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If one contemplates over Muslim history and
its context in general and that of Bayt al-Maqdis in particular, one would
notice persisting undermining of its importance to Muslims since its conquest
till this very day. Western Orientalists
and Jewish Orientalists in particular have had a great deal of effort in trying
to undermine Islam and its relationship with Bayt al-Maqdis. The history of
Jewish Orientalism around Islamicjerusalem, which began and spread during the
Ottoman period, represents the laying down of the cornerstones and first
building blocks in the establishment of the Zionist entity in the Holy
Land. With its pioneering scholars, the
basic principal, characteristics, and building blocks were laid down during
this period. Their ability to transmit nationalist sentiment and engage even
those who were opposed to the establishment of a Jewish State, and its success
in the embodiment of this dream and its realisation. This indicates the seriousness and danger of
this venture and its audacious targeting of values, principles and customs,
which necessitates the urgent need to study and analyse it. This paper thus attempts to deal with the
question of Jewish Orientalism in Bayt al-Maqdis during the Ottoman period. This in turn raises a number of sub-questions
that the paper tries to deal with: What is Jewish Orientalism? Who are the most
important figures of Jewish Orientalism during the Ottoman period? What are the
main characteristics of Jewish Orientalism on Islamicjerusalem during this
period?