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Peace Monuments in Jerusalem
(Both West & East) Since 1948


Click here for peace monuments in Palestine before 1949 -- with chronology of selected events before 1949
Click here for peace monuments in Palestine (West Bank & Gaza) since 1948
Click here for peace monuments in Israel (All EXCEPT Jerusalem) since 1948 -- with chronology of selected events since 1948
Click here for peace monuments in Israel (Arab monuments ONLY) since 1948
Click here for peace monuments in Jerusalem (West & East) since 1948 -- THIS WEB PAGE
Click here for peace monuments at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in West Jerusalem (Israel)
Click here for peace monuments related to Olive Trees & Olive Branches worldwide
Click here for peace monuments related to Quakers (Society of Friends) worldwide
Click here for peace monuments related to Rachel Corrie [1979-2003] worldwide
Click here for Oldest & Biggest Peace Monuments worldwide
Click here for Palestinian Village of Deir Yassin in West Jerusalem (Israel)
Click here for Peace Poles in Palestine & Israel
Click here for Vocabulary of the Israel/Palestine Conflict

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1 Central Bus Station
2 Makhane Yehuda Market
3 Davidka Square
4 Novotel Hotel
5 Grand Court Hotel
6 Ammunition Hill
7 Regency Hotel
8 Haddassa Medical Center
9 Mount Scopus
10 Lions' Gate
11 David City/Dung Gate
12 Mount Zion
13 Jaffa Gate
14 King David Hotel
15 Ha-Khan Theatre
16 Haas Prom & Peace Forest
17 Malkha Mall
18 Biblical Zoo
19 Herzel Museum
20 Yad VaShem
21 Science Museum/Hebrew Univ
22 Bible Lands & Israel Museums
23 Knesset & Peace Bell
24 Supreme Court
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1940's

Right click any image to enlarge.

October 18, 1948 - The flag of the Arab Revolt is adopted by the All-Palestine Government. It will be recognised subsequently by the Arab League as the flag of Palestine. A modified version will be officially adopted as the flag of the Palestinian people by the PLO in 1964 and adopted as the flag of the State of Palestine on November 15, 1988.

October 28, 1948 - The flag of Israel is adopted five months after the country's establishment. It was designed for the Zionist Movement in 1891. The basic design recalls the Tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl, which is white with blue stripes.


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1949 - Grave of Theodor Herzl, Mount Herzl (Har Herzl or Mount of Memory), Jerusalem (Israel). When Herzl died in 1904, he was interred in Vienna (Austria). It was only in 1949, 45 years later, that Herzl's remains were brought to Israel and reinterred in Jerusalem. Mount Herzl is Israel's national cemetery on the west side of Jerusalem. Herzl's tomb lies at the top of the hill. Israel's war dead & major political leaders are also buried there. Yad Vashem lies just to the west of Mount Herzl.
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August 29-31, 1897 - First Zionist Congress, Basel (Switzerland). Convened & chaired by Theodor Herzl [1860-1904], founder of the modern Zionism movement. Formulated a Zionist platform, known as the Basle program, and founded the Zionist Organization. Also adopted the Hatikvah as its anthem (already the anthem of Hovevei Zion & later to become the national anthem of the State of Israel).

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1949-1967 - Mandelbaum Gate, Jerusalem (Israel). On the Green Line. "Next to Tourjeman Post... The gate was established [in 1949] at the intersection directly to the north at the building as [the only] border crossing between Israel & Jordan. Every two weeks the convoy that constituted the only contact with the Israeli enclave on Mount Scopus passed through Mandelbaum Gate." The first checkpoint for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan/Israel Mixed Armistice Commission at the Mandelbaum Gate, from the close of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War in 1949 until August 1952, was moved from the Israeli side of the Gate to the Demilitarised Zone after the 'Barrel Incident.' The second checkpoint existed until the 1967 Six-Day War." Right image shows the gate before July 1967. Left image shows monument erected since 1967.

1950's

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1953 - Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, Mount of Remembrance, West Jerusalem (Israel). A 45-acre complex containing Hall of Remembrance (Arieh Elhanani, 1961), Pillar of Heroism (Buky Schwartz, 1970), Monument to the Warsaw Ghetto (Nathan Rapoport, 1975-6), Children's Memorial (Moshe Safdie, 1976), Memorial to the Jewish Soldiers (Bernie Fink, 1985), Valley of the Communities (Lipa Yahalom & Dan Zur, 1992), International School for Holocaust Studies (1993), Holocaust History Museum (March 15, 2005, lower image), Museum of Holocaust Art, synagogue, archives, research institute, library & publishing house. Non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust at personal risk are honored by Yad Vashem as 'Righteous Among the Nations.'" See Video & Website. Click here separate webpage of Yad Vashem monuments.
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"The Knesset law of 1953 establishing Yad Vashem was printed in Hebrew, English & French. The English version translates shoah as 'Disaster,' while the French version of the Knesset law uses 'l'Holocauste' on two occasions. In 1953-1955, shoah at Yad Vashem was usually translated into English as 'Disaster' (capitalized with few exceptions), 'the Great Disaster,' 'the Destruction Period,' and 'the European catastrophe' (this last usually uncapitalized)" (per Jon Petrie, jon_petrie@yahoo.com). /// Yad Vsshem is from a Biblical verse: "And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (Yad Vashem) that shall not be cut off."

