Jerusalam is NOT of Arab culture, and never will be. This is just another feeble attemp to try and lay claim to something that is not 'Arab'. The "ARABS" that live there now are only tring to deny real history as usual. It is the same with the 'Rock dome thing', build a building or hold a festival and now they think they Cain lay claim and use these 'events' as some kind of proof. Just silly pettiness that would only convince a childs mind.

This is NOT about pali culture, it is about the fatah terrorists attempting to estbablish themselves as a governing entity inside Israeli territory! Just imagine if Israel tried to hold a "Jewish Culture" festival in Ramalla or Jericho. The riots would begin, the homicide bombers engaged, and the UN called into special session to condemn the "racist Zionist entity."

We celebrated a Jewish holiday in Mecca? Or even tried to build a temple there? Oh noes! Zionism is spreading!

If these events were sponsored by the Arab-Israeli community (and not inciting against Israel), then, yes, banning them would be racist. BUT THEY ARE NOT. They are SPONSORED BY THE PA, which is the leadership of an entity with which Israel has no formal peace and, furthermore, an entity whose charter still CALLS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL (despite the fact that Arafat promised to remove that clause in 1993). It is a nation's prerogative to not allow foreign entities to sponsor events on its soil. This is not undemocratic or racist; it's one of the tenets of basic state sovereignty. Consulates/ embassies in foreign countries, even friendly one, have reams of paperwork to file before they can host public events outside the embassy. Furthermore, it is not an uncommon policy to disallow such events when the entity in question is one in conflict with the one in which the event is meant to take place.

If anything is silly or petty is your illusion that there never was jewish reign/kingdom of even 60years and the 'jews' that live there now are only trying to deny real history". A bit like reinventing the wheel don't you think? Talk Peace!

Hamas is being delitimagized and overthrown by whaabis and moving into Gaza through Egypt with alot of cash.

When the Arab Muslims attacked Israel and lost Jerusalem and the West Bank they forever LOST those sites. While in possession of Jerusalem Muslims desecrated Jewish shrines. Let us abandon this fantasy of a "Peace Process" and a "Two State Solution" and let us remember Arabs lost the land in wars they started and that not one Arab state took in any Palestinian refugee who voluntarily abandoned their homes and property. It is time to accept reality and tell the Muslims that Jerusalem is fully and completely owned by Israel as is Mecca by the Muslims. When Muslims open Mecca and Medina to all faiths then Israel will look at opening Jerusalem to Muslims.

A Western Country cannot attack/ban a cultural event... you choose, what is Israel?

you can't have a real peace with the arabs.. the second you give them a finger(or the finger...), they want your entire hand... 'culture events' my tuches- this is a blatant attempt to establish a beach head in the land of israel. no way!

I'm a hugh supporter of Israel, but in the USA this behavior is called racist. Period.

but jerusalem need it it is a sad city . i knew it before 50 years it was festival evry day in christian feasts and moslem feasts and full of tourests but now it is not like any capital or like its true position it is a sad city

what a racist, intolerant, primitive country. i'm moving back to new york.

Hamas, Fatach! They're exactlt the same except Hamas wear masks and Fatah wear ties! Did anyone see what Dahlan said the other day?.....Fatah has NEVER accepted the right of Israel to exisit. Well done Mr. Dichter!

The true demographic threat in Jerusalem is the freezing of Jewish building and the limitations placed on the natural growth of the capital by diplomatic initiatives, unless you expand the border of Jerusalem, including Arab neighborhoods – you wont have the area required to allow Jerusalem to expand. In order for Jerusalem to bloom and expand it should remain Jewish and entirely under Israeli sovereignty. Jerusalem should not be up for negotiation, it has always been the symbol of Jewish unity as explained at : http://xrl.us/bjheo

Jacques Gauthier, a non-Jewish Canadian lawyer who spent 20 years researching the legal status of Jerusalem has written a doctoral dissertation on the topic of Jerusalem and its legal history, based on international treaties and resolutions of the past 90 years. Gauthier’s main point, as summarized by Israpundit editor Ted Belman, is that a non-broken series of treaties and resolutions, as laid out by the San Remo Resolution, the League of Nations and the United Nations, gives the Jewish People title to the city of Jerusalem. The process began at San Remo, Italy, when the four Principal Allied Powers of World War I – Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan – agreed to create a Jewish national home in what is now the Land of Israel. The residents of Jerusalem should be free to express by means of a referendum their wishes as to possible modifications of regime of the City. Given Jerusalem’s strong Jewish majority, Gauthier concludes, Israel should be demanding that the long-delayed city referendum on the city’s future be held as soon as possible as explained at : http://xrl.us/bi7qx

Jerusalem is a city shared by Muslims, Christians and Jews alike. This event should be encouraged by Israel to promote tolerance and steer Palestinians and Israelis away from extremism. Obviously, Israel does not want to be part of the middle east. Instead, it insists on being a symbol of a foreign occupying power. The Israeli leaders need to think about the sustainability of their country.

