Jordanian Jerusalem

For centuries, Jerusalem has been revered as the holy site of Judaism, Christianity,and Islam; strategically coveted as a means to consolidate territorialgains; and conquered thirty-seven times between its foundation and thesequestering of its ancient hub by Israeli forces during the Six-Day War. Asthe region underwent significant change after World War II, the Holy Cityincreasingly became contested. While the Palestinians nurtured concernsregarding land sales and the escalating influx of Jewish settlers, their apprehension became lost amidst the tussle for authority between Transjordan,which sought to affirm its role as custodian of the holy places, and the nascentstate of Israel, which strove to strengthen its presence in the city. Chartingthe endeavors of KingAbdullah and KingHussein to assert Transjordan’sauthority over Jerusalemdespite international and Israeli rivalry, Katz affordsa unique insight into the multifarious means used to court its residentsthrough events, banknotes, and stamps between 1948 and 1967.Over the course of seven chapters, the author imbues the text with illuminatingfigures and maps. Most notable is the 1946 “Palestinian Aid”stamp series initiated during the Bludan Conference in June 1946, duringwhich Abdullah directed member states of the Arab League “to issue aPalestinian stamp whose revenue would be earmarked for Palestine” (p. 56).Yet Abdullah’s pro-active stance – the Jordanian Parliament implementedthe Arab League resolution on 22 July 1946, followed by the “AdditionalStamps Law” Temporary Law 20 of the same year – was ultimately marredby his series of surreptitious meetings with the JewishAgency. Despite thisduplicity, the merit of stamps in preserving stable relations with thePalestinians is adeptly demonstrated throughout the chapter. Similarly, thepolitical nuances behind postcards depicting King Hussein and GamalAbdul Nasser affectionately united over the Dome of the Rock, as well as anadditional series of stamps celebrating Pope Paul VI’s pilgrimage to theHoly Land in 1964, serve as visual reminders of Jordan’s tentative grip onauthority during the post-war period and the ever-present desire to retainamicable relations with neighboring leaders ...