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1950's - Jerusalem Forest, Jerusalem (Israel). "Surrounded by the Jerusalem neighborhoods Beit HaKerem, Yefe Nof, Ein Kerem, Har Nof, Givat Shaul, and a moshav, Beit Zeit. The forest was planted during the 1950's by the Jewish National Fund (JNF or KKL), financed by private donors. At its largest, the forest extended over about 4 square kilometres. Over the years, it has shrunk due to urban expansion, & today it covers about 1.2 square kilometres. Yad Vashem is located in the forest near Mount Herzl." Image shows the forest from the exit of Yad Vashem's new Holocaust History Museum. "At the conclusion of the heart-rending walk through the museum, visitors walk up & outside, almost as if exiting from a tomb, to a balcony with a moving view of the hills, trees & dwellings of modern Israel" -- & Deir Yassin.

1960's

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1961 - Eternal Flame, Hall of Remembrance, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem (Israel). "Continuously illuminates the Hall from a base fashioned like a broken bronze goblet, its smoke exiting the building through an opening at the highest point of the ceiling. Before it stands a stone crypt containing the ashes of Holocaust victims, brought to Israel from the extermination camps... The hall has walls made of basalt boulders brought from the area surrounding the Sea of Galilee, an angular roof that gives it a tent-like shape and engraved on the mosaic floor the names of 22 of the most infamous Nazi murder sites."
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February 1962 - Twelve Tribes of Israel, Synagogue, Hadassah Medical Center, Ein Kerem campus, Jerusalem (Israel). A famous set of 12 stained glass windows created & donated in 1960 by Marc Chagall [1887-1985]. During the dedication ceremony, Chagall called the windows "the modest present which I give to the Jewish people who have always dreamed of love, friendship and peace among peoples."
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1965 - Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus, East Jerusalem. "Supports major studies on the history, politics & social development of the non-Western world, with particular emphasis on the Middle East... In its capacity as an institute for the advancement of peace, the Truman Institute initiates joint projects to parallel major international political activities in conflict resolution and in the struggle to uphold the principles of human rights."
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July 4, 1966 - Yad Kennedy, John F. Kennedy Peace Forest, near Moshav Aminadav, Jerusalem (Israel). On one of the highest hills on the southwestern outskirts of Jerusalem, Israel, is a memorial to John F. Kennedy, President of the United States. At the southwest outskirts of Jerusalem is Yad Kennedy, reached by following the winding mountain roads past Aminadav Moshav. On top of an 825 m. high mountain is a monument in the shape of a cut tree trunk, symbolizing a life cut short. 51 columns, each bearing the emblem of a state of the Union, plus the District of Columbia, encircle the mountain top memorial. An eternal flame burns in the very centre. The site was opened in 1966 with funds donated by Jewish communities in the USA. The monument and adjoining picnic grounds are part of the John F. Kennedy Peace Forest. Chief Justice Earl Warren arrived for the dedication July 4 of a peace forest & memorial to President Kennedy. Warren chaired the Warren Commission, which was formed to investigate the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

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August 31, 1966 - Jerusalem City of Peace wall relief, Plenary Hall, Knesset (Israel parliament), Givat Ram, Jerusalem (Israel). By Israeli sculptor Danny Karavan. Karavan represented Israel with his Jerusalem City of Peace sculpture at the Venice Biennale in 1976. See other works by Karavan, including Nurnburg (Germany).
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About 1969 - Chagall State Hall, Knesset, Jerusalem (Israel). "A two-story high foyer for national ceremonies and events is found to the right of the plenum hall, and it is named the Chagall State Hall, after Russian-born Jewish artist Marc Chagall [1887–1985]. The columns in the hall are made of polished marble and contain fossils, and the ceiling is covered by small wooden blocks. The hall houses three Gobelins (tapestries) designed by Chagall on its eastern wall. The hall also contains mosaics by Chagall – one on the northern wall, and 12 others fixed on the floor of the hall."

1970's


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After October 9, 1974 - Oscar Schindler's Grave, Catholic Franciscans' Cemetery, Mount Zion, Jerusalem (Israel). "Oscar Schindler [1908-1974] wanted to be buried in Jerusalem, as he said, 'My children are here.' After a Requiem Mass, Schindler was buried at on Mount Zion, the only member of the Nazi Party to be honoured in this way. The grave is located on the mountainside below Zion Gate and the Old City walls. Stones placed on top of the grave are a sign of gratitude from Jewish visitors, according to Jewish tradition. On his grave, the Hebrew inscription reads: "Righteous among the Nations," an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis. The German inscription reads: "The Unforgettable Lifesaver of 1200 Persecuted Jews."
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July 8, 1976 - Jerusalem Grove, Battery Park, New York City, New York (USA). "Grove of 11 Blue Atlas Cedars (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca') with inscribed horizontal marker. A gift from the City of Jersualem" (Israel). A US bicentennial project?
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1977 - "Ahava / Love," Art Garden, Israel Museum, Jerusalem (Israel). "Known for his graphic paintings as well as his sculptures, Robert Indiana has reconfigured his arresting piece called LOVE in many different incarnations, such as a US postage stamp and several other versions installed both nationally and internationally. Here the word "love" has been translated into "Ahava," its Hebrew counterpart."

