Right Web

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One Jerusalem, a rightist New York-based organization devoted to maintaining a united Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel, was originally created in 2000 to combat peace proposals pushed by then Prime Minister Ehud Barak. According to its website, One Jerusalem, which counts among its leaders rightist Israeli figures like Natan Sharansky and Benajmin Netanyahu, held its inaugural event in January 2001. The group claimed it was "the largest rally in the history of Jerusalem. More than 400,000 people filled the hills around Jerusalem's Old City for an unprecedented demonstration of support for Israel's beleaguered capital city, just four months after the launch of a deadly Palestinian-Arab assault against the Jewish state. The world watched as the people pledged their allegiance to the preservation of Jerusalem as the eternal, unified capital of the State of Israel."

A supporter of hardline Likudnik policies regarding Mideast peace, One Jerusalem has also supported much of the George W. Bush administration's rhetoric regarding the "war on terror." Its online forum and news service frequently post opinions hawking threats from countries like Iran and Syria. On November 14, 2007, One Jerusalem held an "exclusive bloggers conference call" with former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, in which he discussed his 2007 book Surrender is Not an Option. "We urge you to buy this important book, written by a great American," the blog appealed.

During the lead up to the Annapolis peace talks in November 2007, which were pushed by both the Bush administration and the government of Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, One Jerusalem launched a well-funded campaign attacking the talks. One Jerusalem opposed the talks because the Israeli government was considering ceding some Arab parts of Jerusalem to Palestinians in order to reach an agreed peace. According to the Israeli Ynet.com news service (November 25, 2007), U.S. businessman Ronald Lauder, a scion of the Estee Lauder cosmetics empire, provided funding for the $1 million anti-Annapolis campaign.

According to the Jerusalem Post, One Jerusalem's campaign, spearheaded by Sharansky, "will include radio and newspaper advertisements, special bus tours of Jerusalem in the coming weeks for tens of thousands of Israelis, an interactive Internet site, and the distribution of golden ribbons for the unity of Jerusalem—a spin-off of the orange ribbon used by the settlement movement" (Jerusalem Post, November 21, 2007). Voice of America had further details: "Israeli right-wing activists have launched the 'One Jerusalem' campaign, demanding that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will not make concessions on the Holy City at this week's peace conference in the United States. Activists are passing out half a million gold ribbons at intersections, urging Israelis to tie them to their cars in solidarity with a united Jerusalem" (VOA, November 25, 2007).

Before the Annapolis talks began, One Jerusalem also posted on its homepage a report titled "Olmert to World Jewry: Shut Up." The report derided the prime minister for allegedly ignoring the opinions of "world Jewry," arguing: "It is clear that Olmert, who has the support of about 5% of the Israeli electorate, sees himself as the sole voice on the future of the capital of the Jewish people. His contemptuous remarks are in sharp contrast to the views of [David] Ben-Gurion, [Menachem] Begin, Sharansky, and [Yitzhak] Rabin. While he is willing to bend to the wishes of Israel's enemies who are demanding Jerusalem as their capital he is not interested in what world Jewry has to say."

Aside from private individual donors like Lauder, One Jerusalem receives support from the New York-based One Jerusalem Charitable and Educational Fund, which according to its 2006 Form 990 tax return, "operates exclusively to perform and to assist in carrying out the charitable and educational purposes and functions of One Jerusalem, Ltd., an organization exempt under IRC section 501(c)(4), in order to provide the public with full and fair information about the danger of Jerusalem being divided." Between 2002 and 2005, the foundation, which in 2005 was led by Allen Roth and Nelson Warfield, provided more than $675,000 to One Jerusalem.

Please note: IPS Right Web neither represents nor endorses any of the individuals or groups profiled on this site.