View source for Jerusalem

{{Short description|City in the Southern Levant}}
{{redirect2|Al-Quds|Bayt al-Maqdis||Jerusalem (disambiguation)|and|Al-Quds (disambiguation)|and|Bayt al-Maqdis (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Jerusalem
| native_name        = {{unbulleted list|{{native name|he|יְרוּשָׁלַיִם}}|{{native name|ar|القُدس}}}}
| settlement_type    = [[Metropolis]]
| image_skyline      = {{Multiple image
  | perrow = 1/2/3/2
  | border = infobox
  | total_width = 290 
  | caption_align = center
  | image1 = Dome of the Rock seen from the Mount of Olives (12395649153) (cropped).jpg
  | caption1 = [[Old City of Jerusalem|Old City]] from the [[Mount of Olives]] with [[Al-Aqsa Mosque|Al-Aqsa]] and [[Dome of the Rock]] on the [[Temple Mount]]
  | image2 = המצודה בלילה.jpg
  | caption2 = [[Tower of David]] 
  | image3 = הרברט סמואל ירושלים.jpg
  | caption3 = [[Zion Square]] 
  | image4 = Jerusalem Chords Bridge 5 (cropped).jpg
  | caption4 = [[Chords Bridge]]
  | image5 = Old city walls and mamilla ave. at night - as seen from "Rooftop" restauran - Jerusalem, Israel.jpg
  | caption5 = [[Mamilla Mall]]
  | image6 = 16-03-30-Klagemauer Jerusalem RalfR-DSCF7704.jpg
  | caption6 = [[Western Wall]]
  | image7 = Billy Rose Art Garden (14755133799).jpg
  | caption7 = [[Shrine of the Book]]
  | image8 = East Jerusalem - The Old City - 171 (4261730886).jpg
  | caption8 = [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre|Holy Sepulchre]]
}}
| image_flag         = 
| flag_alt           = 
| flag_link          = 
| image_shield       = 
| shield_alt         = 
| shield_link        = 
| shield_size        = 
| nickname           = {{ubl|{{transliteration|engvar=gb|he|Ir ha-Kodesh}} (The Holy City)|{{transliteration|engvar=gb|ar|Bayt al-Maqdis}} (House of the Holiness)}}
| pushpin_map        = Israel#Palestine#Middle East2#Asia
| pushpin_relief     = 
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_alt    = Location of Jerusalem
| coordinates        = {{Coord|31|46|44|N|35|13|32|E|region:IL-JM_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Administered by
| subdivision_name   = [[Israel]]
| subdivision_type1  = Claimed by
| subdivision_name1  = Israel and [[Palestine]]{{refn|group=note|The State of Palestine (according to the Basic Law of Palestine, Title One: Article 3) regards Jerusalem as its capital.<ref name="2003 Amended Basic Law Archived 11 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine">[http://www.palestinianbasiclaw.org/basic-law/2003-amended-basic-law 2003 Amended Basic Law] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211183132/http://www.palestinianbasiclaw.org/basic-law/2003-amended-basic-law |date=11 February 2016 }}. Basic Law of Palestine. Retrieved 9 December 2012.</ref> However, the documents of the [[PLO]]'s Negotiations Affairs Department (NAD) often refer to [[East Jerusalem]] (rather than the whole of Jerusalem) as a future capital, and sometimes as the current capital. One of its 2010 documents, described as "for discussion purposes only", says that Palestine has a "vision" for a future in which "East Jerusalem [...] shall be the capital of Palestine, and West Jerusalem shall be the capital of Israel."<ref>{{cite web |work=PLO-NAD |date=June 2010 |url=http://www.nad-plo.org/userfiles/file/Non-Peper/Jerusalem%20Non-Paper-%20Final%20%20June%202010.pdf |title=Jerusalem Non-Paper |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206101131/http://www.nad-plo.org/userfiles/file/Non-Peper/Jerusalem%20Non-Paper-%20Final%20%20June%202010.pdf |archive-date=6 February 2012 |access-date=16 January 2025 |quote="This paper is for discussion purposes only. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. [...] Pursuant to our vision, East Jerusalem, as defined by its pre-1967 occupation municipal borders, shall be the capital of Palestine, and West Jerusalem shall be the capital of Israel, with each state enjoying full sovereignty over its respective part of the city."}}</ref> One of its 2013 documents refers to "Palestine's capital, East Jerusalem", and states that "Occupied East Jerusalem is the natural socio-economic and political center for the future Palestinian state", while also stating that "Jerusalem has always been and remains the political, administrative and spiritual heart of Palestine" and that "The Palestinian acceptance of the 1967 border, which includes East Jerusalem, is a painful compromise".<ref>{{cite web |work=PLO-Negotiations Affairs Department (NAD) |date=August 2013 |url=http://www.nad-plo.org/userfiles/file/Factsheet%202013/EJ%20TODAY_FINAL%20REPORT_II.pdf |title=East Jerusalem today—Palestine's Capital: The 1967 border in Jerusalem and Israel's illegal policies on the ground |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121305/http://www.nad-plo.org/userfiles/file/Factsheet%202013/EJ%20TODAY_FINAL%20REPORT_II.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=25 November 2014}}</ref>}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[Districts of Israel|Israeli district]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Jerusalem District|Jerusalem]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Governorates of Palestine|Palestinian governorate]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Quds Governorate|Quds]]
| established_title  = [[Gihon Spring]] settlement
| established_date   = 3000–2800 BCE
| established_title1 = [[City of David (archaeological site)|City of David]]
| established_date1  = {{circa|1000 BCE}}
| established_title2 = [[Walls of Jerusalem|Present Old City walls]] built
| established_date2  = 1541
| established_title3 = [[City Line (Jerusalem)|East-West Jerusalem division]]
| established_date3  = 1948
| established_title4 = [[Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem]]
| established_date4  = 1967
| established_title5 = [[Jerusalem Law]]
| established_date5  = 1980
| government_type    = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]]
| governing_body     = [[Jerusalem Municipality]]
| leader_party       = [[Likud]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor of Jerusalem|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Moshe Lion]]
| unit_pref          = dunam
| area_total_dunam   = 125156
| area_metro_dunam   = 652000
| elevation_m        = 754
| population_as_of   = {{Israel populations|Year}}
| population_total   = {{Israel populations|Jerusalem}}
|population_footnotes= {{Israel populations|reference}}
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_metro   = 1,253,900
| population_demonyms = {{ubl|[[Jerusalemite]]|(Hebrew: {{transliteration|engvar=gb|he|Yerushalmi}})|(Arabic: {{transliteration|engvar=gb|ar|[[wikt:Qudsi|Qudsi]], [[Maqdisi]]}})}}
| demographics1_title1 = [[Israeli Jews|Jewish]]
| demographics1_info1 = 59.9%
| demographics1_title2 = [[Muslims]]
| demographics1_info2 = 37.2%
| demographics1_title3 = [[Christians]]
| demographics1_info3 = 1.7%
| demographics1_title4 = others
| demographics1_info4 = 1.1%
| timezone1          = [[Israel Standard Time|IST]], [[Palestine Standard Time|PST]]
| utc_offset1        = +02:00
| timezone1_DST      = [[Israel Summer Time|IDT]], [[Palestine Summer Time|PDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST    = +03:00
| postal_code_type   = [[Postal codes in Israel|Postal code]]
| postal_code        = 9XXXXXX
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in Israel|Area code]]
| area_code          = +972-2
| website            = {{URL|https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/en|jerusalem.muni.il}}
| footnotes          = {{Infobox designation list
|embed                  = yes
|designation1           = World Heritage Site
|designation1_offname   = [[Old City of Jerusalem|Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls]]
|designation1_type      = Cultural
|designation1_criteria  = ii, iii, vi
|designation1_date      = 1981
|designation1_number    = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148 148]
|designation1_free1name = Region
|designation1_free1value= [[List of World Heritage Sites in the Arab States|Arab States]]
|designation1_free2name = [[List of World Heritage in Danger|Endangered]]
|designation1_free2value= 1982–present
}}
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 10
| mapframe-point = none
| mapframe-wikidata = yes
}}
{{Jerusalem sidebar}}

