Godspeed Mayor Kollek

On 2 January 2007 Teddy Kollek died at the age of 95. While Teddy Kollek firmly believed that Jerusalem should be united under Israeli control, he advocated coexistence with and tolerance for the predominantly Arabic population of East Jerusalem.

Mahdi Abdul-Hadi, a Palestinian intellectual and longtime Jerusalem resident,
said Kollek's relations with Jerusalem's Palestinians were complex, but he
earned their grudging respect for rising to the challenge of his
office.
"Previous mayors were nobody in Jerusalem. They sat around in their
offices not knowing what Jerusalem meant," Abdul-Hadi said. "Teddy Kollek knew
what Jerusalem meant to the world ... very few people will grasp that
opportunity and grasp that moment, that event and take advantage of it."

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/02/africa/ME_GEN_Israel_Obit_Kollek.php

His moderate position in the stream of Israeli politics was virtually unique when he was first elected Mayor of Jerusalem in 1965 and his calls for restraint during and in the aftermath of the Six Days War prevented the complete destruction of the Arab neighborhoods and the forced relocation of Arabic residents of East Jerusalem.

The complexities he demonstrated definitely made him one of the most intriguing figures in history.