Palestinians in Jerusalem Skeptical of Arab Support
Jerusalemites have heard Arab promises of support before, but have yet to see any of them fulfilled, Daoud Kuttab writes.
Before the Arab League summit ended its one-day deliberations Tuesday, Palestinians were already publicly skeptical about the effectiveness of Arabs in as far as their ability to do anything about Jerusalem.
Khalil Assali, a Jerusalemite, and one of the most consistent writers on Jerusalem, blasted Arab leaders for their repeated promises, but failures when it comes to the delivery of these promises. Assali’s latest column, which appeared on the Palestine News Network, Akhbar el-Balad radio and Ammannet online, recalled the many previous Arab summit promises on both the political and financial levels.
Assali says that of the $500 million pledged to Jerusalem in the Arab summit held in the Libyan town of Sirte in 2010, only $34 million made it to the Holy City. For Assali and his regular columns dedicated to Jerusalem, the problem is not about whether money reaches specific individuals as much as it is about institutions in Jerusalem that are deteriorating due to a lack of support.
Education in Jerusalem is failing miserably, health issues are not attended to and tourism to the city is an Israeli monopoly. Culturally, Palestinians in Jerusalem protest the low level that the city has reached in recent years due to the isolation that are caused by walls and an absence of interest.
