Whose Holy City?

'Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are?' '' Jeremiah 15:5  
  
For many people the holiest city in the world, Jerusalem, carries within it the potential to ignite a worldwide conflagration. Jews, Christians and Muslims all feel a strong spiritual attachment to the city and desire unrestricted access to it. Who, though, should have sovereignty? Who should be in political control of this most troubled of cities? And, more particularly, who should exercise sovereignty over the Old City where the major sacred sites are located?  
  
In this informed and enlightening book, Colin Chapman assesses the centrality of Jerusalem in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, tracing its history through the ages and showing how the issues of the past are relevant today. Since 1967 the Israelis have controlled the city and the areas around it, creating new settlements and roads to transform its geography and demography, and provoking intense opposition from the Palestinians.  
  
The situation today appears hopeless. The conflict continues violently with Jerusalem at its centre. How, Colin Chapman asks, can the two sides reach agreement over this most holy of cities? How can worldwide conflagration be avoided?Read less