Sound Familiar?

In the early 1920s, the urban development of Jerusalem was such that the leadership of the Zionist movement and the Jewish Municipal Committee debated whether to separate 'Jewish Jerusalem' from the Old City and its Old Yishuv Orthodox population and, in addition, create a new city that would also counter any Arab demographics. This movement continued through the Mandate period. Menachem Ussishkin strongly disagreed with this idea that the new neighborhoods being constructed such as Bet HaKerem, Bayit VeGan, Rechavia and such be incorporated distinct from the existing Jerusalem so that a 'New Jerusalem' be formed.


In an open letter, he railed against the idea and wrote:

"Eretz-Yisrael without Jerusalem is simply Palestine. The Jewish People all through its generations do not say "Next Year in Eretz-Yisrael" but "Next Year in Yerushalyaim" – for them Jerusalem is the Land of Israel. This is a sentiment that sustains the entire nation and we must take into consideration these sentiments. For if we do not comprehend the meaning of them, if we take steps based solely on today's requirements – we will be uprooting the tree from its roots. A Tel Aviv can be formed distinct from Jaffa but not Jerusalem, there is no second Jerusalem…Zion is within the walls and not outside them…We are the majority in Jerusalem…do not contemplate committing an historic crime and a crime against history. Do not raise the axe to chop down the tree and to split Jerusalem into two and to had over the heart of the Jewish nation forever to others. You cannot assume this responsibility upon yourselves."

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Source: Yehoshua Ben-Arieh, "Yerushalayim Ha'Atika v'He-Chadasha ba-Meah Ha-19" in Birushalayim Mimei Habayit Hasheni ad Haet Hechadasha, Publ. – Yad Ben Tzvi, pp. 194-195