A Shared Jerusalem: Towards Effective Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Resolution

Abstract

The status of Jerusalem, since 1949 till this day, remains a crucial issue in international law. Therefore, no permanent solution is likely to take place regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict without resolving the issue of Jerusalem. Achieving peace in Jerusalem can be key to achieving a sequential peace effect throughout the Palestinian and Israeli territories. The aim of this thesis is to explore the concept of sovereignty in international law, and the divisibility of sovereignty between Israelis and Palestinians. Because Jerusalem stands as a non-negotiable capital for both Palestinians and Israelis, it is hard to divide the city territorially to resolve the conflict. In turn, this thesis puts forward a Shared Sovereignty Proposal as a potential solution to the conflict over the city of Jerusalem. The proposal suggests the sharing of the city through the implementation of confidence building measures and de-escalation mechanisms as a way to set grounds for negotiations between the two parties. Then, security in Jerusalem is identified as an important factor to the realisation of this proposal. Within the security chapter, safety and security concerns for Palestinians and Israelis within Jerusalem will be outlined, and capacity building measures in the security sector will be proposed. Ultimately, the aforementioned peace-building mechanisms will be designed to achieve lasting, equitable post-conflict arrangements.

Date of Award	2020
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Law