Undivided Jerusalem

Dear Editor,

Residents of Jerusalem have made it clear 40 years after the Six Day War of 1967 that they still want an undivided city.

While touring Israel with a B.Y.U. study tour group in December 1994-January 1995, I saw Nabulus or Shecham from a very safe distance. Located 30 miles north of Jerusalem, it is the home of Joseph, the Patriarch. His son, Joseph, is buried there near Jacob's well.

Nabulus is part of Jordan. We were able to cross over into Jordan and view the area, thanks to my cousin, Spencer J. Palmer. He traveled to Jordan to confer with King Hussein about study tour groups visiting holy sites.

Jordan was created from former Turkish territory in 1921, It has been an independent kingdom since 1946. It sided with Arab allies and fought against Israel in 1948-1949.

With a 96 percent Sunni Moslem population, Jordan's Arab ties are strong. Knowing this, Roger Garreau of France suggested at a 1949 U.N. peace keeping conference that Jerusalem be divided into three zones. Jordan was given control of Arab-dominated East Jerusalem and Arab land west of the Jordan River.

For Jordan, it was like watching over a ticking time bomb. Many Christians fled, Jewish holy sites were forgotten or destroyed. King Abdullah of Jordan was assasinated in 1951 during a visit to Jerusalem. King Hussein succeeded him in 1952.

In 1967 Israeli forces captured Jerusalem. Jews had access to their Wailing Wall of their former temple for the first time since 1948.

Jordan continues to react in interesting ways. During the 1991 Gulf War, it sided with Iraq.

King Hussein died in February 1999. Spencer Palmer died in November 2000. His obituary said he walked and talked with kings. One of them was Hussein.

Helen Ruth Arnold,

McCook