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July 4, 1978 - Liberty Bell Park (Gan Hapa'amon), Keren HaYesod & King David Streets, Jerusalem (Israel). "Herbert W. Armstrong wrote to the members & co-workers of the Worldwide Church of God, May 21, 1978: 'On July 4 there will be a big '4th of July Celebration' in Jerusalem, hosted jointly by the Mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek [1911-2007], and myself. The city of Philadelphia had an exact duplicate made of the Liberty Bell -- crack & all -- and gave it to the city of Jerusalem. In the spring of 1976 -- Passover time -- the Mayor came to me privately, and asked my help in building an important downtown park in Jerusalem, to be named the 'Liberty Bell Park.' Through the AICF [Ambassador International Cultural Foundation], I was able to agree to supply the children's playground area, at the very opening of the park. The park is now completed, and Mayor Kollek has asked me to be present on July 4 for the opening & dedication of the Liberty Bell Park." /// Herbert W. Armstrong [1892-1986] founded the Worldwide Church of God in the late 1930's, as well as Ambassador College in 1946, & was an early pioneer of radio & TV evangelism, originally from Eugene, Oregon. His teachings included the interpretation of biblical prophecy in light of British Israelism & required observance of parts of the covenant Law including seventh-day Sabbath, dietary prohibitions & the covenant law 'Holy Days.' He also founded the AICF, which promoted the arts, humanities & humanitarian projects. Armstrong & his advisers met with heads of governments in various nations, for which he described himself as an 'ambassador without portfolio for world peace.'"

1980's


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Date? - Jerusalem Peace Forest, near Haas Promenade, Jerusalem (Israel). Descends along the slope below the Promenade. "Surrounded by the neighborhoods of Abu-Tor & Talpiot from one side & by the Old City of Jerusalem from the other side. Links the city's eastern & western parts & thus marks the unification of Jerusalem at the end of the Six Day War. The forest's name symbolizes the hope for peace & brotherhood among the city's residents." /// "Was planted at the edge of the desert, offers its visitors a unique spectacle created by the natural contrast of green trees surrounded by a barren landscape. By planting the forest & further developing the area where it is located, Jewish National Fund (JNF or KKL) has contributed to the process of rolling back the desert." /// "The Jerusalem municipality plants a tree in this forest for every child born in Jerusalem, representing the eternal hope of peace bridging the Arab & Jewish populations." Left photo of street sign was taken June 24, 2011, from a moving bus.


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Date? - Haas Promenade (The Tayelet), East Talpiot, Jerusalem (Israel). From Brit in Jerusalem: "There is a really nice place to walk along the side of the hill which attracts Arab & Jewish families having picnics & foreigners on rented electric Segway chariots. On the paths that go down, is a few peace monuments here, these actually look quite decent that are designed a viewpoints over the city. That is until you go up the steps to view out of them, there is graffiti inside them, & smells of that they have used as a toilet. One of the monuments that was a gift from Canada, has some wooden steps that go sideways onto the path. Trouble is most of the wooden slats of the steps you can see below are missing, as someone stole them probably for firewood for their barbecue. Ezekiel 13:10 'Because they lead my people astray, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace,' & because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash. Really, these buildings from foreign nations trying to help Israel, seem like nice gestures, but are not implemented well & are a bit shortsighted in their actual useful value. It's a bit like getting a present of a picture or an ornament you don’t really like & having to put it on the wall when you friend comes round so not to hurt their feelings."
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Before 1988 - Stone & Plaque, Dar El Tifl School & Orphanage (qv), East Jerusalem. First of three "Deir Yassin Remembered" memorials (DYR). Across from Orient House (qv) where Hind al-Husseini [1916-1994] sheltered orphans of Deir Yassin on April 10, 1948.

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April 9, 1988 - Fortieth Anniversary Memorial Tree, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Glasgow (Scotland). Inscription: "Deir Yassin. 9th April 1948. This plaque was unveiled by the Lord Provost Robert Gray O.St.J. J.P. L.L.D. in memory of the victims. 9-4-88" Second of three "Deir Yassin Remembered" memorials (DYR). Right image shows Brian Filling, DYR Scotland Coordinator, Chair of the Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) Scotland & former Chair of the Scottish Anti-Apartheid movement, standing next to the memorial tree.

