JPPI’s 2017 Structured Jewish World Dialogue
Jerusalem and the Jewish People: Unity and Division
Project Heads: Shmuel Rosner and John Ruskay
Contributors: Noah Slepkov and Chaya Ekstein
Editors: Rami Tal and Barry Geltman
- Jerusalem is a crucially important place to engaged Jews worldwide, and a main point of connection between Diaspora Jews and Israel.
- Many visiting engaged non-Israeli Jews feel “at home” in Jerusalem.
- JPPI’s 2017 Structured Dialogue with Jewish leaders and highly engaged non-Israeli Jews found that many of them feel that their views should be taken into consideration as the political and cultural future of Jerusalem is shaped.[1]
- Jewish Dialogue participants, as well as most Israelis, feel that Jerusalem is not moving “in the right direction” mainly because of concerns about Jewish-Arab relations and religious pluralism.
- Concerns of Jews about Jerusalem reflect, in many ways, their concerns and grievances about Israel’s policies.
- Haredi demographic growth is more concerning to participants than Arab demographic growth.
- A majority of JPPI Dialogue participants believe that “all countries ought to move their embassies to Jerusalem.”
- A small majority of them agree that Jerusalem “should never be divided.” A significant majority wants it to be a city with “a clear Jewish majority,” and argue that “the Temple Mount must remain under Israeli jurisdiction.”
- However, in a seemingly contradictory statement, a small majority also argues that “Israel should be willing to compromise on the status of Jerusalem as a united city under Israeli jurisdiction.”
- Dialogue participants’ belief that Israel is sincere in seeking peace sharply declined compared to previous Dialogues.
- Dialogue participants believe that Israel is “strong and thriving,” but are divided about whether the Jewish world outside Israel is strong or “deteriorating and weakening.”