ABSTRACT
This chapter first provides a historical overview and analysis of the conflict in Beersheba, followed by an examination of comparative case studies. In order to compare the Beersheba Grand Mosque controversy with other disputes over minority places of worship worldwide, the chapter outlines conflicts in four different contexts: minority sites in areas of conflict; Jewish sites in Muslim countries; Muslim sites in Christian countries; and indigenous minorities' sites. The conflict over the reinstatement of the Grand Mosque in Beersheba is conflict over right of Arab-Muslim minority to active representation in Israeli public space in general and, specifically, nearby residential neighborhood with Jewish majority. The chapter addresses the circumstances and tools that could promote fair representation in gradual process to be implemented as an outcome of a dialogue and negotiation among the Muslim minority, Jewish inhabitants around the mosque, and Beersheba municipality. It analyzes a dispute pertaining to a minority's active representation in the context of ethnic, cultural, and historic site.
