Contested Holy Places in Israel–Palestine: Sharing and Conflict Resolution

346 Pages·2017·22.062 MB·English

by  Yitzhak Reiter

CONTESTED HOLY PLACES IN
ISRAEL–PALESTINE
Over the last twenty years, there has been a growing understanding that conflicts
in or over holy places differ from other territorial conflicts. A holy site has a pro-
found meaning, involving human beliefs, strong emotions, “sacred” values, and core
identity self-perceptions; therefore a dispute over such land differs from a “regular”
dispute over land. In order to resolve conflicts over holy sites, one must be equipped
with an understanding of the cultural, religious, social, and political meaning of the
holy place to each of the contesting groups.
This book seeks to understand the many facets of disputes and the triggers
for the outbreak of violence in and around holy sites. It analyzes fourteen case
studies of conflicts over holy sites in Palestine/Israel, including major holy sites
such as Al-Haram al-Sharif/the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, and the Cave of
the Patriarchs/Al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, in addition to disputes over more
minor sites. It then compares these conflicts to similar cases from other regions and
provides an analysis of effective and ineffective conflict mitigation and resolution
tools used for dealing with such disputes. Furthermore, the book sheds light on the
role of sacred sites in exacerbating local and regional ethnic conflicts.
By providing a thorough and systematic analysis of the social, economic, and
political conditions that fuel conflicts over holy sites and the conditions that create
tolerance or conflict, this book will be a key resource for students and scholars of
conflict resolution, political science, and religious studies.
Yitzhak Reiter is a professor of Middle East, Israel, and Islamic studies. He chairs
the Department of Israel Studies and is Head of the Research Authority at Ash-
kelon Academic College. He is a senior researcher at both the Jerusalem Institute
for Policy Research and the Harry S. Truman Institute for Peace Research at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
“Providing one fascinating case study after another, the book offers an analytical
platform to discern the genealogies of religious conflicts and the modes of mitiga-
tion and resolution of such disputes. Reiter’s fresh insights and innovative scholar-
ship make this book an important landmark in the academic study of interreligious
interactions.”
Dionigi Albera, Director of Research, CNRS and Director of the
Institut d’Ethnologie Méditerranéene, Aix-Marseille University
“Reiter’s excellent comprehensive contribution demonstrates the feasibility of con-
flict resolution surrounding contested holy places which are viewed as at the heart
of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. This groundbreaking book is a multi-faceted
empirical and theoretical study which illuminates the competing narratives under-
lying the conflict. It sketches out conflict resolution policies and is an essential read
for academics, decision makers and practitioners.”
Elazar Barkan, Professor and Director of the Institute
for the Study of Human Rights,
Columbia University
CONTESTED HOLY
PLACES IN
ISRAEL–PALESTINE
Sharing and Conflict
Resolution
Yitzhak Reiter
Published in association with the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research
First published 2017
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2017 Yitzhak Reiter
The right of Y itzhak Reiter to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without
intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Reiter, Yitzhak, author.
Title: Contested holy places in Israel/Palestine : sharing and conflict
resolution / Yitzhak Reiter.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon : Routledge, 2017. | “Published in
Association with The Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research.” |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016047791| ISBN 9781138243491 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781138243514 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781315277271 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Sacred space--Israel--History. | Sacred space--Palestine--
History. | Ethnic conflict--Israel--Religious aspects. | Ethnic conflict--
Palestine--Religious aspects.
Classification: LCC BL2340 .R44 2017 | DDC 203/.5095694--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016047791
ISBN: 978-1-138-24349-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-24351-4 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-27727-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Sunrise Setting Ltd, Brixham, UK
CONTENTS
List of figures vii
List of tables ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction: theoretical approach and choice of case studies xiii
PART I
Challenging the Status Quo 1
1 The 1929 Western Wall strife 3
2 Post-1967 struggle over Al-Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount 20
3 I ntra-Christian conflict at the Holy Sepulchre and
Deir al-Sultan 51
4 T he bridge to nowhere: (de)constructing the Mughrabi Pathway 70
5 Breaking the “custom of the place” by the Women of the Wall 89
PART II
Contesting space and representation at holy places 119
6 Imagining holiness for territorial ends: the Nachmanides Cave 121
7 The plaza/mosque strife in Nazareth (Shihab al-Din) 132
vi Contents
8 M useumizing over the dead: Mamilla
Cemetery and the MOT 156
9 Judaizing David’s Tomb 182
PART III
Demands to restore past rights 197
10 Diplomatic challenge to the Status Quo at the Cenacle 199
11 The Beersheba Mosque/Museum 209
12 Restoring pilgrimage to Mashhad Husayn in Ashkelon 228
PART IV
Sharing under conflict 245
13 Sharing within fighting: the Hebron shrine 247
14 Sharing and coexisting at the Tomb of Samuel/Samwil 264
Conclusion 280
Bibliography 298
Index 313
FIGURES
1.1 Western Wall 1936 7
2.1 The Temple Mount/Al-Haram al-Sharif in 1931 26
3.1 Shared control at the Holy Sepulchre 53
4.1 The Mughrabi Ramp before its 2004 collapse 72
4.2 Sketch of the Mughrabi Bridge 74
4.3 Ummayad Palace wall at the women’s section after
dismantling the Mughrabi Ramp 79
5.1 WOW prayer at women’s section 91
6.1 The disputed (Nuqta/Nachmanides) Cave 123
7.1 The Shihab al-Din Tomb and plaza 134
8.1 Remains of the Mamilla Cemetery 165
9.1 Tomb of David 186
10.1 Last Supper Room 205
viii Figures
11.1 Beersheba Grand Mosque in 1917 210
12.1 Mashhad Husayn during British Mandate 231
12.2 The new Mashhad Husayn 237
13.1 The Cave of the Patriarchs/Al-Ibrahimi Mosque 250
13.2 Sketch of the pre-1967 Al-Ibrahimi Mosque plan 252
14.1 Tomb of Samuel 265
TABLES
0.1 C ase studies, conflict generators, and methods of
conflict resolution xxi
2.1 Infringements of the post-1967 Status Quo 36
15.1 Modes of mitigation and conflict resolution 281