'''Jerusalem'''{{refn|group=note|{{IPAc-en|dʒ|ə|ˈ|r|uː|s|əl|ə|m|,|_|-|z|ə|-}} {{respell|jə|ROO|sə|ləm|,_|-|zə|-}}; {{Langx|engvar=gb|he|יְרוּשָׁלַיִם|Yerushaláyim}}, {{IPA|he|jeʁuʃaˈlajim|pron|He-Jerusalem.ogg}}; Also known as '''Quds''' or '''al-Quds''' {{Langx|engvar=gb|ar|القُدس|al-Quds}}, {{IPA|ar|al.quds|pron|ArAlquds.ogg}}, {{IPA|ar|il.ʔuds|local }};<ref>''A-Z Guide to the Qur'an: A Must-have Reference to Understanding the Contents of the Islamic Holy Book'' by Mokhtar Stork (1999): "JERUSALEM: Referred to in Arabic as Baitul Muqaddas (The Holy House) or Baitul Maqdis (The House of the Sanctuary)".</ref><ref>''Pan-Islamism in India & Bengal'' by Mohammad Shah (2002), p. 63: "... protector of Mecca, Medina and Baitul Muqaddas, the sacred places of pilgrimage of the Muslim world"</ref><ref name="Elihay-2011" /> Official Israel {{langx|engvar=gb|ar|أورشليم القدس|ʾŪršalīm al-Quds}} (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names)<br />In other languages:<br />{{langx|engvar=gb|grc-x-koine|Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰερουσαλήμ/Ἱεροσόλυμα/Ἰεροσόλυμα/Ἱεροσάλημα|Hierousalḗm, Ierousalḗm, Hierosóluma, Ierosóluma, Hierosálēma}}<br />{{langx|engvar=gb|hy|Երուսաղեմ|Erusałēm}}}} is a city in the [[Southern Levant]], on a plateau in the [[Judaean Mountains]] between the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] and the [[Dead Sea]]. It is one of the [[List of oldest continuously inhabited cities|oldest cities in the world]] and is considered [[Holy city|holy]] to the three major [[Abrahamic religions]]: [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]] and [[Islam]]. Both [[Israel]] and [[Palestine]] claim Jerusalem as their [[capital city]]; Israel maintains its primary governmental institutions there, while Palestine ultimately foresees it as its seat of power. Neither claim is widely [[Status of Jerusalem|recognised internationally]].{{refn|group=note|Jerusalem is the capital under [[Jerusalem Law|Israeli law]]. The presidential residence, government offices, supreme court and parliament ([[Knesset]]) are there. The State of Palestine (according to the Basic Law of Palestine, Title One: Article 3) regards Jerusalem as its capital.<ref name="2003 Amended Basic Law Archived 11 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine"/> The UN and most countries do not recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, taking the position that the final status of Jerusalem is pending future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Most countries maintain their embassies in [[Tel Aviv]] and its suburbs or suburbs of Jerusalem, such as [[Mevaseret Zion]] <small>(see {{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/israel.pdf |title=Map of Israel |access-date=28 June 2017 |archive-date=1 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601135924/https://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/israel.pdf |url-status=live}}&nbsp;{{small|(319&nbsp;KB)}})</small> See [[Status of Jerusalem]] for more information. }}<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/06/donald-trump-us-jerusalem-israel-capital |title=Donald Trump confirms US will recognise Jerusalem as capital of Israel |last=Smith |first=William |date=6 December 2017 |work=The Guardian |access-date=13 May 2017 |archive-date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005074952/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/06/donald-trump-us-jerusalem-israel-capital |url-status=live}}</ref>

Throughout [[History of Jerusalem|its long history]], Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, [[Siege of Jerusalem (disambiguation)|besieged 23 times]], captured and recaptured 44 times, and attacked 52 times.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.momentmag.com/Exclusive/2008/2008-03/200803-Jerusalem.html |work=Moment Magazine |title=Do We Divide the Holiest Holy City? |access-date=5 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603214950/http://www.momentmag.com/Exclusive/2008/2008-03/200803-Jerusalem.html |archive-date=3 June 2008}} According to Eric H. Cline's tally in Jerusalem Besieged.</ref> The part of Jerusalem called the [[City of David (archaeological site)|City of David]] shows first signs of settlement in the 4th millennium BCE, in the shape of encampments of nomadic shepherds.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Raphael |last1=Greenberg |first2=Yonathan |last2=Mizrachi |title=From Shiloah to Silwan—A Visitor's Guide |publisher=Emek Shaveh |date=10 September 2013 |url=https://alt-arch.org/en/from-shiloah-to-silwan-a-visitors-guide |access-date=25 July 2018 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815180019/https://alt-arch.org/en/from-shiloah-to-silwan-a-visitors-guide |url-status=usurped}}</ref> During the [[Canaan#Canaanites|Canaanite]] period (14th century BCE) Jerusalem was named as ''Urusalim'' on [[ancient Egypt]]ian tablets, probably meaning "City of [[Shalim|Shalem]]" after a [[Canaanite religion|Canaanite deity]]. During the [[Israelites|Israelite]] period, significant construction activity in Jerusalem began in the 10th century BCE (Iron Age II), and by the 9th century BCE the city had developed into the religious and administrative centre of the [[Kingdom of Judah]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Two Houses of Israel: State Formation and the Origins of Pan-Israelite Identity |last=Sergi |first=Omer |publisher=SBL Press |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-62837-345-5 |pages=197 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4nLMEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA187 |access-date=23 October 2023 |archive-date=24 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231024041210/https://books.google.com/books?id=4nLMEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA187 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1538 the [[Walls of Jerusalem|city walls were rebuilt]] for a last time around Jerusalem under [[Suleiman the Magnificent]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. Today those walls define the [[Old City of Jerusalem|Old City]], which since the 19th century has been divided into four quarters—the [[Armenian Quarter|Armenian]], [[Christian Quarter|Christian]], [[Jewish Quarter (Jerusalem)|Jewish]] and [[Muslim Quarter (Jerusalem)|Muslim quarters]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Jerusalem in the 19th Century, The Old City |last=Ben-Arieh |first=Yehoshua |publisher=Yad Izhak Ben Zvi & St. Martin's Press |year=1984 |page=[https://archive.org/details/jerusalemin19thc00bena/page/14 14] |isbn=978-0-312-44187-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/jerusalemin19thc00bena/page/14}}</ref><ref name="Teller-2022" /> The Old City became a [[World Heritage Site]] in 1981, and is on the [[List of World Heritage in Danger]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148 |title=Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls |publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Convention |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=4 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804093930/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148 |url-status=live}}</ref> Since 1860 [[Expansion of Jerusalem in the 19th century|Jerusalem has grown]] far beyond the Old City's boundaries. In {{Israel populations|Year}} Jerusalem had a [[Demographic history of Jerusalem|population]] of {{Israel populations|Jerusalem}}.{{Israel populations|reference}} In 2022 60% were Jews and almost 40% were Palestinians.<ref>{{cite web |title=Selected Data on the Occasion of Jerusalem Day, 2022 |website=cbs.gov.il |date=26 May 2022 |url=https://www.cbs.gov.il/en/mediarelease/Pages/2022/Selected-Data-on-the-Occasion-of-Jerusalem-Day-2022.aspx |access-date=30 March 2023 |archive-date=28 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528121851/https://www.cbs.gov.il/en/mediarelease/Pages/2022/Selected-Data-on-the-Occasion-of-Jerusalem-Day-2022.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|Statistics regarding the demographics of Jerusalem refer to the unified and expanded Israeli municipality, which includes the pre-1967 Israeli and [[Jordan]]ian municipalities as well as several additional [[Palestinians|Palestinian]] villages and neighbourhoods to the northeast. Some of the Palestinian villages and neighbourhoods have been relinquished to the [[West Bank]] ''de facto'' by way of the [[Israeli West Bank barrier]],<ref name="Laub-2006"/> but their legal statuses have not been reverted.}} In 2020 the population was 951,100, of which Jews comprised 570,100 (59.9%), Muslims 353,800 (37.2%), Christians 16,300 (1.7%) and 10,800 unclassified (1.1%).<ref name="jerusaleminstitute.org.il-2022">{{cite web |url=https://jerusaleminstitute.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/shnaton_C0922.pdf |title=Table III/9—Population in Israel and in Jerusalem, by Religion, 1988–2020 |year=2022 |website=jerusaleminstitute.org.il |access-date=27 December 2022 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326034034/https://jerusaleminstitute.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/shnaton_C0922.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