1990's


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After March 9, 1992 - Grave of Menachem Begin, Mount of Olives. East Jerusalem (Israel). "Menachem Begin [1913-1992] asked to be buried here instead of Mount Herzl (Mount of Memory), where most Israeli leaders are laid to rest, because he wanted to be buried beside Meir Feinstein [1927-1947] of Irgun and Moshe Barazani [1928-1947] of Lehi, who committed suicide in jail while awaiting execution by the British."
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After November 4, 1995 - Tomb of Yitzhak & Léa Rabin, Mount Herzl (Mount of Memory, Jerusalem (Israel). Designed by Moshe Safdie. Yitzhak Rabin [1922-1995] received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.
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2000 - Rabin Memorial, Harris Street, Wellington (New Zealand). "An olive tree and a granite memorial to Nobel Peace Prize winner Yitzhak Rabin."

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April 1996 - Peace Bell (Bonsho), Gan Sacker / Sacher Park, Nahlaot, Jerusalem (Israel). Engraved with the quote from Psalms: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper that love thee as well." (Posthumous plagiarism?) Inscription on ground beneath the bell: "This Bonsho has been placed here as a symbol of lasting peace over the City of Jerusalem. The concept of the bell welcomed by the late Prime Minister of Israel Mr. Yitzhak Rabin. This project was made possible by the donations of people whose names are listed in the scroll beneath the Bonsho, represented by Mr. Rikihiro Madarame, presented to the City of Jerusalem and accepted by the mayor M.K. Ehud Olmart. April 1996." English portion of inscription inside the bell: "Koto Oho Shiga Pref Japan, Kinjudo Co., Ltd., 1996.4" The Jerusalem bell has no external striker & therefore cannot be properly rung. Rikihiro Madarame founded Nemic-Lambda, a top producer of power-switching equipment, in 1970. N.B.: This bell was dedicated just days before the International Peace Bell in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
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Date? - Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem sign, inside the Garden Tomb, near Damascus Gate, Jerusalem (Israel). From Psalm 122:6: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee" [King James Version].

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Date? - Unnamed peace sculpture, across from the Cinematek Theater, Derech Hebron, Jerusalem (Israel). Base is made of machine guns & mortars beat into plowshears. Inscribed in Hebrew & Arabic from Isaiah Chapter 2 Verse 4: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares & their spears into pruning hooks."
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September 10, 1996 - Oskar-Schindler-Gedenktafel, Hauptbahnhof 4, Frankfurt am Main (Germany). Inscription: "In this house lived from 1965 to 1974, Oskar Schindler. During the period of National Socialism, he saved over 1,200 Jews from death in Auschwitz and other camps. A tree grows in Israel, which says what can courage. A tree grows at Yad Vashem, the inertia of deeply ashamed. A tree grows in Israel, which asks who will help today." Visited by EWL.

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Date? - World Peace Memorial, World Peace Center, Diaspora Yeshiva, Mt. Zion, Jerusalem (Israel). Gigantic sphere of wire. When created? "An interesting World Peace Memorial in Jerusalem - It reminded me of the 'GordianKnot'. I thought this very nicely sums up the world's hope of solving the predicament of war & conflict on its own. It needs a deliverer to come along with a radical solution just like Alexander the Great did with the Gordian knot." /// Click here for video (including two images of the sphere about half way through).

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1997 - Park of Olive[s], near Ramat Rachel kibbutz, Jerusalem (Israel). Created by the artist Ran Morin and includes 200 olive trees planted in concentric rows leading to the Olive Columns monument. /// This ecological park is at the Green Line separating Israeli & some Arab neighborhoods within the borders of Jerusalem.

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October 26, 1997 - The Japanese Garden, Garden of the Nations, Mount Herzl, Jerusalem (Israel). "Donated by Rikihiro Madarame, one of the owners of NEMIK LAMDA, who dedicated the garden on October 26, 1997. Contains roses & sun-or-shade plants originating in Japan with a variety of water elements typical of Japanese gardens around the garden. At the entrance to the garden are Japanese stone lanterns and a natural black rock on which the words 'Water is as essential to a flower as love and peace are to the human spirit' are engraved in Japanese." Madarame also led the efort to install the Japanese Peace Bell in Sacher Park in 1996 (qv).
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1998 - Victims of Acts of Terror Memorial, Mount Herzl Cemetery, Jerusalem (Israel). "A central Monument in to all Victims of Terror in Israel from 1851 until today... design by the architects 'moshe and rita oren' and built by the 'National Insurance Institute of Israel (NII)' and the Ministry of Defense in cooperation with the Israely Terror Victims Association. the monument symbolizes the steadfastness of the Jewish people in his country against those who try to harm the continued existence. memorial walls are inscribed the names of all victims of the brutal campaign which was imposed on the citizens of Israel, and for their sacrifice will be remembered and not forgotten including names of victims that they are not jews. /// the Arab Terrorism against the old Jewish community in Israel from the late 19th century and continued in sequence and waves before before the establishment of Israel Country (1920 to 1921, 1929, 1936-1939) and before the declaration of the state directed terrorism is undermining the Jewish spirit and disrupting the intention to establish a national home for Jews in Israel. This long struggle lost their lives Citizens and Soldiers represent equally the high cost that the State of Israel to pay to preserve its independence" [sic].

