Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity

The book deals with the role of Jerusalem as a central religious-political symbol, and with the processes by which symbols of faith and sanctity are being employed in a political struggle. It examines the current Islamic ethos towards Jerusalem and the affinity between this religious ethos and the political aspirations of the Palestinians and other Arab and Islamic groups. It also compares current Jewish and Muslim narratives and processes of denial and de-legitimizing the affiliation of the other to the holy city and its sacred shrines and addresses the question whether religious outlook forms a major barrier for achieving peace in the Israeli-Arab arena.

Yitzhak Reiter is an associate professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Ashkelon Academic College and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is a senior fellow at both the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies and the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.