According to the [[Tanakh|Hebrew Bible]], King [[David]] [[Siege of Jebus|conquered the city]] from the [[Jebusite]]s and established it as the capital of the [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|United Kingdom of Israel]], and his son King [[Solomon]] commissioned the building of the [[Temple in Jerusalem|First Temple]].{{refn|group=note|name=bible-david|Much of the information regarding King David's conquest of Jerusalem comes from [[Bible|Biblical]] accounts, but some modern-day historians have begun to give them credit due to a 1993 excavation.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Return to Sodom & Gomorrah |last=Pellegrino |first=Charles R. |publisher=Harper Paperbacks |edition=Second revised |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-380-72633-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/returntosodomgom00pell/page/271 271] |quote=[see footnote] |url=https://archive.org/details/returntosodomgom00pell/page/271}}</ref>}} Modern scholars argue that Israelites branched out of the [[Canaan]]ite peoples and culture through the development of a distinct [[Monolatry|monolatrous]]—and later [[Monotheism|monotheistic]]—religion centred on [[El (deity)|El]]/[[Yahweh]].<ref>Tubb (1998), pp. 13–14.</ref><ref>Mark Smith in "The Early History of God: Yahweh and Other Deities of Ancient Israel" states "Despite the long regnant model that the Canaanites and Israelites were people of fundamentally different culture, archaeological data now casts doubt on this view. The material culture of the region exhibits numerous common points between Israelites and Canaanites in the Iron I period (c. 1200–1000&nbsp;BCE). The record would suggest that the Israelite culture largely overlapped with and derived from Canaanite culture... In short, Israelite culture was largely Canaanite in nature. Given the information available, one cannot maintain a radical cultural separation between Canaanites and Israelites for the Iron I period." (pp. 6–7). Smith, Mark (2002) "The Early History of God: Yahweh and Other Deities of Ancient Israel" (Eerdman's)</ref> These foundational events assumed central symbolic [[Jerusalem in Judaism|importance]] for the Jewish people.<ref name="Since the 10th century BCE">Since the 10th century BCE:
* "Israel was first forged into a unified nation from Jerusalem some 3,000 years ago, when [[David|King David]] seized the crown and united the [[Israelites|twelve tribes]] from this city... For a thousand years Jerusalem was the seat of Jewish sovereignty, the household site of kings, the location of its legislative councils and courts. In exile, the Jewish nation came to be identified with the city that had been the site of its ancient capital. Jews, wherever they were, prayed for its restoration." Roger Friedland, Richard D. Hecht. ''To Rule Jerusalem'', University of California Press, 2000, p. 8. {{ISBN|978-0-520-22092-8}}
* "The centrality of Jerusalem to Judaism is so strong that even secular Jews express their devotion and attachment to the city, and cannot conceive of a modern State of Israel without it.... For Jews Jerusalem is sacred simply because it exists... Though Jerusalem's sacred character goes back three millennia...". Leslie J. Hoppe. ''The Holy City: Jerusalem in the theology of the Old Testament'', Liturgical Press, 2000, p. 6. {{ISBN|978-0-8146-5081-3}}
* "Ever since King David made Jerusalem the capital of Israel 3,000 years ago, the city has played a central role in Jewish existence." Mitchell Geoffrey Bard, ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Middle East Conflict'', Alpha Books, 2002, p. 330. {{ISBN|978-0-02-864410-3}}
* "Jerusalem became the center of the Jewish people some 3,000 years ago" Moshe Maoz, Sari Nusseibeh, ''Jerusalem: Points of Friction—and Beyond'', Brill Academic Publishers, 2000, p. 1. {{ISBN|978-90-411-8843-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |quote=The Jewish people are inextricably bound to the city of Jerusalem. No other city has played such a dominant role in the history, politics, culture, religion, national life and consciousness of a people as has Jerusalem in the life of Jewry and Judaism." |url=http://www.adl.org/israel/advocacy/glossary/jerusalem.asp |title=Basic Facts you should know: Jerusalem |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104013732/http://www.adl.org/israel/advocacy/glossary/Jerusalem.asp |archive-date=4 January 2013 |work=[[Anti-Defamation League]] |year=2007 |access-date=28 March 2007}}</ref> The [[sobriquet]] of holy city ({{langx|engvar=gb|he|עיר הקודש|link=no|translit='Ir ha-Qodesh}}) was probably attached to Jerusalem in [[post-exilic]] times.<ref>Reinoud Oosting, {{Google books |id=at6SOl54gqAC |page=117 |title=The Role of Zion/Jerusalem in Isaiah 40–55: A Corpus-Linguistic Approach}} Brill 2012 pp. 117–18. [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 48:2; 51:1; [[Book of Nehemiah|Nehemiah]] 11:1, 18; cf. [[Book of Joel|Joel]] 4:17: [[Book of Daniel|Daniel]] 5:24. The Isaiah section where they occur belong to deutero-Isaiah.</ref><ref>Shalom M. Paul, {{Google books |id=SkFTmo4ZnzMC |title=Isaiah 40–66||publisher= Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|year=2012 |page=306}} The 'holiness' (''qodesh'') arises from the temple in its midst, the root [[Q-D-Š|q-d-š]] referring to a sanctuary. The concept is attested in Mesopotamian literature, and the epithet may serve to distinguish Babylon, the city of exiles, from the city of the Temple, to where they are enjoined to return.</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Norman |last=Golb |url=http://www.bibleinterp.com/articles/Jerusalem_OneCity.shtml |title=Karen Armstrong's Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths |publisher=The Bible and Interpretation |year=1997 |quote=The available texts of antiquity indicate that the concept was created by one or more personalities among the Jewish spiritual leadership, and that this occurred no later than the 6th century B.C. |access-date=10 July 2013 |archive-date=11 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011220541/http://www.bibleinterp.com/articles/Jerusalem_OneCity.shtml |url-status=dead}}</ref> The holiness of [[Jerusalem in Christianity]], conserved in the [[Septuagint|Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible]],<ref>Isaiah 52:1 πόλις ἡ ἁγία.</ref> which Christians adopted as the [[Old Testament]],<ref>Joseph T. Lienhard, ''The Bible, the Church, and Authority: The Canon of the Christian Bible in History and Theology'', Liturgical Press, 1995 pp. 65–66: 'The Septuagint is a Jewish translation and was also used in the synagogue. But at the end of the first century C.E. many Jews ceased to use the Septuagint because the early Christians had adopted it as their own translation, and it began to be considered a Christian translation.'</ref> was reinforced by the [[New Testament]] account of [[Crucifixion of Jesus|Jesus's crucifixion]] and [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]] there. Meanwhile, in Islam, Jerusalem is the third-holiest city, after [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]].<ref name="Esposito-2002">Third-holiest city in Islam:
*{{Cite book |title=What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam |url=https://archive.org/details/whateveryoneneed00espo |url-access=limited |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2002 |last=Esposito |first=John L. |author-link=John Esposito |isbn=978-0-19-515713-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/whateveryoneneed00espo/page/n178 157] |quote=The Night Journey made Jerusalem the third holiest city in Islam}}
*{{Cite book |title=Religion and State: The Muslim Approach to Politics |last=Brown |first=Leon Carl |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-231-12038-8 |page=11 |chapter=Setting the Stage: Islam and Muslims |quote=The third holiest city of Islam—Jerusalem—is also very much in the center...}}
*{{Cite book |title=The Holy City: Jerusalem in the Theology of the Old Testament |last=Hoppe |first=Leslie J. |publisher=Michael Glazier Books |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-8146-5081-3 |page=14 |quote=Jerusalem has always enjoyed a prominent place in Islam. Jerusalem is often referred to as the third holiest city in Islam...}}</ref><ref>''Middle East peace plans'' by Willard A. Beling: "The Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount is the third holiest site in Sunni Islam after Mecca and Medina".</ref> The city was the first [[qibla|standard direction]] for [[salah|Muslim prayers]],<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Lewis |editor1-first=Bernard |editor2-last=Holt |editor2-first=P. M. |editor3-last=Lambton |editor3-first=Ann |title=Cambridge History of Islam |year=1986 |publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref> and [[Holiest sites in Islam|in Islamic tradition]], [[Muhammad]] made his [[Isra and Mi'raj|Night Journey]] there in 621, ascending to heaven where he spoke to [[God in Islam|God]], per the [[Quran]].<ref>{{Qref|17|1–3|b=yl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Buchanan |first=Allen |author-link=Allen Buchanan |year=2004 |title=States, Nations, and Borders: The Ethics of Making Boundaries |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-52575-6 |url={{Google books |id=bntCSupRlO4C |page=192 |plainurl=yes}} |access-date=9 June 2008}}</ref> As a result, despite having an area of only {{cvt|0.9|km2|sqmi|frac=8}},<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kollek |first=Teddy |author-link=Teddy Kollek |chapter=Afterword |editor=John Phillips |title=A Will to Survive—Israel: The Faces of the Terror 1948-the Faces of Hope Today |publisher=Dial Press/James Wade |year=1977 |quote=about {{convert|225|acre|ha |order=flip|}}}}</ref> the Old City is home to many sites of seminal [[Religious significance of Jerusalem|religious importance]], among them the [[Temple Mount]] with its [[Western Wall]], [[Dome of the Rock]] and [[al-Aqsa Mosque]], and the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]].

