Dialogues of Naguib Mahfouz: Jerusalem, ten years on By Mohamed Salmawy A decade ago, in February 1997, Israel's then prime minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, ordered the building of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, not far from Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Magharba Gate and Buraq (or the Wailing Wall). The UN counted 199 Islamic monuments in Jerusalem when Israel occupied the city in 1967 and only 15 Jewish ones. I visited Naguib Mahfouz a few days after Netanyahu's orders and he was incensed by the Israeli action. Here is what he said: "What is happening in Jerusalem is proof of Israel's contempt for Arabs, Muslims and the entire world. Israel is closing the door to all peaceful settlements. What it is doing in Jerusalem is a blow to peace. Israel is defying not only the Arabs but the entire world. The world still sees East Jerusalem as occupied Arab land. What Israel is doing in Jerusalem is an assault on peace, on the religious sentiments of people across the world. Israel is telling everyone to go to hell. "The Arabs need to make a stand. They need to ask the world to shoulder its responsibilities. Otherwise Jerusalem will be lost a piece at a time. Israel is building Jewish settlements. It is changing the names of the streets. And it wants to wreck Al-Aqsa Mosque, symbol of the Arab identity of Jerusalem. "Jerusalem is not just an Arab issue but a Muslim and Christian one. Jerusalem should not be portrayed as a territorial dispute between the Palestinians and the Israelis. It is something that concerns the world as a whole. No one in the world agrees with Israel's attempts to Judaise the city, its building of Jewish settlements and its destruction of everything that is Arab. "A conference on Jerusalem must be held. It should include not only Arabs but Islamic nations and representatives of other countries. The Vatican should be included for the world needs to take a clear stand on this issue. It must act independently of the UN Security Council and the US veto. The US will never denounce Israel, not even if it demolishes Al-Aqsa Mosque." This is what the great novelist said ten years ago. Sadly his words still ring true. It would have pleased me, and Mahfouz, had his words became outdated. Unfortunately they are as relevant as ever. Now that Israel is digging around Al-Aqsa Mosque, an international conference on Jerusalem remains the best course of action. Will we hold that conference or take another ten years to think about it?