If the Mexicans decided to have a ‘Texas is really ours Day’ you know they would be thrown out on their ear. In no way is this racist. Paint it as a culture event if you want, but the Texans would not be fooled, nor are the Israelis. It is a matter of sovereignty, nothing more, nothing less.

There is an existing and binding agreement between the Israeli Government and the Palistinian Authority, where by the PA is prohibited from organising public events inside of Israel. It would seem that Israel is only ensuring the implementation of previous agreements and that the Palestinians as usual are pushing the boundries and through the good offices of the anti Israel/Anti Jew international media are distorting the picture. Ultimately this back fires on the Palestinians as Most Israelis no longer trust anything that comes out of their mouths, as reflected in the results of the most recent Israeli election, the peace camp has all but dissapeared.

When Jewish festivals are allowed to be held in such friendly country as: Cairo, Amman, Mecca, Syria or Tripoli, then we can reciprocate. Until then, " F...K em' "

The Palestinian Authority is trying to go against rules to which they already agreed in writing. Israel didn't 'ban' an Arab cultural festival. They merely signed injunctions saying that they would prevent an illegal event, aka a PA-sponsored and organized event taking place within Israel.

Hey Sarah,y don't u go 2 mecca n try ur religion there or better still Afghanistan,Algeria,Sudan,Iran 2 name a few.Then after ur xperience,come back n talk.But u won't be able to tell us cos u'll be dead by then.haha

to celebrate a city into which arabs invaded in 7th century. they ruled untill 11th century. the fact arab moslems built mosk and destroyed synagogues and churches, doesn't make it capital of arab culture. arabs brought their culture from arabia. jews brought their culture from jerusalem. how can there be peace when arabs try to make jerusalem more like mecca? besides, arab rule ended 11th century, after then ruled crusaders, should jerusalem be a capital of the crusader culture? after crusader the mamlukes (egyptians), should it be the capital of the egyptian culture? after mamlukes the ottoman, should jerusalem be the capital of the turkish culture? after the turks the english, should jerusalem be the capital of english culture? after the english came the israelis, and jerusalem was founded by the israelites their forefathers and was always their capital in every sence. before jerusalem was established by king david, it was a town jebus,all those that were in jebus either died or converted to jewdaism and became part of jerusalem under king david, as paganism was banned. the inhabitants of jerusalem were all known as hebrews in the 1200 years that followed jerusalem's creation. the arab invasion followed the roman invasion (christian and pagan), both roman and arab cultures have a capital and it is not jerusalem there were arabs in madrid 1000 years ago, so maybe madrid is he capital of arab culture? if not madrid why jerusalem? there are ancient mosks everywhere. so maybe arabs celebrate the jordanian villages that became a part of jerusalem after 1967, and constitute east jerusalem? it is a lot like arab culture, high childbirth rates while living in slums. besides, haven't you heard that arab scholars are trying to prove that jews are arabs, and that the arabs are in fact jews. or at least were jewish 2000 years ago. it is rediculous, just as it is rediculous to think aboriginies are in fact africans, and so are scandinavians, since mans origin is believed to be in africa. jerusalems culture is not arab , even though there are mosks there, just as much as turkish culture is not arab, just as much as spanish villages the jews are arabs, as some pro-arabs are trying hard to prove this theoty. after all, some of them are nomads to this day, (the bedouins), so i am sure they had a long time to find australia, and besides, we all have originated from africa it seems,

only found in the "democratic" state of israel. more like a police state. lol. its the icing on the cake ! correction: there were no AQU employees simply due to it being a work day-meaning it'll come out of their pay. people need to make a living. there were, on the other hand AQU students (2 girls) arrested exactly where the article mentions.

Your presence there was granted by the UN and the sympathy generated after the Holocaust. Yet you repay kindness by trying to circumvent subsequent rulings and instigating wars with the neighbors. We won't go back to the expulsion by Roman Emperor Hadrian or to the 7th century when the Arabs ruled. We won't even argue the validity of Eastern European pagan Kazar converts to claim heritage. We won't even mention Ethiopians and Yemenis jews and others and their rights.. What we'd like to know is WHEN exactly during the last 2000 years was there ever a jewish Kingdom /Empire.

If the Mexicans decided to have a 'Texas is really ours Day', they would be allowed as long as the festivities are peaceful. We in the U.S believe in the freedom of expression. Are you sure you are an American SarahSue?