At present, the [[status of Jerusalem]] remains one of the core issues in the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]]. Under the 1947 [[United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine]], Jerusalem was to be "established as a ''[[Corpus separatum (Jerusalem)|corpus separatum]]'' under a special international regime" administered by the United Nations.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=A/RES/181(II) of 29 November 1947 |url=https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/0/7F0AF2BD897689B785256C330061D253 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147/https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/0/7F0AF2BD897689B785256C330061D253 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |access-date=3 December 2024 |publisher=United Nations General Assembly}}</ref> During the [[1948 Arab–Israeli War]], [[West Jerusalem]] was among the areas [[Battle for Jerusalem|incorporated]] into Israel, while [[East Jerusalem]], including the Old City, was occupied and [[Jordanian annexation of the West Bank|annexed]] by [[Jordan]]. Israel occupied East Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 [[Six-Day War]] and subsequently [[Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem|annexed]] it into the city's municipality, together with additional surrounding territory.{{refn|group=note|[[West Jerusalem]] comprises approximately one third of the municipal area of Jerusalem, with [[East Jerusalem]] comprising approximately two-thirds. On the annexation of East Jerusalem, Israel also incorporated an area of the West Bank into the Jerusalem municipal area which represented more than ten times the area of East Jerusalem under Jordanian rule.<ref>Walid Khalidi (1996) Islam, the West and Jerusalem. Center for Contemporary Arab Studies & Center for Muslim–Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, quotes the breakdown as follows: West Jerusalem in 1948: 16,261 dunums (14%); West Jerusalem added in 1967: 23,000 dunums (20%); East Jerusalem under Jordanian rule: 6,000 dunums (5%); West Bank area annexed and incorporated into East Jerusalem by Israel: 67,000 dunums (61%)</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Aronson |first=Geoffrey |year=1995 |title=Settlement Monitor: Quarterly Update on Developments |journal=Journal of Palestine Studies |volume=25 |issue=1 |publisher=University of California Press, Institute for Palestine Studies |pages=131–40 |doi=10.2307/2538120 |jstor=2538120 |quote=West Jerusalem: 35%; East Jerusalem under Jordanian rule: 4%; West Bank area annexed and incorporated into East Jerusalem by Israel: 59% |issn=0377-919X}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Benvenisti |first=Meron |title=Jerusalem, the Torn City |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wQjwAQAACAAJ |year=1976 |publisher=Books on Demand |isbn=978-0-7837-2978-7 |page=113 |quote=East Jerusalem under Jordanian rule: 6,000 dunums; West Bank area annexed and incorporated into East Jerusalem by Israel: 67,000}}</ref>}} One of Israel's [[Basic Laws of Israel|Basic Laws]], the 1980 [[Jerusalem Law]], refers to Jerusalem as the country's undivided capital. All branches of the Israeli government are located in Jerusalem, including the [[Knesset]] (Israel's parliament), the [[Beit Aghion|residences of the prime minister]] and [[Beit HaNassi|president]], and the [[Supreme Court of Israel|Supreme Court]]. The [[international community]] rejects the annexation as illegal and regards East Jerusalem as [[Israeli occupation of the West Bank|Palestinian territory occupied by Israel]].<ref>{{cite web |date=25 September 1971 |title=Resolution 298 September 25, 1971 |url=http://domino.un.org/unispal.nsf/0/441329a958089eaa852560c4004ee74d?OpenDocument |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819003928/http://domino.un.org/unispal.nsf/0/441329a958089eaa852560c4004ee74d?OpenDocument |archive-date=19 August 2013 |access-date=25 July 2018 |publisher=[[United Nations]] |quote=Recalling its resolutions... concerning measures and actions by Israel designed to change the status of the Israeli-occupied section of Jerusalem,...}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Question of Palestine & the United Nations |date=2003 |publisher=United Nations Department of Public Information |chapter=The status of Jerusalem |quote=East Jerusalem has been considered, by both the General Assembly and the Security Council, as part of the occupied Palestinian territory. |chapter-url=https://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/palestine/ch12.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808102228/https://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/palestine/ch12.pdf |archive-date=8 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=26 February 2010 |title=Israeli authorities back 600 new East Jerusalem homes |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8538791.stm |access-date=18 September 2013 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140111/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8538791.stm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=9 November 2010 |title=Israel plans 1,300 East Jerusalem Jewish settler homes |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11709617 |quote=East Jerusalem is regarded as occupied Palestinian territory by the international community, but Israel says it is part of its territory. |access-date=20 June 2018 |archive-date=19 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119213308/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11709617 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Etymology and names==
{{further|Names of Jerusalem}}

===Etymology===
The name ''Jerusalem'' is variously etymologised to mean 'foundation of the god [[Shalim|Shalem]]',<ref>Meir Ben-Dov, ''Historical Atlas of Jerusalem'', Continuum International Publishing Group, 2002, p. 23.</ref><ref name="Binz-2005">{{cite book |title=Jerusalem, the Holy City |last=Binz |first=Stephen J. |year=2005 |publisher=Twenty-Third Publications |location=Connecticut |isbn=978-1-58595-365-3 |page=2 |url={{Google books |id=7zLuDlzdTFYC |page=1 |plainurl=yes}} |access-date=17 December 2011}}</ref> from the Semitic root ''yry'' which can mean 'to found, to lay a cornerstone'<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon: 3384. יָרָה (yarah or yara) |url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3384.htm |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=biblehub.com |quote=cast (= lay, set), corner-stone Job 38:6; pillar Genesis 31:51 |archive-date=28 January 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260128192830/https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3384.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and is used that way at least twice in the Hebrew Bible, in [[Book of Job|Job]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Job 38:6 Interlinear Hebrew-English |url=https://biblehub.com/interlinear/job/38-6.htm |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=biblehub.com |quote='''who laid ''[Hebrew root ירי YRY]'' its cornerstone''' |archive-date=7 October 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251007052442/https://biblehub.com/interlinear/job/38-6.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Genesis 31:50 Interlinear Hebrew-English |url=https://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/31-50.htm |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=biblehub.com |quote='''behold the memorial stone which I have set ''[Hebrew root ירי YRY]'' between you and me'''}}</ref> The god Shalem was thus the original [[tutelary deity]] of the Bronze Age city.<ref>G. Johannes Bottereck, Helmer Ringgren, Heinz-Josef Fabry, (eds.) ''Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament'', tr. David E. Green, vol. XV, pp. 48–49 William B. Eeerdmanns Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge UK 2006, pp. 45–46</ref>

Shalim or Shalem was the name of the god of dusk in the [[Canaanite religion]], whose name is based on the same root [[S-L-M]] from which the Hebrew word for "peace" is derived (''Shalom'' in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], cognate with [[Modern Standard Arabic|Arabic]] ''Salam'').<ref>{{cite book |title=Jerusalem |last=Elon |first=Amos |url=http://www.usna.edu/Users/history/tucker/hh362/TelAvivandJerusalem.HTM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030310223636/http://www.usna.edu/Users/history/tucker/hh362/TelAvivandJerusalem.HTM |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 March 2003 |isbn=978-0-00-637531-9 |access-date=26 April 2007 |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers Ltd |quote=The epithet may have originated in the ancient name of Jerusalem–Salem (after the pagan deity of the city), which is etymologically connected in the Semitic languages with the words for peace (shalom in Hebrew, salam in Arabic). |year=1996}}</ref><ref>Ringgren, H., ''Die Religionen des Alten Orients'' (Göttingen, 1979), 212.</ref> The name thus offered itself to etymologisations such as "The City of Peace",<ref name="Binz-2005"/><ref>{{cite book |title=A Dictionary of the Bible: Volume II: (Part II: I—Kinsman), Volume 2 |last=Hastings |first=James |author-link=James Hastings |year=2004 |publisher=Reprinted from 1898 edition by University Press of the Pacific |location=Honolulu, Hawaii |isbn=978-1-4102-1725-7 |page=584 |url={{Google books |id=0wvtFPz03GsC |page=584 |plainurl=yes}} |access-date=17 December 2011}}</ref> "Abode of Peace",<ref name="Bosworth-2007">{{cite book |title=Historic cities of the Islamic world |last=Bosworth |first=Clifford Edmund |author-link=Clifford Edmund Bosworth |year=2007 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill NV |location=The Netherlands |isbn=978-90-04-15388-2 |pages=225–226 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UB4uSVt3ulUC&pg=PA226 |access-date=17 December 2011 |archive-date=18 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218083731/https://books.google.com/books?id=UB4uSVt3ulUC&pg=PA226 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Denise DeGarmo-2011">{{cite web |url=http://centre4conflictstudies.org/wanderingthoughts/category/denise-degarmo/ |title=Abode of Peace? |author=Denise DeGarmo |date=9 September 2011 |work=Wandering Thoughts |publisher=Center for Conflict Studies |access-date=17 December 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426042313/http://centre4conflictstudies.org/wanderingthoughts/category/denise-degarmo/ |archive-date=26 April 2012}}</ref> "Dwelling of Peace" ("founded in safety"),<ref>Marten H. Wouldstra, ''The Book of Joshua'', William B. Eerdmanns Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan (1981) 1995, p. 169 n.2</ref> or "Vision of Peace" in some Christian authors.<ref>{{cite book |title=Millennium: a Latin reader, A |last=Bosworth |first=Francis Edward |year=1968 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, United Kingdom |asin=B0000CO4LE |page=183 |url={{Google books |id=5sC2pJYlzbsC |page=183 |plainurl=yes}} |access-date=17 December 2011}}</ref>

The ending ''-ayim'' indicates the [[Dual (grammatical number)|dual]], thus leading to the suggestion that the name ''Yerushalayim'' refers to the fact that the city initially sat on two hills.<ref>{{cite book |isbn=978-0-405-10298-1 |last=Wallace |first=Edwin Sherman |title=Jerusalem the Holy |date=August 1977 |page=16 |quote=A similar view was held by those who give the Hebrew dual to the word |publisher=Arno Press |location=New York}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Jerusalem: The Topography, Economics and History from the Earliest Times to A.D. 70 |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924083674295 |last=Smith |first=George Adam |year=1907 |publisher=Hodder and Stoughton |page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924083674295/page/n298 251] |quote=The termination -aim or -ayim used to be taken as the ordinary termination of the dual of nouns, and was explained as signifying the upper and lower cities |isbn=978-0-7905-2935-6}} (see {{Google books |id=Nf4QAAAAIAAJ |page=251 |title=Jerusalem: The Topography, Economics and History from the Earliest Times to A.D. 70, Volume 1}})</ref>

