Much of the world was shocked when president Donald Trump during his first term announced that the U.S. would move its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, essentially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. This sparked outcry from Muslim leaders; Palestinians held a general strike which entailed a full-scale shutdown across the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, with businesses, schools, government offices and transportation services halted. With ensuing demonstrations resulting in the deaths of four protesters following clashes with Israeli soldiers. Thousands protested throughout the Arab world. Why was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital causing so much outrage? What implications does Jerusalem have on Gaza? And why is this small city so important?
As Sarah Wildman from Vox bluntly put it, “When the president announced the decision to move the embassy back in December, it placed him squarely in the middle of the decades-long conflict over Jerusalem.”
The source of Jerusalem’s modern issues has largely culminated at the crossroads of the three Abrahamic religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In the century succeeding British colonization, Zionism promoted increased Jewish migration to Palestine, forcing the UN to develop Resolution 181, which partitioned the land into two states–one for Jews and one for Arabs. Jerusalem falling under international status.
The Jews accepted this plan declaring independence as the state of Israel. However, neighboring Arab states viewed this as further colonialism. Not recognizing the partition, they declared war on Israel. Victorious, Israel pushed far beyond the borders of the UN plan. During peace negotiations, a cease-fire line was drawn; not necessarily a border, but more of a “line of separation”. It became known as the Green Line, dividing Jerusalem in two, with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan taking control of not only Eastern Jerusalem (including the old city) but the entirety of the West Bank. This fragile ceasefire remained until 1967, when Israel fought another war with its Arab neighbors, this time taking over large swaths of land in only six days, including the entirety of Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Suddenly Israel had a decision to make. Do they integrate the West Bank into Israel and give the over 1 million Arabs living there Israeli citizenship; therefore losing the existing Jewish majority? Do they give back the land to their enemy Jordan? Or do they provide the Palestinians with nationhood? While the government was debating what to do Israeli civilians began settling into the West Bank; although unanimously seen as a violation of international law with the UN stating that the settlements had “no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving lasting peace in the Middle East.” Many Israelis saw the victory and takeover of the West Bank as not only a military victory but a religious sign that the Jews were meant to return to “the cradle of the Jewish people”; the hills of ancient Judea where much of the Bible and Jewish history took place, and was essentially the entire West Bank.
This was a turning point in Israel’s history, and is connected to the current conflict between Hamas and the Israeli Army. Ultimately Hamas’ reason for its attack on Israel was the culmination of long-standing anger over the expansion of Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. After Israel took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, thousands of Jews began illegally moving into these regions, overtaking Palestinian neighborhoods and changing the political landscape of Israel. Suddenly, any debate on what to do with the city had to take into account the growing number of Jewish civilians living in East Jerusalem.
The Old City of Jerusalem is situated on the eastern side,, and according to the UN is part of the Palestinian territories; for Israel, it’s part of its capital. Divided into four quarters; Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian, the sacred sites of three world religions share a small space. Many holy sites, including the Western Wall, Al Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre lay within the boundaries of the city. Each religion claims its territory yet there’s only one Jerusalem.
