One Palestinian has a solution to the conflict. But you may not like it..

A group of visitors to Jerusalem were confronted with a narrative that contradicted everything they thought they knew. What would you do if the same thing were to happen to you?

The Cotton Traders Market, Jerusalem. At the far end, an entrance to the Al Aqsa compound - Temple Mount

A few years ago, I was touring Jerusalem’s Old City with a group of American senior citizens. It was mid-afternoon, and I could see that some members of the group were tired and would appreciate finding a place to sit down and rest.

I led them into Souk al-Qattanin, a 14th-century cotton traders' market built by the Mamluks, who had expelled the Crusaders from the Holy Land several centuries earlier. Today, few cotton traders remain in the small shops, which now mostly sell shawls, headscarves, items used for Islamic rituals and prayer, and brightly colored candies.

The wide but dimly lit market street is still an impressive sight, and the excitement of entering it is heightened by the opportunity, at its far end, to gaze up a set of steps and through an imposing gateway onto the Al-Aqsa complex—the Temple Mount—and catch a glimpse of the Dome of the Rock’s gold-plated roof.

My travelers excitedly took photographs as local Palestinian Muslims ascended and descended the steps, entering and exiting the holy compound.

As non-Muslims, this was as close as my travelers could get...

To read the rest of the article, visit Simply Complicated on Substack by clicking here