===Ancient Egyptian sources===
The [[Execration Texts]] of the [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt]] (c. 19th century BCE), which refer to a city called ''rwšꜣlmm'' or ''[[wikt:ꜣwšꜣmm|ꜣwšꜣmm]]'', variously transcribed as ''Rušalimum'', or ''Urušalimum'',<ref>Sethe, Kurt (1926) "Die Ächtung feindlicher Fürsten, Völker und Dinge auf altägyptischen Tongefäßscherben des Mittleren Reiches nach den Originalen im Berliner Museum herausgegeben und erklärt" in ''Abhandlungen der Preußischen Akademie der Wissenschaften'', 1926 issue, philosophisch-historische Klasse, number 5, page 53</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Semitic Words in Egyptian Texts of the New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period |last=Hoch |first=James E |year=1994 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton}}</ref> may indicate Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite book |author1=David Noel Freedman |author2=Allen C. Myers |author3=Astrid B. Beck |title=Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P9sYIRXZZ2MC |access-date=19 August 2010 |year=2000 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |isbn=978-0-8028-2400-4 |pages=694–95 |archive-date=18 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218083747/https://books.google.com/books?id=P9sYIRXZZ2MC |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren (eds.) ''Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament'', (tr. David E. Green) William B. Eerdmann, Grand Rapids Michigan, Cambridge, UK 1990, Vol. VI, p. 348</ref> Alternatively, the [[Amarna letters]] of [[Abdi-Heba]] (1330s BCE), which reference an ''Úrušalim'', may be the earliest mention of the city.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Jerusalem in Bible and Archaeology: the First Temple Period |author1=Vaughn, Andrew G. |author2=Ann E. Killebrew |date=1 August 2003 |contribution=Jerusalem at the Time of the United Monarchy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yYS4VEu08h4C |isbn=978-1-58983-066-0 |pages=32–33 |publisher=Society of Biblical Literature |location=Atlanta |access-date=10 May 2016 |archive-date=1 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701140948/https://books.google.com/books?id=yYS4VEu08h4C |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biu.ac.il/JS/rennert/history_2.html |publisher=Bar-Ilan University, Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies |title=History of Jerusalem from its Beginning to David |work=Jerusalem: Life Throughout the Ages in a Holy City |access-date=18 January 2007 |last=Shalem |first=Yisrael |date=3 March 1997 |archive-date=17 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070117203409/http://www.biu.ac.il/JS/rennert/history_2.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tau.ac.il/humanities/semitic/EA263-end.html |title=The El Amarna Letters from Canaan |publisher=TAU.ac.il |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=14 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130214052256/http://www.tau.ac.il/humanities/semitic/EA263-end.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Hebrew Bible and Jewish sources===
The form ''Yerushalem'' or ''Yerushalayim'' first appears in the Bible, in the [[Book of Joshua]]. According to a [[Midrash]], the name is a combination of two names united by God, ''Yireh'' ("the abiding place", the name given by [[Abraham]] to the place where [[Binding of Isaac|he planned to sacrifice his son]]) and ''[[Salem (Bible)|Shalem]]'' ("Place of Peace", the name given by high priest [[Shem]]).<ref>Ginzberg, Louis (1909). ''[[Legends of the Jews|The Legends of the Jews]] [http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/e-books/misc/Legends/Legends%20of%20the%20Jews.pdf Volume I: The Akedah] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313050820/http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/e-books/misc/Legends/Legends |date=13 March 2020 }}'' (Translated by Henrietta Szold) Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.</ref>

===Oldest written mention of ''Jerusalem''===
One of the earliest extra-biblical [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] writing of the word ''Jerusalem'' is dated to the sixth or seventh century BCE<ref>''Writing, Literacy, and Textual Transmission: The Production of Literary'' by Jessica N. Whisenant p. 323</ref><ref>''King Manasseh and Child Sacrifice: Biblical Distortions of Historical Realities'' by Francesca Stavrakopoulou p. 98</ref> and was discovered in [[Khirbet Beit Lei]] near [[Beit Guvrin, Israel|Beit Guvrin]] in 1961. The [[Khirbet Beit Lei graffiti|inscription]] states: "I am Yahweh thy God, I will accept the cities of Judah and I will redeem Jerusalem",<ref>''Oral World and Written Word: Ancient Israelite Literature'' by Susan Niditch p. 48</ref><ref>''The Mountain of the Lord'' by Benyamin Mazar p. 60</ref><ref>''Blessing and Curse in Syro-Palestinian Inscriptions'' by T. G Crawford p. 137</ref> or as other scholars suggest: "Yahweh is the God of the whole earth. The mountains of Judah belong to him, to the God of Jerusalem".<ref>{{cite journal |author=Joseph Naveh |title=Hebrew Graffiti from the First Temple Period |journal=Israel Exploration Journal |volume=51 |number=2 |year=2001 |pages=194–207}}</ref><ref>''Discovering the World of the Bible'' by LaMar C. Berrett p. 178</ref> An earlier example of the name appears in a papyrus from the 7th century BCE.<ref>Ahituv, S., Klein, E. and Ganor, A. 2016. To Jerusalem: A Seventh Century BCE Shipping Certificate. In: Stiebel, G.D., Uziel, J., Citryn-Silverman, K., Re’em, A. and Gadot, Y., eds. New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and Its Region 10: 239–251 (In Hebrew)</ref><ref name="Reich, Ronny-2020">{{cite journal |title=The Name Jerusalem in a Late Second Temple Period Jewish Inscription |author=Baruch, Yuval |author2=Levi, Danit |author3=[[Ronny Reich|Reich, Ronny]] |journal=Tel Aviv |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=108–18 |year=2020 |doi=10.1080/03344355.2020.1707452 |s2cid=219879544}}</ref>
[[File:Khirbet_Beit_Lei_inscription_A_close_up.jpg|thumb|Close up of the [[Khirbet Beit Lei graffiti|Khirbet Beit Lei inscription]], showing the earliest extra-biblical Hebrew writing of the word ''Jerusalem'', dated to the seventh or sixth century BCE]]
In extra-biblical inscriptions, the earliest known example of the ''-ayim'' ending was discovered on a column about 3&nbsp;km west of ancient Jerusalem, dated to the first century BCE.<ref name="Reich, Ronny-2020"/>

===Jebus, Zion, City of David===
An ancient settlement of Jerusalem, founded as early as the [[Bronze Age]] on the hill above the [[Gihon Spring]], was, according to the Bible, named [[Jebusite|Jebus]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Judges|19:10}}: יְב֔וּס הִ֖יא יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם: "Jebus, it [is] Jerusalem"</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/kjv/kjv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=1012257 |title=Bible, King James Version |work=umich.edu |access-date=12 February 2016 |archive-date=11 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211102731/http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/kjv/kjv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=1012257 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Google books |id=lNV6-HsUppsC |page=113 |title=The Oxford encyclopedia of ancient Greece and Rome, Volume 1}}, p. 113</ref> Called the "Fortress of Zion" (''metsudat Zion''), it was renamed as the "City of David",<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Samuel 5:7,9|multi=yes}}. Cited in {{cite book |author1=[[Israel Finkelstein|Finkelstein, Israel]] |author2=[[Amihai Mazar|Mazar, Amihai]] |editor=Brian B. Schmidt |title=The Quest for the Historical Israel: Debating Archaeology and the History of Early Israel |page=127 |date=2007 |publisher=Society of Biblical Literature |isbn=978-1-58983-277-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jpbngoKHg8gC&pg=PA177 |access-date=9 January 2022 |archive-date=6 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230706081119/https://books.google.com/books?id=jpbngoKHg8gC&pg=PA177 |url-status=live}}</ref> and was known by this name in antiquity.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bar-Kochva |first=Bezalel |year=2002 |title=Judas Maccabeus: The Jewish Struggle Against the Seleucids |page=447 |url={{Google books |id=SIKuW_bl6LAC |page=447 |plainurl=yes}} |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-01683-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Mazar |first=Eilat |title=The Complete Guide to the Temple Mount Excavations |year=2002 |publisher=Shoham Academic Research and Publication |location=Jerusalem |isbn=978-965-90299-1-4 |page=1}}</ref> Another name, "[[Zion]]", initially referred to a distinct part of the city, but later came to signify the city as a whole, and afterwards to represent the whole biblical [[Land of Israel]].

===Greek, Roman and Byzantine names===
In Greek and Latin the city's name was transliterated ''Hierosolyma/Hierosoluma'' (Greek: Ἱεροσόλυμα; in Greek ''hieròs'', ''ἱερός'', means holy), and was the term used by [[Matthew the Apostle|Matthew]] and [[Mark the Evangelist|Mark]] in their [[gospel]]s instead of the Hebrew term.<ref name="Brenk-2011">{{cite journal |last1=Brenk |first1=Frederick E. |title="Hierosolyma". The Greek Name of Jerusalem |journal=Glotta |date=2011 |volume=87 |issue=1–4 |pages=1–22 |doi=10.13109/glot.2011.87.14.1 |jstor=41416798 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41416798 |access-date=7 November 2024 |issn=0017-1298 |archive-date=4 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204083906/https://www.jstor.org/stable/41416798 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Up until the 2010s the consensus among historians was that following [[Alexander the Great]]'s conquest, Hierosoluma was set to be incorporated into the larger temple cities of the [[Seleucid kingdom]], and to be [[Hellenised]] as ''Hierapolis.''<ref name="Brenk-2011"/> However, modern historians dispute this as a proper Ancient Greek translation for the [[polis]] would be similar to ''Hierolophos''.<ref name="Brenk-2011"/>