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1999 - Museum on the Seam (MOTS), 4 Chel Handasa Street, Jerusalem (Israel). Established in 1999 by Georg von Holtzbrinck, the Museum is situated in a building constructed in 1932 by Arab-Christian architect Anton Baramki. While Jerusalem was divided from 1948 to 1967, the building served as a military outpost (Turjeman Post), which stood on the [Green Line] border between Israel & Jordan [see Mandelbaum Gate]. The Museum calls itself a 'socio-political contemporary art museum' that deals with 'national, ethnic & economic seam lines' through its often disturbing exhibitions. The exhibitions held so far have been titled 'Dead End,' 'Equal and Less Equal,' 'Bare Life,' 'HeartQuake' & 'NatureNation.' Many of the pieces are designed to make patrons feel uncomfortable, sad, or responsible for the art they are viewing. A perfect example of a piece that addresses a universal responsibility to tragedy and world events was featured in an exhibition called 'HeartQuake.' The work by Daniela Comani, entitled 'It Was Me/Diary 1900-1999,' listed 365 world events throughout the century as though the artist had experienced them firsthand. In other exhibitions such as 'NatureNation,' the call for change is more subtle: 'Olive Trees Will Be Our Borders' [image], a neon sign placed above the entrance of the Museum with the title words in English, Arabic & Hebrew, reflects upon the Museum's transformation from a battle ground into a place of peaceful world reflection." // N.B.: "Seam Zone" is a term used to refer to a land area in the West Bank located east of the Green Line & west of Israel's separation barrier.

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Before 2000 - Peace Pole, Cathedral of St. George the Martyr, Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (Anglican Church), 20 Nablus Road, East Jerusalem. Sunday morning service attended by Bill, Linda, Marina, Ted, Shirley & Susan on June 26, 2011. All but Ted shown in right image at the peace pole which has the Peace Prayer ("May Peace Prevail on Earth") in English, Hebrew, Arabic & Japanese. Images at far right from various websites.

2000's

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August 9, 2001 - Sbarro Restaurant, King George Street & Jaffa Road. Jerusalem (Israel). Unintentional monument. Scene of the Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing in which Palestinian terrorists attacked a pizzeria in downtown Jerusalem, killing 15 civilians & wounding 130, causing Israel to shut down the unofficial Palestinian "foreign office" at Orient House in West Jerusalem (qv).

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July 31, 2002 - Frank Sinatra Cafeteria, Mount Scopus Campus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem (Israel). Unintentional monument. "A member of a terrorist cell detonated a bomb during lunch hour when the cafeteria was crowded with staff & students. Nine people - five Israelis, three Americans & one person with dual French-American citizenship - were killed and more than 70 wounded." The angled tree is an artistic installation in remembrance of the attack.

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2003 - Forest Grove of the Nations, Mount Herzl, Jerusalem (Israel). Just below Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. Image shows the president of Cyprus, Mr. Demetris Christofias, planting an olive tree after his visit to Yad Vashem on March 15, 2011. "Efi Stenzler, World Chairman of the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), invited the president of Cyprus to join the other heads of state who had already planted an olive tree in the Grove of the Nations, as a symbol of peace, partnership & brotherhood between the nations of the world. 'In the Jewish tradition, the most sublime expression of friendship is planting a tree. When our father Abraham wanted to make a covenant with Avimelech, the king of Gerar, he planted a tree in Beersheba,' Stenzler said... The Grove of the Nations is part of a unique project to preserve and develop the Jerusalem Forest. The grove was founded in 2003 as a joint project of KKL-JNF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the 'Olive Tree Route' to promote intercultural dialogue, agriculture & peace among the nations of the region. To date, 48 presidents and heads of state from all over the world have planted trees in the forest grove, including the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, the late president of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, the prime minister of Italy, Silvio Berluskoni, and also the secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, who in March 2007, planted the first olive tree in the grove that was part of the worldwide 'Green Belt' project to plant one billion trees that was announced by the United Nations as part of the fight against global warming."
June 16, 2004 - Menachem Begin Heritage Center, Jerusalem (Israel). "The official state memorial commemorating Menachem Begin [1913-1992], Israel’s sixth Prime Minister. The Center is located on the Hinnom Ridge, overlooking Mount Zion & walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. On March 28, 1998, the Knesset passed the Menachem Begin Commemoration Law as an official state memorial project to establish a Center that would preserve the achievements and legacy of Menachem Begin and serve as a Research Institute of the Struggle for the Independence of Israel and its future security and development."
Date? - "They shall beat their swords into plowshares" Monument, Menachem Begin Heritage Center, Jerusalem (Israel). Begin quoted this verse when he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize in 1978.

2004 - Peace Monument, Town Square, Ma'aleh Adummim, east of Jerusalem (Occupied West Bank). Opposite the Ma'aleh Adummin mall ("Canion Adumim") which was opened in 1999. Large white dove with world globe between its wings. Ma'aleh Adummin is an illegal Israeil setttlement according to international law. Left image by EWL. Right image by Avishai Teicher via the PikiWiki - Israel free image collection project which says [Google translation] "The sculpture is Moses hatchet. (2004) sculpture called 'Keno the wake eagle chicks float' (Deuteronomy)."
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May 17-25, 2006 - Les Tentes de la Paix / Tents of Peace, Abu Tor Hill, Sherover Promenade, Jerusalem (Israel). "Une vingtaine de tentes (et une toile de 160 mètres de longueur sur 70 mètres de largeur) imprimées du mot 'paix' calligraphié par l’artiste Clara Halter dans plus de 50 langues et 18 alphabets." Halter previously created permanent peace monuments in Paris (France), St. Petersburg (Russia), and Hiroshima (Japan).

