As of September 2010, niether side was willing to compromise their originial positions on the conflict. Israel is unwilling to split Jerusalem, saying that "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel." The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as their capital because it contains the third most holy shrine in the Islamic faith, even though it was originally controlled by Jordan before the Six Day War.
In Palestine, just a few days ago, two major political factions--the Farah and Hamas--signed a peace agreement. Alothough this is not necessarily dealing with Israel, Palestine's new leadership should be elected in 2012 under both political factions. Before the peace talks, these two parties had been competing among palestine, taking away from any chance at peace between Israel and Palestine. Perhaps the new Palestinian government will be able to reach a compromise with Israel.
This week in class:
We began watching the show "30 days" where a West Virginian man goes to live in Deerfield, Michigan--the Muslim capital in the United States. I think this show is controversial and important for Americans to see. So many of us live in fear of the Arabs and Muslims, when really they are people just like us! It is hard to not be xenophobic in today's society, but one must keep in mind that only the extremists are out doing the terrorist attacks. Many muslims integrate into society with us. Others are harmless, and are simply preserving a culture that millions of people love and treasure around the world.
Question for next week:
What muslim community is there in Richmond, Virginia?
Sources:
"BBC News - Middle East Peace Talks: Where They Stand." BBC - Homepage. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11138790>.
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