By Michael Bell, Michael J. Molloy, John Bell and Marketa Evans
From The Munk Centre for International Studies
Abstract: The Old City of Jerusalem is perhaps the most contentious issue in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Its sovereignty, administration and control are questions of great dispute, and its Holy Sites resonate powerfully in the hearts and minds of Muslims, Jews and Christians everywhere. The Old City cannot be divorced from its political, social and economic links to Jerusalem as a whole, nor from its Israeli or Palestinian hinterlands. This includes the issues of security, barriers, settlements and freedom of movement. However, if questions respecting the Old City remain unresolved, a durable peace between Israelis and Palestinians will be impossible.
The Jerusalem Old City Initiative Discussion Document: New Directions for Deliberation and Dialogue