Silwan

Voices from Jerusalem: Archeology and National Claims in Jerusalem

By Yonathan Mizrachi

The film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- the fourth in the Indiana Jones series--portrays an archaeologist who seeks to return a crystal skull of great importance to the place where it was found. As an archaeologist, Indiana Jones' role is not just to find artifacts but to rescue them from the hands of the bad guys and return them to their places of origin. Jones puts his resourcefulness, knowledge and strength of conviction to the task, and he succeeds in returning the archaeological find -- in this case the crystal skull -- to its original place. The world is saved.

If I forget thee, O Jerusalem

Jerusalem does not have good public relations. In the last few months, since President Obama raised his demand to freeze the settlements, attention has been directed towards the West Bank - to the construction in the illegal outposts, the expansion of settlements and the dismantling of roadblocks. Jerusalem almost never appears on the radar screen, neither in Israel nor anywhere else in the world.

An Israeli View: Talking to Syria is the key to managing with Palestine

Left to its own devices, the incoming Netanyahu government will take few if any political initiatives toward the Palestinians. It may, within the framework of PM-designate Binyamin Netanyahu's "economic peace" proposal, support additional confidence-and security-building initiatives. And while Netanyahu may initiate political negotiations with the PLO leadership in order to preempt criticism, they will be even slower and less productive than the abortive talks conducted by the Olmert government.

Stopping Home Demolitions, Securing Jerusalem's Future

Look out from Mount Zion's observation point and you'll be "overlooking Biblical Jerusalem which sends visitors 3,800 years back in time to the days of Abraham, when the first foundations of the city were laid," reads the tourist brochure of the City of David ("Elad") organization. The tour begins from a vantage point with a scene both historic and familiar, the Western Wall, the dome of the Al-Aqsa mosque, and a hillside dotted with stone houses that look like they have been there for hundreds of years.
    

Yael Paz-Melamed: Barkat will demolish, Lieberman will explain

One irritated mayor was left in the wake of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Mideast visit. After Clinton called Israeli plans to demolish Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem built without permits "unhelpful," Jerusalem new mayor, Nir Barkat, called Clinton misinformed.