2006? - "Peace Park," Goldman Promenade, Armon HaNetziv, Jerusalem (Israel). "Two Bay Area visionaries have teamed up to turn a Jerusalem battlefield into a peace park. San Francisco environmentalist & philanthropist Richard N. Goldman [1920-2010], the man behind the Goldman Environmental Prize known as the 'Green Nobel,' & celebrated landscape architect Lawrence Halprin [1916-2009], designer of the FDR Memorial in Washington & the new Sigmund Stern Grove [in San Francisco], will receive a special award in June 2006 their part in creating a 1 1/2-mile promenade linking East & West Jerusalem. The promenade was built across Government Hill Ridge, a mountainside in southern Jerusalem that was no-man's land between Jordan & Israel from 1948 to 1967. According to the New Testament, this was the Hill of Evil Counsel, where 2,000 years ago Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver on the eve of the crucifixion. More recently, it was where the Six Day War erupted in Jerusalem in 1967."

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April 16, 2007 - Abu Jihad Museum for the Prisoners Movement, Al-Quds University, East Jerusalem. "Aims to reflect the experiences of thousands of Palestinians in Israeli jails." "Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir [1935-1988], aka "Abu Jihad" (father of the struggle), was a Palestinian military leader & founder of the secular nationalist party Fatah. As a top aide of PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, al-Wazir had considerable influence in Fatah's military activities, eventually becoming the commander of Fatah's armed wing al-Assifa. The majority of the Palestinians viewed him as a martyr who died resisting the Israeli occupation or at least sympathized with his cause, while most Israelis considered him to be a high-profile terrorist for planning the killings of Israelis. Prior to & during Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, al-Wazir planned numerous attacks inside Israel against both civilian & military targets. On April 16, 1988, he was assassinated at his home in Tunis, apparently by Israeli commandos."

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2008 - "Tree of Peace," Hebrew University Dental School, Ein Karem, Jerusalem (Israel). "By internationally recognized artist Hedva Ser [of Paris (France)]. Celebrates the collaboration between the Hebrew University & the Palestinian Dental School, Al Quds, dental students & faculty also in Jerusalem." "Symbolizes how health care, & specifically dental heath, can be a bridge to world peace." See duplicate "Tree of Peace," School of Dentistry & Oral Health, A. T. Still University (ATSU), Mesa, Arizona (USA).
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Summer 2008 - "Around the World in 92 Days," Gerard Bechar [Cultural] Center, 11 Bezalel Street, Jerusalem (Israel). Mural 10 x 18 meters. "A massively impressive & engaging three-part painting...by Jerusalem-based Naïve-style artist Gabriel Cohen [b. 1933]." Reproduced by Cité de la Creation of Lyon, France. Copy of original 1976, 1.7 x 3 meter painting in the Israel Museum. Contains "Jerusalem's Old City walls & Dome of the Rock, Paris' Eiffel tower & Arc de Triomphe, Indian architectural wonders, London's bridges, Egypt's pyramids, Italy's Pisa & other international architectural wonders. In between the buildings, down on the streets & bridges, notice the mix of people, colors, animals & more -- horses, camels, carts & bikes to name a few." ("Before it became a center for the performing arts, the building housed the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann.") Seen 27Jun11.

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September 15, 2008 - Tolerance Park & Monument, Alar Street (an extension of Haas Promenade), Jerusalem (Israel). "Designed by Polish sculptor Czeslaw Dzwigaj (known for his religious art) in collaboration with Michal Kubiak. Funded [for $4 million] by Polish businessman Aleksander Gudzowaty to promote peace & tolerance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Etched on a stone at the entrance to the park are the following words: 'The monument is in the form of two halves of a broken column, which stand divided but still linked, on the ruins of a nameless & ageless temple. An olive tree grows in the middle of the split column & with its leaves seeks to encompass & shade both halves. The tree enables the two parts of the column to link together in symbolic coexistence. It cannot be known when the break will heal, when the two sides will grow back together but it can be seen that between the branches of the olive tree a new seed is sprouting, a golden grain of tolerance." On a hill marking the divide between Jewish Armon HaNetziv & Arab Jabel Mukaber, just outside UN headquarters." "Besides the High Commissioner's Palace." Near Goldman Promenade. "Features a 'Tolerance Wall,' inscribed with the names of cities who have expressed their support for the idea of tolerance & have dedicated a plaque on the wall." /// From Brit in Jerusalem: "Near my house is the UN headquarters, and close to there is a monument with some inscriptions in English, Hebrew & Arabic, probably say people need to give each other a hug or something." Click here for video. Seen 24Jun11.

