Jerusalem and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

October 01, 2019 | Pulitzer Center

Carly Graf

Women over 50-years-old can enter Israel from the West Bank without a permit. This woman travels hours from a small, poor agricultural village into Jerusalem daily to sell her harvest. She sits at Damascus Gate entering the Old City or in the center of the Muslim Quarter’s souk selling things like eggplant, prickly pear and herbs. Though they can enter freely, such women aren’t supposed to sell without proper documentation, one told me. She said they can’t afford the taxes levied with these permits. Occasionally, the Israeli military will decide to collect payment by seizing their produce and kicking them out rather than demanding money. When that happens, the women lose almost all of their earning power, she said. Image by Carly Graf. Israel, 2019.

A woman takes a brief respite from the day’s sales. Image by Carly Graf. Israel, 2019.

Palestinians eat bread with every meal and, sometimes, as the entire meal. They use a taboun wood fired oven to guarantee a crispy exterior and soft interior, and they lay the dough over rocks to create small divots in the bread that make it perfect for holding dips like olive oil and hummus. Image by Carly Graf. Israel, 2019.

Many Jerusalemites come to the market to buy taboun bread as well as freshly baked items like ka’ak, mana’eesh and pita. Image by Carly Graf. Israel, 2019.

Israel is a global leader in agricultural technology. Some even compare their agribusiness industry to the pharmaceutical industry in the United States. The combination of technology and the country’s continued reach into parts of the region with the land most suitable for growing means it can harvest vibrant, sizable and ostensibly perfect produce for much cheaper costs than small Palestinian farmers who lack such resources. Many Israeli companies sell their products to Palestinian brokers, who act as middlemen, to ensure the goods ultimately make it to Palestinian merchants in the Old City. Baskets with Hebrew writing can be seen all over the Muslim Quarter, sold by Palestinians who know they’ll get more customers than their neighbors selling more imperfect versions of the same items. Image by Carly Graf. Israel, 2019.

Israeli fruits and vegetables are often brightly colored, perfectly shaped and much larger than what you’ll find coming from Palestinian crates. Since those are cheaper, too, Palestinian farmers have a hard time selling their produce to the average customer who’d have to pay more for a seemingly less desirable ingredient. But it’s not just tourists who aren’t buying from Palestinians in the Muslim Quarter. Part of the erasure of the relationship between Palestinians and farming tradition includes convincing Palestinians themselves that whatever comes from the Israeli side is better. Image by Carly Graf. Israel, 2019.

Fire roasting Tahini. Image by Carly Graf. Israel, 2019

Most of the sesame seeds used to create tahini are imported from Africa, often Ethiopia or Nigeria. The seed is a drought-resistant crop, so it once flourished in Palestine with its arid climate, and it’s used abundantly in the cuisine, not only in tahini but also in the staple spice mix za’taar and tea biscuits called qaraqish. Today, it’s expensive to harvest sesame, due to reduced land access, the cost of transport, and steep taxes on farmers in the West Bank, so most tahini producers are buying from abroad. Image by Carly Graf. Israel, 2019.

As you slink through the narrow halls of the Muslim Quarter souk, you’ll notice distinct notes of cumin, garlic and other aromatic spices. If it’s around morning or lunchtime, there’s a good chance that smell is fuul, a dish of stewed fava beans often served over rice. It’s a staple breakfast item, traditionally intended to keep manual workers satiated throughout the course of their shift. Now, it’s a classic in many stalls throughout the market, feeding laborers, merchants, and tourists alike. Image by Carly Graf. Israel, 2019.

A Palestinian spice shop resembles a painter’s easel. Buckets of bright spices—cumin, saffron, turmeric, paprika—sit alongside textured fruits—dates, dried apricots, pineapple rings—and nuts of all varying shades. And, like an artist, the Palestinian cook creates something beautiful out of those raw ingredients. Food here tells a story—the tale of a person, the history of a family, the legacy of a place. The same spices have been used for generations, making them as important to tradition and culture as they are to the food itself. Image by Carly Graf. Israel, 2019.

Jerusalem is one of the world’s oldest cities, and the home of holy sites for Islam, Judaism and Christianity. It’s also one of the most contentious elements of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The city has been passed between powers repeatedly. It’s been under Jewish, Islamic and Christian rule, going as far back as the Babylonians and changing hands as various empires—the Persians, Romans, Mamelukes, Egyptians, Persians and more—conquered it and the surrounding areas. The longest reign was held by the Ottoman Empire. It was defeated at the end of World War I, placing Jerusalem under control of Great Britain. When Israel was later created in 1948, it was given the Western part of the city while Jordan (still controlling modern-day Palestine) was given the Eastern portion. In the Six Day War nearly 20 years later, Israel took de facto control over the entire city, though it continues to be considered internationally as a shared territory.

Today, both Palestinians and Israelis claim Jerusalem as their capital, but it’s effectively controlled by Israel despite consternation from much of the global community. Palestinian Jerusalemites face significant barriers to equality as a result of Israeli influence. For example, they aren’t automatically given Israeli citizenship, nor can they renovate or rebuild homes without receiving permission.

The tension is especially striking in the Old City, where religious, ethnic, and nationalistic differences literally bump into one another. Around 35,000 people live within the 220-acre fortressed area, characterized by its narrow, stone-lined streets, marketplaces and the clash of three religious sites. The vast majority of that population is Muslim, followed by Christians and Jews. And every day, thousands of people enter in order to make spiritual pilgrimages or purchase goods from one of the many merchants.

Before the Second Intifada, Palestinians from all over the West Bank and East Jerusalem would go to the Old City Muslim Quarter to sell their produce and wares. The combination of tourist traffic and the sizable local population once made it a center for economic opportunity and a staple for the livelihood of many agrarian families. Today, though, it’s become exceedingly difficult to do business in the Old City and greater Jerusalem as a Palestinian. Most can rarely get permission to enter from the West Bank or Gaza; Israeli products are flooding the market, driving down demand for the pricier Palestinian counterparts; and Israeli-imposed taxes make doing business a costly venture.

Difficulties aside, the Old City remains a focal point for Palestinians, both economically and culturally.