The Jerusalem Arab Municipality

This study by lawyer Osama Halabi offers a comprehensive historical picture on the role of the Jerusalem Arab Municipality from its foundation in 1863 until the Israeli Likud party victory in the 1993 elections. The author discusses laws and precedents, clarifying the authority, duties and responsibilities of the Municipality in the Ottoman period and under the British Mandate and reviews council appointments, elections and compositions. Halabi then examines the implications of a divided city (1948-1967) in the light of international law, with regard to the debate on the internationalization of Jerusalem, and in terms of two municipalities, before turning to the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 and the ultimate dissolution of the Jerusalem Arab Municipality. Halabi discusses the loss of land and property, arrests campaigns, Israeli efforts to make Palestinians leave the city, and the work of Teddy Kollek, mayor of West Jerusalem. Finally, Halabi reviews the subject of re-establishing the Arab Municipality and discusses the current issue of Jerusalem: current Palestinian thinking and planning about the future of the city; suggestions and discussions from the Technical Committees on Jerusalem and from PASSIA meetings, as well as various initiatives by Palestinian personalities.