Complicating the situation further is the division between secular Israelis and the fanatic Orthodox communities whose rejection of the secular state and yearning for a society based on the strictest interpretation of Halacha (Jewish religious law) epitomize a deep-seated fear of Arabs and an uncompromising distrust of gentiles. Such communities, which comprise 30% of Jerusalem’s population, make the notion of a united, peaceful Jerusalem farfetched, at best.