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April 2009 - "Peace be within thy Palaces – Jerusalem Antiquities at the Israel Knesset," Israel Knesset, Jerusalem (Israel). An archaeological garden with 50 architectural artifacts. Dedicated during Israel’s 60th anniversary year. Serves as a retreat from the bustling activities of the Knesset. Open to the public (after prior arrangement). Divided into six different enclosures that range in date from the Second Temple period until the Ottoman period. At each station a special historical-archaeological story is displayed that characterizes Jerusalem..."

2009 - Memorial to the victims of the 9-11 attacks, Emek ha'arazim / Cedars Valley, Arazim Forest, Ramot, Jerusalem (Israel). "The only monument outside of New York which lists the names of all those who died in the attacks; five Israelis were among those killed. Depicts a waving American flag which changes into a [sculpted?] memorial flame. 30-feet high, with a piece of the original twin towers in its base. Designed by sculptor Eliezer Weishoff."

May 8-12, 2009 - Pope Benedict visits Jerusalem. Like John Paul II on his pilgrimage to Israel in 2000, Benedict recites Psalm 122 (in Latin) - a prayer which was traditionally said by pilgrims who would come to Jerusalem three times a year - "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." (Also translated "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.")

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May 8, 2009 - Olive Tree, Residence of President, Jerusalem (Israel). "In his closing address to the Holy Land, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI stated the following in reference to St. Paul's teaching on the Jews & the Church: 'Mr. President, you and I planted an olive tree at your residence on the day that I arrived in Israel. The olive tree, as you know, is an image used by Saint Paul to describe the very close relations between Christians & Jews. Paul describes in his Letter to the Romans how the Church of the Gentiles is like a wild olive shoot, grafted onto the cultivated olive tree which is the People of the Covenant (cf. 11:17-24). We are nourished from the same spiritual roots. We meet as brothers, brothers who at times in our history have had a tense relationship, but now are firmly committed to building bridges of lasting friendship."

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2000's - Olive Trees, Ma'aleh Adummim Settlement, just east of Jerusalem (Occupied West Bank). A few of the many olive trees transplanted in recent years to decorate Israeli parks & traffic circles. Ma'aleh Adummim is a huge settlement extending Israel's illegal occupation from Jerusalem almost halfway to Jericho & the Dead Sea, thus dividing Palestinian Territory. These photos were taken on June 24, 2011. /// According to the Land Research Center (LRC) & Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ), "Israel continues to steal olive trees & replant them either inside its settlements in the Palestinian Territories or inside Israel. Such a policy started as early as 1967, following the Israeli occupation of the West Bank & Gaza Strip. The second half of the 1980's witnessed a marked increase in the implementation of this policy as Israel carried out a campaign against olive trees located in confiscated lands for the declared purpose of expanding its settlement area. Examples included the villages of Qattana & Kharrab Al Lahem to the northwest of Jerusalem, where 3,000 olive trees were uprooted & in Al Madya village to the west of Ramallah where 2,000 olive trees were uprooted. The most revolting action taken by Israel was the uprooting of a large number of olive trees & then replanting them in a park near the Central railway Station in Tel Peut district of Jerusalem. The park was named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. They wanted to pay tribute for this human rights advocate by planting stolen trees in his honor!!!!"

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Date? - Bnai Zion Library of Peace, Ma'aleh Adummim Settlement, just east of Jerusalem (Occupied West Bank). Ma'aleh Adummim is a huge settlement extending Jerusalem almost halfway to Jericho & the Dead Sea, thus dividing the West Bank. The Bnai Zion Foundation of New York, NY -- "The American Fraternal Zionist Organization" -- "has been supporting humanitarian projects in Israel since 1908." /// Right image shows a Ma'aleh Adummim traffic circle (one of several) landscaped with a transplanted olive tree mostly likely stolen from a a Palestinian farm in the Occupied West Bank.

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2010? - Martin Luther King Street, Jerusalem (Israel). "The United States just celebrated a federal holiday in memory of Martin Luther King Junior. In Jerusalem a street has beem named for him. Not a long street, but a new one in one of the best neighborhoods, off of Emek Refaim near the Liberty Bell Park [qv]. A few meters away is this sign in memory of the eight people who were killed there in a bus terrorist attack in February 2004."
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November 8, 2010 - Memorial of Samer Sarhan, Silwan Settlement, East Jerusalem. "Workers from the Jerusalem municipality & Israeli forces removed the Memorial of Samer Sarhan, this morning. They also removed the water supply donated on the soul of Samer Sarhan & the olive tree planted in the place, although the tree was present prior to the monument. The operation took place under the monitoring of an Israeli helicopter in the area. Vehicles of municipal workers & Israeli forces emerged after the enforcement of the task in less than ten minutes. One eyewitness & a resident of the region said, 'the Israeli police came earlier to take pictures of the site of the memorial. They must have have studied how to implement the process in a very short time and leave before a large number of residents noticed them.' He adds, 'police were not alone for the removal of a martyr’s memorial, but were accompanied by the head of settlers’ guards in Silwan.'" /// Samer Sarhan, age 32, was shot & killed by an Israeli settler in September 2010 for allegedly throwing stones at him. Sarhan died after he bled for two hours & police stopped an ambulance from saving him. Others were wounded in the shooting.
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For Sale - "The Olive Tree of Jerusalem," Balian Armenian Ceramics, 14 Nablus Road, East Jerusalem. 32 Tiles : Size 60 x 120 cm (24"x48") without border. Total size including border is: 75 x 135 cm (30"x54") Mural size can be expanded or reduced according to customer specification. The tiles & pottery of The Balian Armenian Ceramics have been exhibited all over the world in various museums & institutions. The zenith being the solo exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum of Washington D.C. in 1992. Our pottery has also been the subject of numerous articles in magazines & newspapers worldwide. These include The Washington Post, The LA Times, The Chicago Tribune & The New York Times."

