Brief History and Warning Concerning the Two Open Capitals Vision of Jerusalem

The vision of Jerusalem becoming two open capitals with each people policing and governing themselves where they dwell and without a physical barrier between the two capitals was my idea and I was the first to publish it in my Letter to Yasser Arafat (Al Bayader Assiyassi, Jerusalem, 24/3/84), and in my Declaration of Peace (Al-Fajr, Jerusalem, 18/4/84). I was also the first to lobby this vision to the Palestinian Arab leadership in eastern Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and in particular to Faisal Husseini and other Palestinian leaders who I spoke with several times. This was mostly in 1984 and later on in 1989 and beyond. Prior to this, the Palestinian Arabs did not want eastern Jerusalem to be their capital, and instead they wanted Jerusalem to be an “international city” as stipulated in UN General Assembly Resolution 181 of 1947.

In both of the publications above, a vision of Jerusalem becoming two open capitals was part of a longer essay on world peace with a strong emphasis on respect, non-violence, power-sharing, decision making by a consensus process, an end to the weapons race, global disarmament and more. Ultimately the PLO took my two open capitals Jerusalem vision, passed it on to the Left, made no mention of me as its source, and completely separated it from the peace essays and peace principles it had been a part of.

I am now urgently trying to warn Israel and the world that this Jerusalem vision of two open capitals would be extremely dangerous for Israel to try to implement until there’s an end to “honor” killings and an end to jihad killings and an end to incitement against Yehudim (Jews). Peace begins at home, and our failure to recognize this truth is what caused Oslo to blow up into the Second Intifada. How can Arab Muslims make peace with Israelis or anyone as long as they participate in or support “honor” killings and jihad killings and incitement? Let jihad become the non-violent work we do on ourselves to become kinder and more generous, and never be about hurting and killing.

I invite researchers and institutions to undertake investigative projects to determine the true history of the two open capitals vision of Jerusalem and to pass along my warning concerning it.

Of course those who love Jerusalem will not consent to a physical barrier between its western and eastern sections.

Please read Jerusalem Vision, Covenant of Peace, 10 Points for Peace, and the other peace materials at my website www.peacecircle.org to gain more understanding of the points mentioned above.

Wishing more peace and the best for everyone,

David Eli Barchas