Jerusalem: Points of Friction - And Beyond

The future of Jerusalem lies at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The city is home to more than half a million who must establish a common identity, whether they regard themselves as Israelis or Palestinians.

Moreover, the Old City's holy places superimpose a layer of major international significance on a unique set of sensitive and challenging problems.

This volume is the record of a signal achievement of a successful and committed Palestinian-Israeli alliance: the Truman Institute and the Palestine Consultancy Group.

The joint efforts of these two research institutes have already produced studies and recommendations in such important areas as management of shared aquifers, environmental protection, waste management, economic cooperation, psychology of conflict, and education for coexistence, all in the context of Jerusalem - its social and economic health and its preservation as one of the world's cultural shrines, equally cherished by Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

The material in this book was compiled over an 18-month period by research among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. By exploring a variety of local, national and international issues and disaggregating Jerusalem's intricate problems in conversation with the people who must deal with them intimately on a day-by-day basis, the authors have provided information for the interested communities of policymakers, academics, and researchers.

They have consciously set about developing meaningful models that, even though they may not yield solutions acceptable to all parties, will at least clearly demarcate common ground and draw the "red lines" that may not (yet) be crossed.