Jerusalem's division between Jews and Muslims has become a symbol of the ongoing conflict in Israel, said a Middle Eastern scholar Tuesday morning.
"Jerusalem is a frontier city," said Menachem Klein, a professor of political science at the Israeli Bar-llan University. "There are two different cultures locked in conflict."
Klein spoke to approximately 60 people at the Memorial Union about Jerusalem's various demographics.
"It is not simply a unit of territory," Klein said. "It is a unit of identity."
Throughout the speech, Klein discussed Israel's ongoing efforts since the 1967 War - the Six-Day War between Israel and Egypt, Jordan and Syria - to balance demographics, but the struggle for power between the Jews and Palestinians produces unconquerable division, he said.
"Each side is pushed to identify the other negatively to establish social order," Klein said. "In its own territory each finds self relief and what I am not prevails. In debate, what I am prevails."
The different cultures that exist in Jerusalem do not allow for complete unity, but the notion of living in harmony is not ambitious, Klein said.
"Complete unity is artificial," he said. "Because people speak different languages and observe different holidays, there can never be complete unity."
The speech was part of an international conference, "Jerusalem Across the Disciplines" - a three-day event that brings together scholars from across the globe, said Miriam Elman, an associate professor for the department of political science at ASU.
Each scholar has written extensively on the topic of Jerusalem in a different field, Elman added.
"We wanted to explore how different disciplines approach the city," she said. "We hope to provide a fresh look."
Klein was asked to speak at the conference because of his resume and unbiased perspective, Elman said.
"He is one of the leading scholars on Jerusalem," she said. "He is a neutral scientist looking at issues."
After hearing Klein speak, political science senior Katie Brown said she is
interested in learning more about Jerusalem.
"I didn't know much about the subject," she said. "It really put a lot of things in perspective. I would like to learn more about the subject."
Klein received a Ph.D. in Middle East and Islamic Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and served as a fellow at St. Anthony's College at Oxford University.
He has worked as an advisor for Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his signature on the Geneva Agreement.
Reach the reporter at: gary.levison@asu.edu.
