Usurpation!

The New York Times cover page on 6 December to me tells it all. Below the main picture describing Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel lies a smaller cameo photo of the al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem's most photographed monument, built in the 8th Century.

There are many other Islamic monuments in Jerusalem. They far outnumber Christian and Jewish monuments. One wonders whether the editors put this cameo photo on the page in order to make a subliminal point.

This is the biggest land-grab of all in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Although the Jews were the first to settle in the Holy Land, their presence there was minimal until the 20th Century.

There is much to admire in the Jewish tradition: its attachment to the study of the arts and sciences, the upholding of the principles of justice, etc.  Why, in order to follow Trump and Netanyahu, must responsible people in the United States and Israel, be called upon to embrace a monstrous falsehood. Jerusalem belongs to three religions — Muslim, Jewish, and Christian — and one can only hope that someday, a way will be found to divide its attributes fairly.