Do Jews have a right to Jerusalem? This question is at the center of the conflict between Jews and Arabs. Which way does a Jew pray? For most Jews this is a simple question, we all pray towards Jerusalem regardless of where we are in the world. We do this as our history tells us that the holiest site in Judaism was King Solomon’s temple, located atop the temple mount. For Jews this is a simple answer to prove our history in the location. Sadly for us this holds no weight with those who oppose Jewish rule. The Muslims have not allowed us to excavate the location to find artifacts, which would prove our existence in the land for over 3000 years. In response to this decision we must find hard evidence elsewhere to prove that Jerusalem is ours and always has been. The tour of the old city would take us to the holiest sites of the three monotheistic religions to explore proof of our right to the land. We observed the coming of Christianity and the written history of the Muslims. It was on a Thursday that Jesus and his apostles consumed the last supper, which was really a Pesach Seder. This isn’t the only time we see Christian events coincide with Jewish holidays. It was on a Friday that Jesus was crucified by the Romans, and on Sunday he was resurrected. After 50 days Jesus’s apostles received a miracle from the sky on Shavuot. This is similar to Jewish tradition in that on Shavuot the Jews received their greatest miracle: the Torah. The Muslims also believe the land is theirs. Before the 20th century all Muslim historians agreed that the Al- Aqsa mosque was built atop the old temple. Most notably the ancient Muslim writer, El Hariri, made reference to this. It wasn’t until Israel was established that Muslims felt threatened and refused to tell the truth about the Temple mount.
I believe these reasons are strong enough evidence that Jews were here first and that we have a right to the land. This morning’s adventure was the first time I was truly able to understand all sides of the conflict. I believe I can advocate better for the Jewish narrative now, better than ever.