Puzzled in Jerusalem (part two)

I keep bumping into Palestinian taxi drivers in Jerusalem. It is quite odd. I thought the two sides were not allowed to mix, especially since the second Intifada in 2000.

So I decided to dig a little deeper to find out what was going on.

Basically, these Palestinians are from East Jerusalem, a group of 250, 000 people who have a unique place in this conflict. They are known as Jerusalemites. They have a different status to Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza, and from Arab-Israelis.

Jerusalemites carry Israeli identity cards but do not hold Israeli citizenship. They are entitled to free education, health care, social welfare, and all other benefits that Israelis are entitled to. They are the only people, other than foreigners, who can travel freely around Israel and the West Bank.

But to be honest, they do not have an easy time in the holy land. They face housing shortages, bad roads, and irregular municipal services. There are not enough schools. Only 8-10 percent of the municipal budget is allocated to them. If they leave Jerusalem for more than seven years they can lose their identity cards.

Many people blame the Israeli government for neglecting the Jerusalemites. I think the story is more complex. I think the Jerusalemites also have a lot to answer for.

The Jerusalemites were offered Israeli citizenship in 1967. Around 85 percent refused because they said it would undermine their struggle for a Palestinian state. I can understand that.

With their Israeli identity cards, Jerusalemites are entitled to vote in the Jerusalem municipal elections. But they have boycotted that too. This does not make sense to me. They are happy to receive health care, education and welfare from the Israeli government, but they will not exercise their right to vote to influence the decisions of the municipality of Jerusalem.

Jerusalemites are currently 35 percent of the population of Jerusalem. They are an important constituency. Voting could give them a say in how resources are allocated for roads, schools and hospitals, how building permits are distributed, and the quality of municipal services.

They refuse to exercise their political rights because it would mean legitimizing the Israeli occupation. It could also mean risking their lives for collaborating with Israel. And most importantly, it would undermine Palestinian unity, a precious ingredient for their national struggle.

I understand the importance of unity for a national struggle. It is how my people got their State, and why most of my people still refuse to speak out against that State.

Ideology has been an important tool for both peoples, but it is not helping anymore. It is time for some pragmatism.

35 days to go…