Reports that the U.S. State Department called upon the Israeli government to halt the construction of an apartment complex in the eastern part of Jerusalem are deeply troubling. B’nai B’rith has always supported a united Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. And Jews should be free to live anywhere within the capital.At issue is the planned building of apartments in the former Shepherd Hotel in the eastern part of the city.
For 3,000 years, Jerusalem has been a vital symbol for Jews around the world. As Jerusalem is the eternal, undivided capital of the Jewish people, its residents are entitled to live where they want. Arab citizens are also free to live where they want in Jerusalem. The land under construction was bought legally, with the appropriate permits and paperwork.
Israel, like any sovereign nation, has the right to choose its own capital. And Israeli citizens have the right to choose where to live within that capital.
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