Jerusalem

Today, I read three different articles with three different approaches to the city of Jerusalem.

Article 1.

Ynet News reported that thousands of Arab children were in Jerusalem this Saturday to celebrate the Al-Aqsa Children's Fund initiative, which urges Muslim youngsters to donate their allowance to the mosque and Islamic Movement institutions.
The movement's Northern Branch's Deputy Chairman, Sheikh Kamel Khatib, spoke to the children and stressed that Muslims will never give up any parts of the holy Muslim site.

In his speech to the youngsters, Khatib said: "We have no partners here at the mosque," referring to Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich's recent visit to the site. "The al-Aqsa Mosque is a holy and occupied place, just like the whole of Jerusalem, which was occupied by the IDF in 1967. The occupation must be removed from the mosque in particular, and from Jerusalem in general."
"The Jews should not be thinking that they can build their Temple on the ruins of the al-Aqsa Mosque," Khatib said. "This day won't come. Those who dream that we, the Muslims, will renounce part of the al-Aqsa mosque should know that their dream will not see the light." http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3748407,00.html

Article 2.

"The United States has told Israel it must halt an East Jerusalem construction project in accordance with the Obama administration's demands for a complete freeze on settlement building, Israeli radio stations reported on Sunday. The State Department summoned Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren over the weekend to advise him that the project developed by American millionaire Irving Moskowitz should not go ahead, according to both Israel Radio and Army Radio."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1101155.html

Article 3.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem was not a matter up for discussion. The prime minister's comments came after the U.S. State Department told Israeli envoy Michael Oren that Israel must halt a construction project in East Jerusalem. Netanyahu told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting that Jerusalem is the united capital of Israel and that all citizens are allowed to purchase property in any part of the city they choose. "

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1101192.html

How will peace be achieved with disparate views among the nations on how to resolve the status of Jerusalem?

"Malki-Tzedek, King of Shalem, brought out bread and wine." (Bereishis 14:18) "Avraham called that place Hashem Yireh." (Bereishis 22:14) Both of these saintly men - Malki-Tzedek, who was Shem, son of Noach, and his descendant Avraham - were referring to the site upon which stands Jerusalem (whose Biblical name is Yirehshalem). When Hashem wished to name His holy city, He faced, as it were, a Divine dilemma. "If I call it Yireh like Avraham did, the righteous Shem will feel slighted, and if I call it Shalem like Shem did, the righteous Avraham will feel slighted. I will therefore call it Yireh-Shalem like both of them called it." Shalem means both peace and perfection, while Yireh, as Targum Onkelos translates, means human service of Hashem. Only when man serves Hashem can he hope to achieve the peace and perfection symbolized by Yirehshalem.
(Bereishis Rabbah 56:10)
http://ohr.edu/tw/weinbach/loveland/lland048.htm

As the nine days are fast approaching and we in the period of mourning the destruction of the two Temples, I will try to say the beracha in the Shemoneh Esrei of "V'liYerushalayim ircha berachamim tashuv" with greater kavanah.
"Return in mercy to Jerusalem Your city and dwell therein as You have promised; speedily establish therein the throne of David Your servant, and rebuild it, soon in our days, as an everlasting edifice. Blessed are You L-rd, who rebuilds Jerusalem."

May we merit to see the building of the third Temple and true peace in Yerushalayim bekarov.