Conservative media pundit, Fox host and radio personality Glenn Beck will host a pro-Israel rally in Jerusalem this August to oppose an bifurcation of the city. Beck, a Mormon who just returned from a trip to Israel, said that the “center of our faith” is threatened by a division of the city, as proposed in many peace plans, where Jewish areas would be allocated to Israel and Muslim neighborhoods to a Palestinian state.
The division of Jerusalem is complicated because some streets include both Jewish and Palestinian neighborhoods, with the holy sites of all three major monotheistic religions all centered at the same spot. The religious areas — known as the Old City, or the “Holy Basin” — could be managed by an international organization or via a joint venture by Israelis and Palestinians.
Beck, a staunch Israel supporter, said on his radio show:
“They are going to attack the center of our faith. … Our common faith. And that is Jerusalem. And it won’t be with bullets or bombs. It will be with a two state solution that cuts off Jerusalem, the old city, to the rest of the world. … We have gone to the capitals of our states and to the capitals of our government. … We have talked to all the power brokers. The only power broker, the only seat of government that can and will solve this problem with or without us is God. It is time to return inside the walls that surround Jerusalem and stand with people of all faiths, all around the world.”
Whether supportive of a unified Jerusalem or not, perhaps Beck’s effort could bring about some good — he might inspire Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to host a counter- rally, where Jews and Palestinians alike can stand together, watch a great show, and get a good chuckle.