After the [[Bar Kokhba revolt]] (132–136 CE), the city was renamed [[Aelia Capitolina]] during the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] period of its history. Named for the Roman emperor [[Hadrian]] and the deities of Rome, the name lasted until the Byzantine era.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/place/Aelia-Capitolina "Aelia Capitolina"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215103042/https://www.britannica.com/place/Aelia-Capitolina |date=15 February 2019 }}, ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. Accessed November 15, 2025. "The name was given, after the Second Jewish Revolt (132–135), in honour of the emperor Hadrian (whose nomen, or clan name, was Aelius) as well as the deities of the Capitoline Triad (Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva).... The name was used until Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century."</ref>

===Salem===
The Biblical city "Salem" (שלם), said to be the kingdom of [[Melchizedek]] in Genesis 14,<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|14:18}}</ref> has traditionally been identified with Jerusalem, reflecting an early name of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=H8004 - Lexicon |url=https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h8004/kjv/wlc/0-1/ |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=Blue Letter Bible |language=en |quote=Strong’s Concordance Definition: Shalem, an early name of Jerusalem}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Strong's Hebrew: 8004. שָׁלֵם (Shalem) -- Shalem |url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8004.htm |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=biblehub.com |quote=Ancient Jewish tradition, echoed by Josephus and most Christian commentators, identifies Salem with the early settlement that later expanded into Jerusalem. |archive-date=3 February 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260203064635/https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8004.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Josephus]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 1, Whiston chapter 10, Whiston section 2 |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0146:book=1:whiston+chapter=10:whiston+section=2 |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu |quote=Melchisedec, king of the city Salem, received him. [...] they afterward called Salem Jerusalem. |archive-date=13 December 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251213055724/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0146%3Abook%3D1%3Awhiston+chapter%3D10%3Awhiston+section%3D2 |url-status=live }}</ref> the early Aramaic translations of the relevant verse,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon: Gen 14:18 |url=https://cal.huc.edu/showtargum.php?bookname=1&chapter=14&verse=18&Peshitta=ON&Sam=ON |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=cal.huc.edu |quote=all three major targumim (Onqelos, Pseudo Jonathan, Neofiti) translate Hebrew מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם ''"King of Shalem"'' to Aramaic מלכא דירושלם ''"King of Jerusalem"''}}</ref> as well as the [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] [[Genesis Apocryphon|Apocryphon of Genesis]] of the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] (1QapGen 22:13), all make this identification. Salem as an early name for Jerusalem is also indicated by the liturgical poetry in [[Psalms]], which equates Salem with [[Zion]], used as a synonym for Jerusalem.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Psalm 76:2 |url=https://biblehub.com/psalms/76-2.htm |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=Bible Hub |quote=His tent is in ''Salem'' ; His dwelling place in ''Zion'' |archive-date=27 November 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251127044123/https://biblehub.com/psalms/76-2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Strong's Hebrew: 8004. שָׁלֵם (Shalem) -- Shalem |url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8004.htm |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=biblehub.com |quote=Psalm 76:2 identifies Salem with God’s earthly dwelling: “His tent is in Salem; His dwelling place in Zion”. The parallelism equates Salem with Zion, confirming the traditional identification |archive-date=3 February 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260203064635/https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8004.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Other early Hebrew sources,<ref>For example:
* [[Book of Jubilees]] [https://archive.org/details/bookofjubileesor00char/page/178/mode/1up 30:1].
** (See: [https://archive.org/details/bookofjubileesor00char/page/n7/mode/2up The text translated] by R.H. Charles, with introduction and notes{{snd}}{{cite book |last1=Charles |first1=R. H. |title=The book of Jubilees, or The little Genesis |date=1902 |publisher=A. & C. Black |location=London |author-mask=0 |at=[https://archive.org/details/bookofjubileesor00char/page/178/mode/1up p. 178: Chapter 30, verse 1] |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofjubileesor00char/page/n7/mode/2up}}
* the [[Septuagint]] version of {{bibleverse|Jer|48:5}} (as Συχὲμ  {{grc-transl|Συχὲμ}})
* and possibly the Masoretic text of {{bibleverse|Genesis|33:18}} (''see'' KJV and the margin translation of the Revised Version).</ref> early Christian renderings of the verse<ref>''E.g.'', the [[Vulgate]] and [[Peshitta]] versions. J.A. Emerton, "The site of Salem: the City of Melchizedek ({{bibleverse|Genesis|xiv 18}})," pp. 45–72 of ''Studies in the Pentateuch'' ed. by J.A. Emerton, vol. 41 of ''Supplements to Vetus Testamentum'' (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1990) ("Emerton"), p. 45. ''See also'' {{bibleverse|John|3:23}} where "Salim" or "Sylem" (Συχὲμ) is said to be near [[Ænon]], thought to be in the valley of [[Mount Ebal]], one of two mountains in the vicinity of Nablus.</ref> and ''[[targumim]]'',<ref>[[Targum Onkelos|Onklelos]], [[Pseudo-Jonathan]] and [[Targum Neofiti|Neofiti I]]. Emerton, p. 45.</ref> however, put Salem in Northern Israel near [[Shechem]] (Sichem), now [[Nablus]], a city of some importance in early sacred Hebrew writing.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|12:6–7}} (where Abram built an altar), {{bibleverse|Genesis 33:18–20, Deuteronomy 11:29 & 28:11, Joshua 8:33, 1 Kings 12|multi=yes}}. Emerton, p. 63.</ref> Possibly the redactor of the Apocryphon of Genesis wanted to dissociate Melchizedek from the area of Shechem, which at the time was in possession of the [[Samaritans]].<ref>Paul Winter, "Note on Salem—Jerusalem", ''Novum Testamentum'', vol. 2, pp. 151–152 (1957).</ref> However that may be, later Rabbinic sources also equate Salem with Jerusalem, mainly to link Melchizedek to later Temple traditions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.templestudiesgroup.com/Papers/Robert_Hayward.pdf |last=Raymond Hayward |title=Melchizedek as Priest of the Jerusalem Temple in Talmud, Midrash, and Targum |publisher=The Temple Studies Group |access-date=24 January 2015 |archive-date=3 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903233953/http://www.templestudiesgroup.com/Papers/Robert_Hayward.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Arabic names===
{{redirect|Al-Quds}}
Originally titled Bayt al-Maqdis, today, Jerusalem is most commonly known in [[Arabic]] as {{lang|ar|القُدس}}, transliterated as ''al-Quds'' and meaning "the holy" or "the holy sanctuary",<ref name="Bosworth-2007"/><ref name="Denise DeGarmo-2011"/> cognate with {{langx|engvar=gb|he|הקדש|ha-qodesh}}. The name is possibly a shortened form of {{lang|ar|مدينة القُدس}} ''Madīnat al-Quds'' "city of the holy sanctuary" after the Hebrew nickname with the same meaning, ''Ir ha-Qodesh'' ({{lang|he|עיר הקדש}}). The {{lang|ar|ق}} (Q) is pronounced either with a [[voiceless uvular plosive]] (/q/), as in [[Classical Arabic]], or with a [[glottal stop]] (ʔ) as in [[Levantine Arabic]].<ref name="Elihay-2011">{{Cite book |last=Elihay |first=Yohanan |title=Speaking Arabic: a course in conversational Eastern (Palestinian) Arabic |date=2011 |publisher=Minerva |others=Rothberg International School |isbn=978-965-7397-30-5 |edition=[2009 ed.], reprinted with corr. 2011 |location=Jerusalem |oclc=783142368 |page=36}}</ref> Official Israeli government policy mandates that {{lang|ar|أُورُشَلِيمَ}}, transliterated as ''Ūrušalīm'', which is the name frequently used in Christian translations of the Bible into Arabic,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bible Gateway passage: ﻳﺸﻮﻉ 10:1 - Ketab El Hayat |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%EF%BB%B3%EF%BA%B8%EF%BB%AE%EF%BB%89%2010%3A1&version=NAV |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=Bible Gateway |language=en |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229075025/https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%EF%BB%B3%EF%BA%B8%EF%BB%AE%EF%BB%89%2010:1&version=NAV |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.bible.com/ar/bible/67/ACT.1.12.%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D9%2585%25D8%25B4%25D8%25AA%25D8%25B1%25D9%2583%25D8%25A9 |title=أعمال الرسل 12:1 فرَجَعَ الرّسُلُ إلى أُورُشليمَ مِنَ الجبَلِ الذي يُقالُ لَه جبَلُ الزّيتونِ، وهوَ قَريبٌ مِنْ أُورُشليمَ على مَسيرةِ سَبتٍ مِنها. {{!}} الترجمة العربية المشتركة (المشتركة) {{!}} Download The Bible App Now |language=ar |access-date=29 December 2023 |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229075025/https://www.bible.com/ar/bible/67/ACT.1.12.%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D9%2585%25D8%25B4%25D8%25AA%25D8%25B1%25D9%2583%25D8%25A9 |url-status=live}}</ref> be used as the Arabic language name for the city in conjunction with {{lang|ar|القُدس}}, giving {{lang|ar|أُورُشَلِيمَ-القُدس}}, Ūrušalīm-al-Quds.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_main/defaultnew.asp?lng=3 |title=The Official Website of Jerusalem |date=19 September 2011 |publisher=Municipality of Jerusalem |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427222723/http://www.hotzvim.org.il/SiteFiles/1/35/901.asp |archive-date=27 April 2007}}</ref> Palestinian Arab families who hail from this city are often called "''Qudsi''" ({{Lang|ar|قُدسي}}) or "''Maqdasi''" ({{Lang|ar|مقدسي}}), while Palestinian Muslim Jerusalemites may use these terms as a [[demonym]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sonbol |first1=Amira |title=Women, the Family, and Divorce Laws in Islamic History |date=1996 |page=133}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Jerusalem}}

{{For timeline}}
{{See also|Cartography of Jerusalem|l1=Historical maps of Jerusalem}}
Jerusalem is one of the world's oldest cities, with a history spanning over 5,000 years. Its origins trace back to around 3000 BCE, with the first settlement near the [[Gihon Spring]]. The city is first mentioned in Egyptian [[Execration texts]] around 2000 BCE as "Rusalimum." By the 17th century BCE Jerusalem had developed into a fortified city under [[Canaan]]ite rule, with massive walls protecting its water system. During the [[Late Bronze Age]] Jerusalem became a vassal of [[Ancient Egypt]], as documented in the [[Amarna letters]].

