZI!) was on the Underground, a subculture or counterculture existing outside of pop culture.  It was enlightening to see how groups within the conflict use rap and parkour as a means of expressing themselves and their feelings about the conflict without actually protesting or using violence.
  Wonderful information! 

Final Presentations Continued

   Continuing with final presentations, Ben gave an informative presentation on the interactions between  groups in Israel and Palestine.  From our class, I had gathered that most interactions were limited, so learning about the Hand in Hand Schools, which have Israeli and Palestinian children in school together, was particularly interesting.
    Amber had a wonderful idea to make an interactive presentation that people can use in the future to help become involved in activism.  The presentation combines general information on activism as well as specific examples from our class, including using video conferences. 
   Good job Ben and Amber!

Final Projects - Allison, Lila, and Kete

     These projects were a wonderful start to the presentation of the class' final projects. 
     Allison and Lila provided unique insight into the knowledge and thoughts of I.U. students through video footage.  I was surprised at the amount of people who did not know about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - I though this was one international conflict that everyone knew about!  The final product was well worth the huge amount of time I am sure you girls spent - Good job!
    Kete showed how food can be an aspect of life which serves to connect people.  I was happy to learn that someone (Chefs for Peace) is capitalizing on that connection.  Thank you, Kete, for letting us taste a little of Jerusalem!

Leaving Jerusalem

   This course has been wonderfully informative and thought-provoking and I think the evaluations should, therefore, reflect that.  Possible topics to cover in the evaluation could be:

• Lessons learned from readings
• Lessons learned from video chats
• Lessons learned from others’ blogs
• Lessons learned from class discussion
• Questions we still have
• How the class changed/or did not change how we thought about the conflict
• The impact of the course (Are we motivated to continue learning?  Do we feel the need to be involved in the peace process, etc.)
• Final impressions (Is there hope for peace?)

    Even as I write the ideas for evaluation topics, I can think of so much that I have learned.  I know that when the time comes it will be hard to say goodbye...

Solidarity against Violence

     A movement of solidarity as a means to end violence can be seen from the websites of Sheikh Jarrah and B'Tselem.  Both organizations condemn violence from Palestinians and Isrealis in the conflict and use public condemnations and protests to make their stance evident.  Sheikh Jarrah, which holds weekly protests, is currently working to expose the police systems as allowing violent behavior to spread, particularly violence by settlers toward Palestinians in Anatot and is holding a peace vigil there on November 11, 2011.
    This idea of solidarity first is interesting.  I can understand the thought that violence and the conflict can not be ended until Jews and Palestinians recognize the other adn have some solidarity, but I also wonder if solidarity is possible as long as violence is present...
   

Questions for Eitan Grossman:
Are you pursuing an end to the violence as a part of the peace process or must violence be stopped before peace can even be considered?
Have vigils like the one to be held on Novemer 11 been effective in the past?  Are the demands of the group actually recognized?

Identity Conflicts

In the City of Borders film trailer, one girl said that an Israeli mother would rather her daughter be gay than to marry an Arab.   I think the fact that she compares these two identities shows how conflicted people are when it comes to these identities.  Whether wrong or right, certain groups are more easily identified with.  For Americans, a predominantly Christian country (at least at its founding), it is easier to relate to the Jews than the Arabs because Jews are found in the Christian Bible and are the heritage of Christ.  Presumably from this quote, it is easier for Jews to identify with homosexuals than with Arabs because the Arab identity is so connected with the turmoil of the past seventy or so years.  For acceptance of any group which is connected with such long and deep conflict, great change in ideology, culture practices, and religious beliefs would have to occur.

Question for Elinor: What role do you think activism for gay and lesbian rights has in the peace process? Does peace come first or do gay and lesbian rights come first? Or are the two movements separate?

Beyond the Music

   The Sabreen Center, The Jerusalem Music Center, The Heartbeat Project, the Qud Festival, and the rappers all essentially believe that music has the capability of functioning at a deeper level than just the notes or words that we hear.  The Jerusalem Music Project explains it as a belief that "music is about inter-human communication and cooperation, social involvement and cultural relevance."  It is through music that people have the opportunity to connect on a musical level, an ideological level, and even a spiritual level.  These groups also seem to present the idea that through this connection, there can be at least a discussion of, if not a movement towards, peace.
    I am excited to hear from Aaron of the Heartbeat Project on what his motivations were initally and if he has seen his goals and plans reach success or some level of success.

