Dear friends,
Earlier today, President Trump announced that the U.S. will formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and begin the process of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
As the news broke today, some of you reached out to me for my thoughts on the matter. What follows are my views, offered humbly not as an expert in Middle East affairs or international diplomacy, but rather only as a rabbi and a Zionist, a lover of Torah and of Israel, an advocate for justice and for peace. I recognize that this is a complex subject, and know I do not have a monopoly on truth. I offer it simply as a perspective to consider. I welcome and honor your thoughts as well, even and especially if you disagree.
We all, of course, know that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Modern Israeli custom and law establish it as such. Moreover, for us as Jews, Jerusalem’s centrality and importance is affirmed by deep historical, emotional, and spiritual ties. We turn toward Jerusalem whenever we pray, and our liturgy includes daily petitions for a return to Jerusalem. Our unique connection to this sacred, special, and extraordinary place is profound and unbreakable.
And yet, as my colleague Rabbi Jill Jacobs wrote, “Our spiritual heritage is different from the realities of modern political states.” The history and status of Jerusalem is extremely complex. It is claimed as sacred by many peoples, not just Jews. Those attachments may not have as much antiquity as our own, but they have validity nevertheless. Furthermore, just as we yearned for millennia to have our own state in our historic homeland with Jerusalem as its capital, the Palestinian people have long dreamed of Jerusalem, or at least part of it, becoming the capital of an independent state of their own.
For those reasons and more, official recognition of Jerusalem’s status has always depended on a successful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a negotiated final status agreement with the Palestinians. The way I see it, such an agreement is the only way for Jerusalem to endure as Israel’s capital, the only way to secure lasting peace for Israel, and the only way for Israel to survive as a Jewish democracy.
Thus, as Rabbi Jacobs put it, today’s unilateral American recognition of Jerusalem as an exclusively Israeli possession, “changes nothing on the ground, moves us no closer to a peace agreement, and demonstrates that the United States has abandoned its historic role as an honest broker in the region.” More alarmingly, the move raises anew the spectre of unrest and violence in the City of Peace. It puts the lives of Israelis, Palestinians, and others in the region at risk. And it jeopardizes not only the future of Palestine, but of the State of Israel as well.
The psalmist wrote, “Pray for the welfare of Jerusalem, may those who love you be at peace. May there be wellbeing within your courtyards, peace in your palaces. For the sake of my kin and neighbors, I pray for your welfare. For the sake of the house of the Holy One our God, I seek your good” (Psalm 122:6-9). Our tradition affirms that a love of Jerusalem and a love of peace go hand in hand. One cannot care for one without the other. And caring about both the city and peace requires a concern for all who live there, kin as well as neighbors. I pray today for the welfare of Jerusalem, affirming that the city’s welfare depends upon peace. Peace, in turn, requires a concern for the wellbeing of all who live there. In the light of today’s news, I recommit myself to doing all I can to help build a just and peaceful future for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Warmly,
Rabbi Knopf
PS - If you are not already planning to do so, I hope you will join me tonight at 7pm at Orchard House School (500 N. Allen Ave.) for Encounter RVA. I’ll be engaging Imam Ammar Amonette from the Islamic Center of Virginia in dialogue, and I imagine this topic will come up. I also hope you will consider joining me on our congregational trip to Israel this summer, to experience the magic and complexity of Jerusalem in person. You can learn more and register for the trip here: https://israeltour.com/tour-item/rknopf/