The city's importance grew during the ''Israelite period'', which began around 1000 BCE when King [[David]] captured Jerusalem and made it the capital of the [[United Kingdom of Israel]]. David's son King [[Solomon]] built the [[First Temple]], establishing the city as a major religious centre. Following the kingdom's split Jerusalem became the capital of the [[Kingdom of Judah]] until it was captured by the [[Neo-Babylonian Empire]] in 586 BCE. The [[Babylonians]] destroyed the First Temple, leading to the [[Babylonian exile]] of the Jewish population. After the [[Fall of Babylon|Persian conquest of Babylon]] in 539 BCE, [[Cyrus the Great]] allowed the Jews to return and rebuild the city and its temple, marking the start of the [[Second Temple period]]. Jerusalem fell under [[Hellenistic]] rule after the conquests of [[Alexander the Great]] in 332 BCE, leading to increasing cultural and political influence from [[Greece]]. The [[Hasmonean]] revolt in 164 BCE briefly restored Jewish sovereignty, with Jerusalem as the capital of an independent state.

In 63 BCE Jerusalem [[Siege of Jerusalem (63 BC)|was captured]] by [[Pompey]] and brought under the rule of the [[Roman Republic]]. The city was embellished by [[Herod the Great]], who expanded the Second Temple, making it one of the largest sanctuaries in the [[ancient world]]. Tensions between the Jews and the [[Roman Empire]] eventually escalated into the [[First Jewish–Roman War|First Jewish Revolt]], resulting in the [[Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)|siege and destruction of Jerusalem]] and the [[Second Temple]] in 70 CE. A few decades later, the city was rebuilt as the Roman colony ''[[Aelia Capitolina]]'', dedicated to [[Jupiter (god)|Jupiter]], provoking the [[Bar Kokhba revolt|Bar Kokhba Revolt]] (132–136 CE). After the revolt's suppression, Jews were banned from the city. During the [[Byzantine Palestine|Byzantine]] period, Jerusalem gained prominence as a centre of [[Christianity|Christian]] pilgrimage, especially after [[Constantine the Great]] supported the construction of the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]]. In 638 CE, Jerusalem was conquered by the [[Rashidun Caliphate]], and under early [[Islamic]] rule, the [[Dome of the Rock]] and [[Al-Aqsa Mosque]] were built, solidifying its religious importance in Islam.

During the [[Crusades]] Jerusalem changed hands multiple times, being captured by the Crusaders in 1099 and recaptured by [[Saladin]] in 1187. It remained under [[Islamic]] control through the [[Ayyubid]] and [[Mamluk]] periods, until it became part of the [[Ottoman Empire]] in 1517. In the modern period Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan after the [[1948 Arab–Israeli War]]. Israel captured [[East Jerusalem]] during the [[Six-Day War]] in 1967, uniting the city under Israeli control. The [[status of Jerusalem]] remains a highly contentious issue, with both Israelis and Palestinians claiming it as their capital. Historiographically, the city's history is often interpreted through the lens of competing national narratives. [[Israelis|Israeli]] scholars emphasise the ancient Jewish connection to the city, while [[Palestinian]] narratives highlight the city's broader historical and multicultural significance. Both perspectives influence contemporary discussions of Jerusalem's status and future.

==Political status==
{{Main|Positions on Jerusalem}}

[[File:Stamp of Israel - Festivals 5729 - 15.jpg|145px|thumb|An Israeli stamp from 1968, quoting<Br/>[[Psalm 122]]:6;<br/>''Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!...'']]
From 1923 until 1948 Jerusalem served as the administrative capital of [[Mandatory Palestine]].<ref>Jerusalem as administrative capital of the British Mandate:

*{{Cite book |last=Orfali |first=Jacob G. |title=Everywhere You Go, People Are the Same |publisher=Ronin Publishing |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-914171-75-1 |page=25 |quote=In the year 1923, [Jerusalem] became the capital of the British Mandate in Palestine}}
*{{cite book |last=Oren-Nordheim |first=Michael |url=http://sachlav.huji.ac.il/mskark/ |title=Ruth Kark |author2=Ruth Kark |publisher=Wayne State University Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-8143-2909-2 |page=36 |quote=The three decades of British rule in Palestine (1917/18–1948) were a highly significant phase in the development, with indelible effects on the urban planning and development of the capital—Jerusalem. |access-date=17 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216063555/http://sachlav.huji.ac.il/mskark/ |archive-date=16 December 2007 |url-status=dead}} is a professor in the Department of Geography at the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]].
*{{Cite book |last=Dumper |first=Michael |title=The Politics of Jerusalem Since 1967 |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-231-10640-5 |page=59 |quote=the city that was to become the administrative capital of Mandate Palestine...}}</ref>

In December 1949, Israeli prime minister [[David Ben-Gurion]] declared the area of [[West Jerusalem]] that it controlled as "Israel's eternal capital,"<ref>[https://ecf.org.il/issues/issue/1369 Ben-Gurion's Proclamation of Jerusalem as Capital of Israel (1949)], [[Economic Cooperation Foundation]]. Accessed February 24, 2026. "Two proclamations made by Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion on 5 and 13 December 1949, following the Government of Israel's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In the first proclamation, Ben-Gurion invoked the city's long Jewish history, rejecting Jerusalem-related provisions in Resolution 181 and vowing not to surrender its position as 'Israel's eternal capital', while promising to preserve the city's holy sites under international supervision."</ref> a policy that was affirmed by the [[Knesset]] in January 1950.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1950/01/24/archives/jerusalem-named-capital-of-israel.html "Jerusalem Named Capital of Israel"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 24, 1950. Accessed February 24, 2026. "The Knesset (Parliament) passed a proclamation tonight establishing that Jerusalem had resumed the status of the capital of the Jewish state from the moment that the republic of Israel had been created. The majority of the Knesset voted down a Herut amendment designed to make the resolution applicable to the entire city, including the Old City, occupied by Jordan."</ref> This policy was not recognised as such internationally because [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194|UN General Assembly Resolution 194]] envisaged Jerusalem as an [[international city]]; the American government opposed the move and insisted that Israel's capital remain in Tel Aviv.<ref>[[Homer Bigart|Bigart, Homer]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/02/archives/bengurion-symbol-of-the-tough-state-of-israel-achieved-a-lifelong.html "Ben‐Gurion, Symbol of the Tough State of Israel, Achieved a Lifelong Dream"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250514132133/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/02/archives/bengurion-symbol-of-the-tough-state-of-israel-achieved-a-lifelong.html |date=14 May 2025 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 2, 1973. Accessed February 24, 2026. "He showed his freedom from American controls early by ignoring strong Washington pressure to put Israel's capital in Tel Aviv, rather than in Jerusalem, which the United Nations had proposed as an international city."</ref> As a result of the Six-Day War in 1967, the whole of Jerusalem [[Reunification of Jerusalem|came under Israeli control]]. On 27 June 1967, the government of [[Levi Eshkol]] extended Israeli law and jurisdiction to East Jerusalem, but agreed that administration of the Temple Mount compound would be maintained by the [[Jerusalem Islamic Waqf|Jordanian waqf]], under the Jordanian Ministry of Religious Endowments.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jcpa.org/jcprg10.htm |title=Jerusalem in International Diplomacy |author=Dore Gold |access-date=20 July 2008 |author-link=Dore Gold |archive-date=28 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028044557/http://www.jcpa.org/jcprg10.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1988, the Israeli government ordered the closure of [[Orient House]], home of the Arab Studies Society and headquarters of the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]], for security reasons. The building reopened in 1992 as a Palestinian guesthouse.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jerusalemites.org/jerusalem/cultural_dimensions/3.htm |title=The New Orient House: A History of Palestinian Hospitality |publisher=jerusalemites.org |access-date=9 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217143302/http://jerusalemites.org/jerusalem/cultural_dimensions/3.htm |archive-date=17 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Jerusalem: The Future of a Contested City |last=Klein |first=Menachem |isbn=978-0-8147-4754-4 |publisher=New York University Press |year=2001 |page=189 |chapter=The PLO and the Palestinian Identity of East Jerusalem}}</ref> The [[Oslo Accords]] stated that the final status of Jerusalem would be determined by negotiations with the [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian Authority]]. The accords banned any official Palestinian presence in the city until a final peace agreement, but provided for the opening of a Palestinian trade office in East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority regards East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.publicpolicy.umd.edu/IPPP/Fall97Report/negotiating_jerusalem.htm |last=Segal |first=Jerome M. |publisher=The University of Maryland School of Public Policy |title=Negotiating Jerusalem |access-date=25 February 2007 |date=Fall 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514191731/http://www.publicpolicy.umd.edu/IPPP/Fall97Report/negotiating_jerusalem.htm |archive-date=14 May 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Møller, Bjørn |title=A Cooperative Structure for Israeli–Palestinian Relations: Working Paper No. 1 |website=Centre for European Policy Studies |date=November 2002 |url=http://shop.ceps.be/downfree.php?item_id=171 |access-date=16 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040106192631/http://shop.ceps.be/downfree.php?item_id=171 |archive-date=6 January 2004}}</ref>