Passport for...

     The chapter entitled "A Dog's Life" by Suad Amiry was humourous but also provocative.  The Israeli  veterinarian, in her story, gives the dog an Israeli passport, so that the certificate for vaccination would be recognized by the Palestinian National Authority in Ramallah.  Amiry says the doctor is not "that political," and suggests that he seemingly has no clue about how hard it is for Palestinians to get passes, permits, and IDs, let alone passsports.  How ridiculous that a dog could get an Israeli passport but a child with one Israeli parent and one Palestinian parent cannot get a passport.   I do have to wonder though, if the veterinarian did not know that Amiry - and perhaps other like her - could use the dog's passport for expedited travel...  Maybe it was his way of helping...

Final Project

     After much consideration (and many ideas), I have decided to do my final project on the media presentation of the conflict with an emphasis on film - film used in news reports and film used for feature films.
     I plan to research mechanisms used by media and film to influence perception specifically with relation to the Israel/Palestinian conflict and then find examples.
     To find examples, I watched Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land, then using references of media representation from the film, am searching youtube for the actual footage.  I am watching feature films - one which is a collaboration by Arabs, Americans, and Jews, Ajami, one by a Palestinian director, Paradise Now, one by an Israeli director, Looking for the Lost Voices, and two American films, Miral (pro-Palestinian) and Munich (pro-Israel) to find examples as well.
    The end product will be a presentation which uses examples from news and feature films to show how media presentation is meant to influence public perception of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

The Impact of Music

     For me, music is connected most obviously to my life through church and my parents.  Church was where I first 'formally' sang.  My mother encouraged my siblings and I to sing 'la' along with the hymns, before we could read, as a way of engaging us in the service.  We sang for Christmas programs and Easter programs, for Vacation Bible School and for choir.  I was also impacted by the fact that, not only did my mother sing, but my father sang as well, even when many men did not.  My parents showed me that music was another opportunity to praise God. 
    Not only does my father sing in church, he also loves to listen to the emerging music genre of Christian rock - especially when it became hard rock - and even when Christian rap appeared.  From him, I gained a love of Christian rock and rap and love to jam to it with the volume and bass turned up.
    It was my mother with whom I sang along to nursery rhymes in the car, my mother who insisted on me learning to play the piano (which I continue to enjoy), my mother who introduced me to the Beatles, my mother who practiced solos for choir with me, and my mother who taught me about the impact music can have on one's life.  She taught me that music is a powerful form of communication and what we listen to has an impact on how we live our lives because what one puts into the mind, is what will come out through the mouth and the hands.  Whenever I listen to music, I am conscientious of what I am hearing and thus putting into my mind.
     This idea of music as a powerful communicator translates well to the conflict in Israel and Palestine.  Negative music will likely lead to negative outcomes, whereas positive and enlightening music has the opportunity to produce good.

Trying to Play the Same Note

      The pieces of Parallels and Paradoxes, which we read, exposed an idea of Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said, that culture, specifically music, is the best means of fostering a feeling of nearness between people.  Barenboim tells of a Syrian boy and an Israeli boy who shared a music stand at the Weimar event.  "They were trying to play the same note, to play with the same dynamic, with the same stroke of the bow, with the same sound, with the same expresion.  They were trying to do something together. It's as simple as that."  Music is best able to foster this feeling because "music provides the possibilty, on the one hand, to escape from life and, on the other hand, to understand it much better... Music says, 'Excuse me. This is human life.'"
     I found the ideas of Barenboim and Said to be inspiring. Barenboim and Said recognized the presence of a common cultural aspect which allows people to experience contact and nearness and capitalized on that presence to show that Israelis and Palestinians can play the same note.

Question for Mariam Said:  What part of your husband's work inspires you most?

Artists Against Walls

    The videos on the Peteet website show that the presence of the wall and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict affects and motivates people world-wide to show their disapproval.  Both the Send-a-Message group and Banksy are from outside the conflict, yet, are using graffiti to protest the wall and separation. 
    An idea also seems to be presented in the Banksy videos that those who use graffiti to make political statements are similar to superheroes.  Elusive, these artists work under a false name and hide their face, are sought out by journalists, revered in the community, - and people continuously try to find out who is behind the signature. 
   Although I liked these videos, I do not feel that they represent the role of graffiti in the conflict accurately.  The risks taken by the Palestinians and Israelis who are using graffiti as a protest are much greater than outsiders who have protection from other countries.  The passion, the ideas of the Palestinians and Israelis who are using graffiti have different motivations than those who are not living with the separation day by day.  Graffiti is an effective tool, yes, but I wish these videos had showed how they were effective for those directly involved.

