The Jerusalem Post reports that Israel is quietly winning over the Palestinians eastern Jerusalem. Reporter Khaled Abu Toameh writes:
The absence of Husseini and Orient House has strengthened the Arab population’s ties with the Israeli establishment.
In recent years, for instance, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of residents who seek the help of the Israeli police in solving various problems.
Although different services provided by the state to the Arab residents continue to be relatively insufficient, there is no ignoring the fact that Israeli institutions remain the largest employer of Arab Jerusalemites….
In addition, there has been a significant improvement in health services to Arab residents with the opening of scores of medical centers and clinics by Israel’s Kupot Holim Clalit and Meuhedet. These centers employ thousands of doctors, nurses and administrative workers from east Jerusalem….
“Let’s be honest, we have lost the battle for Jerusalem,” admitted a Fatah legislator from the city. “The Palestinian Authority hasn’t done anything to preserve the Arab and Islamic character of Jerusalem. The Arabs in Jerusalem have lost confidence in the Palestinian leadership and that’s why most of them prefer to live under Israeli control. Frankly, when I see what’s happening in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, I can understand why.”
Why don’t we see this kind of information more widely reported in the MSM?
