Jerusalem Palestinians seek Israeli citizenship

JERUSALEM – President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has inflamed the Middle East, but it has not deterred thousands of Palestinians here from wanting to be Israeli citizens.

Since Trump’s declaration Dec. 7, a long line of Palestinians seeking citizenship curls out daily from the Israeli Interior Ministry’s office in East Jerusalem, which is claimed by Palestinian leaders as the future capital of their independent state.

The line stems from a social media news prank that claimed Israel was “imposing” citizenship on all of the city’s Arab residents, who make up about 37% of Jerusalem’s population.

Ten years ago, it was taboo for Palestinians in Jerusalem to request Israeli citizenship, but now it is the norm, with thousands of new requests each year, according to Israeli Interior Ministry figures. The wait time is about three years.

Increasing numbers of East Jerusalem Palestinians are choosing to live in Jewish neighborhoods. Separately, more Palestinians are choosing to send their children to Arabic-language schools using Israeli curricula.

“It has nothing to do with love for Israel or Zionism,” Khaled Abu Toameh, a Palestinian affairs analyst.

Palestinian Ahmad Aljoni, 22, spent a recent Friday tending to customers at his family-owned bakery, Al-Amin.

He was not surprised that Jerusalem has remained an oasis of calm amid the international storm that followed Trump’s announcement, which broke with decades of U.S. policy.

“Nobody here wants any problems just because leaders of Saudi Arabia or Turkey or Trump keep saying ‘ Jerusalem’ all the time. It has nothing to do with us,” he said.

“Everybody is angry at Trump, but no one wants a problem.”