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Future - Center for Human Dignity-Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), Mamilla Jerusalem Cemetery, Jerusalem (Israel). Now under construction. "Replaces a four-story underground parking structure next to Independence Park. The park is on the grounds of a Muslim cemetery. The project aims to promote tolerance amongst Jewish populations within Israel, including Ashkenazim, Mizrahim, Ethiopians, Russians, and others. The new museum complex has been designed by Frank Gehry to resemble a fruit bowl. See Video & Website.

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Future - Memorial Garden & Education Pavilion, Bus 19 Project, Camp Shoresh, Adamstown, Frederick County, Maryland (USA). "On January 29, 2004 shortly before 9 a.m., Egged Bus No. 19 was at the corner of Gaza & Arlozorov Streets in Jerusalem (Israel). A homicide bomber detonated his bomb. The casualty count was ultimately set at 11 dead & over 50 wounded, 13 of them seriously. The bus was brought to The Hague (Netherlands) in February 2004 for hearings at the International Court of Justice. These hearings dealt with the legality of Israel’s security fence. Bus 19 was brought as a living testimony to silence Israel’s critics. The bus toured around the USA as a witness to the tragedy of terrorism, ultimately ending up at a day camp in Maryland. The Bus 19 Project’s Mission is to design and build a memorial garden & education pavilion to remember the 11 individuals who lost their lives & to educate the public on the terrible effects of global terrorism."
Future - Jerusalem Peace Monument, Jerusalem (Israel). Designed by Polish-born American artist & architect Jan Sawka [1946-2012]. "In 1996, Dr. Jamal Al Majaida, a leading Palestinian intellectual, asked me to think about a monumental artwork that would address the special & symbolical status of Jerusalem, a city holy to three great religions. After intense discussions, this concept emerged. The symbolism in the Peace Monument is of hope springing forth from a wound in the earth of Jerusalem. From this blood-soaked earth springs a 'forest' of slender white rods, each bearing aloft the symbol of Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. Despite all the terrible things that go on & have happened in the Holy Land, this forest continues to rise from its roots in this place – toward Heaven. I don’t think I am alone in hoping that Jerusalem will finally become a true capital for three religions, three great cultures – a place open to everyone, open to new energy. I have sent the blueprints for this monument to representatives of all the interested communities, & the discussions continue. I remain hopeful for the future."

Future - World Peace Monument, on top of Mount Ora, eight kilometres southwest of Jerusalem & over looking Bethlehem (Palestinian Occupied Territory). By French architect Jean Nouvel. "Monument will include a congress & communications centre. With a height of 100 meters and a diameter of 40 meters, this unique peace tower is not to overlook [sic]." Sponsoring institution, Association for a World Peace Monument [WPM] of Zurich (Switzerland), is now in liquidation?
Future - Symbolic Border Crossing, Jerusalem. "Peace cannot come from high-minded dread alone. It is something to be built, rule by rule, oath by oath, fence by fence. So I also want to commend this website to you, developed by a young & visionary architectural firm [in Jerusalem] named Saya, founded by Karen Lee Bar-Sinai & Yehuda Greenfield-Gilat. Karen got in touch with me just after I published my NY Times article about the Abbas-Olmert negotiations. I mentioned in the piece that Olmert showed me, en passant, an architectural plan for a symbolic crossing from West Jerusalem to East Jerusalem at the American Colony Hotel; how vivid peace looked when you could actually see the constructions that would provide it a foundation. Karen immediately wrote me & identified herself as the co-designer of this plan. Click yourself around their site & dream dreams of transcendence."
Future - World Religion Organization, Jerusalem (Israel). [As proposed in Burg, Avraham (2007, 2008), "The Holocaust is Over: We Must Rise from its Ashes,", p. 219.]

Future - "Frames of Peace" Museum, Jerusalem (Israel). Part of the Jerusalem 2050 Project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA). Intended to help bring about understanding between Israelis & Palestinians. Inspired by Prof. William J. Mitchell [1945-2010]. Currently directed by Prof. Diane Davis (right image), professor of political sociology & head of the International Development Group in MIT's Department of Urban Urban Studies & Planning (& former acting director of MIT's Program on Human Rights & Justice). Funded by MIT alumnus Jeffrey Silverman. Supported by nine institutions and 44 individuals (mostly academic).

Please email your comments & questions to geovisual @ comcast.net. Thank you.

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