Walls

     I am beginning to feel like I have grown up with a skewed representation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.  To me, Israel has always been the victim.  Jews are God's chosen people.  Jews were horribly persecuted during the Holocaust.  Jews need a homeland.  Jews do not have a recognized state.  Jews are the victims. 
     Up to this point in class, each group involved in the conflict, has done equally horrible acts and had equally horrible acts done to them.  The readings by Manachem Klein and Julie Peteet, though, paint a very different picture of the Israelis.  Peteet, particularly, shows Israelis, who during the antifada, acted like Communist Russians.  Censorship was present.  Violent killings occurred.  Public cultural, religious, and political expressions were denied.  Walls were built. 

    Peteet's article concentrates specifically on the Palestinians' response to the overbearing Israeli occupation through the use of graffiti on the walls.  Graffiti became "an intervention in a relationship of power," a way for the Palestinians to bypass censorship and expound ideas, remember martyrs, mark territory, and call for an end to the walls of separation.

Jerusalem Project

 The biggest challenge for the Jerusalem Project in 2011 is the amount of information which needs to be learned and understood.  This project requires the understanding of centuries of historical relationships between the groups which live in Jerusalem as well as knowledge of current plans, predictions, and religious adn political motivations.  Knowledge to this extent can only come through extensive study.  This project, due to the limits of time can provide only a brief study.  The brief study is good for providing an overview and for sparking interest, but perhaps in the future, some activities should be required before the course begins.  Students could read an overview of the history - or even Karen Armstrong's book  - before the class begins so that the entire class could be devoted to delving deeper.  Having some knowledge of the conflict in history and today would help students to be better engaged throughout the course.

Future Arab-Israeli Negotiations

     When dealing with the Arab-Israeli conflict, it is important to keep in mind an idea presented by Dr. Joel Peters  - that there are two types of conflict present within the Arab-Israeli conflict.

1. Interstate conflict between Israel and Arab States
2. Inter-communal conflict between two groups of peoples

     As a result, the plans for negotations must be prepared to deal with the two aspects as well.

1. To deal with the first conflict, a two-state solution should be pursued

• This gives both states independence
• Negotiations need to deal with border issues, citizenship issues, and refugee issues

    2.   To deal with the second conflict, the city of Jerusalem needs to be made its own entity - separate of any state.

• Jerusalem will become a city where no religion has more control than any other
• Neither is Jerusalem to be controlled by any one state

   In order to do both of these, the negotiations need to be secret and open.  By this I mean to propose a process like the one President Wilson found to work after World War I.  President Wilson realized that the important fact was that the areement - and not so much the process of arriving at it - was open.  Both parties need to agree to negotiations without loopholes.  Naomi Chazan wrote in her article and talked in class about the ridiculousness of Israel requiring that Palestine recognize it as a Jewish state before accepting any negotiations.  Pre-requisites of recognition should not be a part of these negotiations.  Finally, all negotiations should be entered with the goal of finding the best solution for each party involved - the solution that will best end the conflict.

What should we call it?

     Naomi Chazan, in her article, "Owning Our Identity," criticizes Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for proposing that new Israeli citizens pledge loyalty to a "Jewish, democratic state."  Chazan, then proceeds to thoroughly explain why Netanyahu 's word choice is faulty.  Defining "Jewish" is a "conundrum" and "the internal contradictions of the identity of ' the Jewish state' are, of course, rooted in its tangled history."  In addition to the Prime Minister's word choice being problematic, Chazan, considers the entire idea of legitimacy having to come from Palestinians and all who  become Israeli, when they recognize Israel as a state, "absurd."  Her argument is well organized and persuasive, but I wonder, what should the Prime Minister have said?  What should the Isreali state be called?

No one can divide a flame...

   Montefiore's epilogue, in bringing the history of Jerusalem into the history of today, covers the idea of independent states for Palestine and Israel.  Montefiore writes that those living in Jerusalem maintain the separation between groups and "the difference in spirit between noble words and distrustful, violent acts, suggest unwillingness on both sides to make the necessary compromises to share Jerusalem permanently" (536).  Yet, all are determined to have their share in it - and sovereignty is how that share will be decided.  Sovereignty, not only encompasses what can be expressed through legal agreements, but what is historical, mystical, and emotional.  Many political plans and models have been suggested for ways of dividing the area for the benefit of all groups but "Jerusalem is more a flame than a city and no one can divide a flame" (537).

