Comment on Jerusalem still suffers from divisions, 50 years after war

Jerusalem still suffers from divisions, 50 years after war

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is marking this week the 50th anniversary of its capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war — an event it celebrates as the "unification" of the its eternal capital. The Old City is home to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, and the adjacent hilltop compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, the spot where the biblical Temples once stood. The conflicting claims to this tiny patch of land lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians hold residency rights, allowing them to work and granting them access to Israeli health care and social benefits. The average class size in a Palestinian classroom is 37 students, compared to 22 in state-run Jewish schools, according to the center. While the city has begun to build additional classrooms for Arab students, Ir Amim, an advocacy group that promotes coexistence and equality in the system, estimates that there is a shortage of 2,672 classrooms. Some 13 percent of Palestinians drop out of school, compared to 1 percent in state-run Jewish schools, the group says. Jews and Arabs mingle in public spaces like malls and playgrounds far more than they used to, the education rate is improving in the Arab sector and the birthrate among Palestinian women has slowed.

 

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