Jerusalem is an ancient city and capital of the State of Israel, located in the center of the country. The Palestinian Authority also lays claim to Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
Jerusalem is considered a holy city by major religions, chiefly Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jerusalem is a host to many religious sites, especially within the walls of the old city. The Temple Mount is remains of the Jewish temples, and the holiest site in Judaism. Jews often pray at the Western Wall, or Kotel, a retaining wall for the Temple Mount built by Herod the Great. On the temple mount now sit the al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques, the former being the 3rd holiest site in Islam. Several chirstian sites, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, are important to many sects of Christianity.
As it is the political capital of Israel, Jerusalem is home to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. There are also ministries that have their headquarters in Jerusalem, such as the Foreign Ministry. The status of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is not recognized by all international actors. However, embassies of states such as the US reside in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built on several hills, and has a cooler climate than many other major cities. One of its aesthetic features is that buildings are made with Jerusalem stone, a pale white-yellow limestone.
Jerusalem has been the center of Jewish life since Davidic times. In its history, it has been conquered and destroyed dozens of times by invading armies and empires. However, there has always been a Jewish presence in Jerusalem. In late 1800 Ottoman censuses, Jews were a majority of the population of Jerusalem. However, Jerusalem was set to be an international city in initial partition plans in the late 1940s. Following the Israeli War of Independence, Jerusalem was split between east and west, with the east side being in the possession of Jordan. In 1967, Israel retook east Jerusalem, and the bulk of Jewish holy sites. In 1980, the Knesset passed the “Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel” which establishes a united Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and under complete Israeli sovereignty.
"Together, with our bodies, without any violence and in silence, we will sit in front of the access roads to government institutions in Jerusalem," the group said.
Located in the heart of the Armon Hanatziv promenade, with a breathtaking panoramic view of the Old City, the luxurious event venue, Olmaya, offers a unique blend of history and contemporary design.
World Bnei Akiva’s Samson Beit Bnei Akiva was inaugurated this week, with the organization’s world conference being held in Jerusalem this weekend.
The baby, named Eitan Israel, is the nephew of Staff-Sergeant-Major (res.) Gilad Elmaliach, age 30, was killed in southern Lebanon on October 26.
Hagai Yodan premieres a daring piano-tech concerto at Jerusalem’s 2024 Piano Festival.
Shia Getter, head of The Getter Group, discussed the ins and outs of purchasing property in Israel.
“We are telling them the story of how it's good to do aliyah to Jerusalem,” says Eyal Haimovsky, CEO of the Jerusalem Development Authority.
France has charged that Israel violated its sovereign site, while Israel has argued that French prevented them from carrying out basic security procedures.
Zakharov tends to the sunny side of life, and he is a major mover and shaker on the Ukrainian cultural scene, with a definite accent on artistic vehicles that seek to cultivate a better world for all
Protesters quickly mobilized Tuesday, with tens of thousands taking to the streets and blocking intersections and highways across the country.
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