Concluding Thoughts

     In Armstrong's final chapters, she continues to focus on the spiritual connection with places - and the effect that places have on one' s spirituality.

• "Thus they were moved to see Theodor Herzl, who had become the spokesman of Zionism, ascend the podium.  He looked like 'a man of the House of David, risen all of a sudden from his grave in all his legendary glory,' recalled Mordechai Ben-Ami, the delegate from Odessa.  'It seemed as if the dream cherished by our people for two thousand years had come true at last and Messiah the Son of David was standing before us.'" (365)  From this quote, it would seem that Jews are so connected to their spirituality through location that they would believe that the person who leads the movement to restore the location of their 'homeland' to them, is their Messiah.  Is the connection that great or was this one man just very excited?
• "Jerusalem remained a religious and strategic prize." (371)  The pursuit of control over Jerusalem was/is never simply for land, but for control of sacred land.
• "A religious spirit had emerged in Israel which fostered not compassion but murderous hatred." (415)  Though Jerusalem was supposed to connect the people to the divine, the fight for Jerusalem was disconnecting them from the divine ideals and teachings.
• "Yet from the first, Zion was never merely a physical entity.  It was also an ideal." (420)  Each religious group saw Jerusalem as a place which embodied the essence of their spirituality.
• "One of the inescapable messages of the history of Jerusalem is that, despite romantic myths to the contrary, suffering does not necessarily make us better, nobler people." (423)  All groups, who have at one time claimed rights to Jerusalem, have suffered from war, have been socially ostracized, have had to leave the city, and have seen their sacred sites trampled and destroyed.  Yet, instead of unifying them or causing each group to become more willing to cooperate, it has hardened them, leaving each to fight brutally for his own group.

Project Proposal

     For my final project, I would like to make a video which is focused on the possibility of peace in Jerusalem.  The video would be comprised of two types of interviews.  One type of interview will come from common American citizens/non-scholars.  These people would be asked the following questions after being selected randomly off the street (on and off campus):

• Do you think peace between Israel and Palestine is possible?  Why or why not?
• What do you think the implications of peace would be for Israel and Palestine?  The world?

     The second type of interviews would be from scholars, diplomats, and policy advocates, and religious leaders who have knowledge and a vested interest in the peace of Israel and Palestine.  This list ideally would include Dr. Steven L.Spiegel, who works in the Israel Policy Forum to suggest US policy concerning the issue, Benjamin Gidron, Stanley Katz, and Yeheskel Heasenfeld, authors of Mobilizing for Peace, and scholars such as Ari Shalim, Noam Chomsky, and Dr. Yousef Nasser, and religious leaders from Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.  These people would be asked the same general questions as the common citizens but also asked questions specific to their work, be it policy, religious prophesies, or past experience.

Identity Connection

I am continually struck by the importance of a specific location for people to experience the sacred and to build their identity around.  In chapters 14 and 15, it is the connection of the Jews which Armstrong concentrates on. 

The Jews are convinced that "Jerusalem remained the center of gravity for the Jewish people and that a Jewish state founded elsewhere would have no validity." (299)  Some even considered the Jews' separation from Zion as a victory for evil.  "Cut loose from their roots, Jews experiences the world as a demonic realm and their life as a struggle with evil powers." (337)  There was a "deep imbalance at the heart of all existence, which could be rectified only when the Jews were reunited with Zion and restored to their proper place." (307)

Jerusalem was not only a place to establish identity but also to establish a divine connection.  "Jerusalem was the center of the earth, the place where the mundane world opened to the divine.  Prayers rose through the Gate of Heaven, which was situated directly over the site of the Devir, and the divine power flowed back through this opening to the people of Israel, filling them with prophetic power.  Only in Palestine could the Jews maintain their creative link with the divine world and be truly themselves." (298)  The western supporting wall of the Harem which had been built by King Herod and was the last part of the lost Temple becomes the main location where Jews experience divinity.  "Like the Jews themselves, the wall was a survivor.  But it also reminded them of the desecration of their Temple, which itself symbolized the accumulated tragedies of Israel.  Weeping over the wall, Jews could cathartically mourn for everything they had lost, in the past and in the present.  Like the Temple itself, the Western Wall would come to represent both God and the Jewish self." (329)