Jerusalem Divided: The Armistice Regime, 1947-1967 (Israeli History, Politics, and Society)

Traces the background to the history of the Armistice Regime, established in 1947 to combat the fighting between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem. The author details the Armistice Commission, which governed its application and the many in-built problems that thwarted their proper functioning. Jerusalem was one of the most complicated, value- and emotion-laden, fronts during the 1948-49 Israeli War of Independence. The Jewish population in West Jerusalem was caught up in a bitter siege, as the Arabs from the eastern section fought for control of the entire city, to satisfy King Abdallah's desire to rule Jerusalem and other parts of Western Palestine. Static trench warfare, waged street by street, finally ground to a halt, and the city was divided along lines set down by the armistice agreements signed by Israel and Jordan in 1949.
This volume traces the background to the history of the Armistice Regime (1947-67); the workings of the Armistice Commission, which governed its application; and the many in-built problems that thwarted their proper functioning. The book also outlines the international implications of the Armistice Regime, and the effect it had upon the running of the United Nations.
Under the Armistice Regime, both sides learned to live in a divided city, despite the problems and the trauma caused by living within a divided community. However, this armistice - by definition intended to be a temporary affair - was finally swept away by the 1967 war, when Israel took control of the entire city.
The history of this unique regime has many lessons to offer those involved in the current conflict. It shows how idealism gradually became mired in the interests of the various parties and the entrenched position adopted by the United Nations, so that the hoped-for solutions were replaced by legal and political impasse and the ideal of peaceful boundaries was replaced by the reality of tension and war. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 Preface 10 Foreword 12 Map of Jerusalem: the divided city, 1947-67 15 Introduction: Everyday Life in Divided Jerusalem 16 1. The Armistice Between Israel and Jordan 26 2. The Armistice Negotiations and their Outcome 41 3. An Analysis of the Armistice Agreement 49 4. The Birthpangs of the Armistice Regime in Jerusalem 64 5. Armistice Without Article VIII 76 6. Armistice Realities in the Metropolitan Area 92 7. Managing the Armistice in Jerusalem 103 8. Living under Armistice in Jerusalem 124 9. Evaluations of the Armistice Regime: The Israeli and Jordanian Perspectives 151 10. Evaluations of the Armistice Regime: The UN Dilemmas 167 11. The International Repercussions of the Armistice 180 12. The End of Armistice 194 13. What Next? 209 Appendix 1 Text of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan-Israel Agreement (Signed in Rhodes, 4 April 1949) 225 Appendix 2 Annex to 7 July 1948 Agreement on Mount Scopus 235 Appendix 3 Area Commanders' Arrangement: Jerusalem and Vicinity (Jerusalem, February 1955) 236 Bibliography 238 Index 242