President [[Mahmoud Abbas]] has said that any agreement that did not include East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine would be unacceptable.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/No-agreement-without-a-Palestinian-capital-in-Jerusalem-Mahmoud-Abbas-/articleshow/6030905.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811100537/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-06-10/middle-east/28287403_1_solution-palestinian-capital-east-jerusalem |url-status=live |archive-date=11 August 2011 |title=No agreement without a Palestinian capital in Jerusalem: Mahmoud Abbas |date=10 June 2010 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=9 September 2011}}</ref> Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has similarly stated that Jerusalem would remain the undivided capital of Israel. Due to its proximity to the city, especially the Temple Mount, [[Abu Dis]], a Palestinian suburb of Jerusalem, has been proposed as the future capital of a Palestinian state by Israel. Israel has not incorporated Abu Dis within its security wall around Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority has built a possible future parliament building for the [[Palestinian Legislative Council]] in the town, and its Jerusalem Affairs Offices are all located in Abu Dis.<ref>Bard, Mitchell G. ''Will Israel Survive?''</ref>

===International status===
Most of the international community regards East Jerusalem, including the entire Old City, as part of the [[occupied Palestinian territories]].  The United States recognized Israeli control over all of Jerusalem in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Landler |first=Mark |date=2017-12-06 |title=Trump Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital and Orders U.S. Embassy to Move |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-israel-capital.html |access-date=2026-03-19 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Until then neither part, West or East Jerusalem, was recognized as part of the territory of the [[Israel|State of Israel]] or the [[State of Palestine]].<ref>[https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/essays/the-controversial-sovereignty-over-the-city-of-jerusalem The Controversial Sovereignty over the City of Jerusalem (22 June 2015, The National Catholic Reporter)] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121191334/https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/essays/the-controversial-sovereignty-over-the-city-of-jerusalem |date=21 November 2018 }} "No U.S. president has ever officially acknowledged Israeli sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem (...) The refusal to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli territory is a near universal policy among Western nations."</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42218042 Jerusalem: Opposition to mooted Trump Israel announcement grows] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806054724/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42218042 |date=6 August 2019 }}"Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally"</ref><ref>Whither Jerusalem (Lapidot) page 17: "Israeli control in west Jerusalem since 1948 was illegal and most states have not recognized its sovereignty there"</ref><ref>The [[Jerusalem Law]] states that "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel" and the city serves as the seat of the government, home to the President's residence, government offices, supreme court, and [[Knesset|parliament]]. [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 478]] (20 August 1980; 14–0, U.S. abstaining) declared the Jerusalem Law "null and void" and called on member states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from Jerusalem (see {{Harvard citation no brackets|Kellerman|1993|p=140}}). See [[Status of Jerusalem]] for more information.</ref> The move was followed by additional states to recognizing West Jerusalem as part of Israel or East Jerusalem as part of a future State of Palestine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-15 |title=Australia recognises west Jerusalem as capital of Israel |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20181215-australia-recognises-west-jerusalem-capital-israel-palestinians-morrison-trump |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Topônimos e gentílicos - Manual de Revisão da FUNAG |url=http://funag.gov.br/manual/index.php?title=Top%C3%B4nimos_e_gent%C3%ADlicos |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=funag.gov.br}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vladimirov |first=Nikita |date=2017-04-06 |title=Russia recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital |url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/327673-russia-recognizes-jerusalem-as-israeli-capital/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251212012219/https://thehill.com/policy/international/327673-russia-recognizes-jerusalem-as-israeli-capital/ |archive-date=12 December 2025 |access-date=2026-03-19 |work=The Hill |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Agencies and ToI Staff |date=2017-12-13 |title=Saudi king: Palestinians have right to East Jerusalem as capital |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/saudi-king-palestinians-have-right-to-east-jerusalem-as-capital/ |access-date=2026-03-19 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>  Under the [[United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine]] adopted by the [[General Assembly of the United Nations]] in 1947, Jerusalem was envisaged to become a [[corpus separatum (Jerusalem)|corpus separatum]] administered by the United Nations for ten years, following which city residents would be able to "express by means of a referendum their wishes."<ref name=":0" /> In the war of 1948 the western part of the city was occupied by forces of the nascent state of Israel, while the eastern part was occupied by Jordan. The international community largely considers the legal status of Jerusalem to derive from the partition plan, and correspondingly most refuse to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the city.<ref>"UN General Assembly Resolution 181 recommended the creation of an international zonea, or&nbsp;corpus separatum, in Jerusalem to be administered by the UN for a 10-year period, after which there would be referendum to determine its future.&nbsp;This approach applies equally to West and East Jerusalem and is not affected by the occupation of East jerusalem in 1967.&nbsp;To a large extent it is this approach that still guides the diplomatic behaviour of states and thus has greater force in international law" (Susan M. Akram, Michael Dumper, Michael Lynk, Iain Scobbie (eds.),&nbsp;International Law and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Rights-Based Approach to Middle East Peace,&nbsp;Routledge, 2010, p. 119. )</ref>

===Status under Israeli rule===
Following the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel extended its jurisdiction and administration over East Jerusalem, establishing new municipal borders.

[[File:KnessetBuildingNov152022.jpg|thumb|The [[Knesset]] houses the [[legislature]] of Israel]]

In 2010 Israel approved legislation giving Jerusalem the highest national priority status in Israel. The law prioritised construction throughout the city, and offered grants and tax benefits to residents to make housing, infrastructure, education, employment, business, tourism and cultural events more affordable. Communications Minister [[Moshe Kahlon]] said that the bill sent "a clear, unequivocal political message that Jerusalem will not be divided", and that "all those within the Palestinian and international community who expect the current Israeli government to accept any demands regarding Israel's sovereignty over its capital are mistaken and misleading".<ref>{{cite web |author=Tzippe Barrow |url=http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2010/October/Bill-to-Grant-Jerusalem-Priority-Status/ |title=Bill to Grant Jerusalem Priority Status—Inside Israel |publisher=CBN News |date=25 October 2010 |access-date=28 February 2014 |archive-date=4 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904135513/http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2010/October/Bill-to-Grant-Jerusalem-Priority-Status/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The status of the city, and especially its holy places, remains a core issue in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The Israeli government has approved building plans in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/10/AR2007021001571.html "Jewish Inroads in Muslim Quarter: Settlers' Project to Alter Skyline of Jerusalem's Old City"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402175606/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/10/AR2007021001571.html |date=2 April 2017 }} The Washington Post Foreign Service, 11 February 2007; p. A01</ref> in order to expand the Jewish presence in East Jerusalem, while some Islamic leaders have made claims that Jews have no historical connection to Jerusalem, alleging that the 2,500-year-old Western Wall was constructed as part of a mosque.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=79635 |title=Western Wall was never part of temple |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=25 October 2007 |access-date=9 December 2012 |first=Mike |last=Seid}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/14529 |title=Camp David: An Exchange |journal=The New York Review of Books |date=20 September 2001 |access-date=7 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930193650/http://www.nybooks.com/articles/14529 |archive-date=30 September 2009}}</ref> Palestinians regard Jerusalem as the capital of the [[State of Palestine]],<ref name="In the Palestine Liberation Organization"/> and the city's borders have been the subject of bilateral talks. A team of experts assembled by the then Israeli Prime Minister [[Ehud Barak]] in 2000 concluded that the city must be divided, since Israel had failed to achieve any of its national aims there.<ref>{{cite book |url={{Google books |id=IH9l4fUKZ_MC |page=28 |plainurl=yes}} |title=Jerusalem Syndrome: The Palestinian-Israeli Battle for the Holy City |publisher=Sussex Academic Press |author=Moshe Amirav |pages=28–29 |date=2009 |isbn=978-1-84519-347-8 |access-date=3 June 2014 |author-link=Moshe Amirav}}</ref>

However, Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] said in 2014 that "Jerusalem will never be divided".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.jpost.com/National-News/Netanyahu-47-years-ago-Jerusalem-was-reunited-and-thats-how-it-will-stay-354589 |title=Netanyahu: 'Jerusalem is the heart of the nation. We'll never divide our heart.' |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=28 May 2014 |first=Tovah |last=Lazaroff |access-date=5 June 2014 |archive-date=14 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614120759/https://www.jpost.com/National-News/Netanyahu-47-years-ago-Jerusalem-was-reunited-and-thats-how-it-will-stay-354589 |url-status=live}}</ref> A poll conducted in June 2013 found that 74% of Israeli Jews reject the idea of a Palestinian capital in any portion of Jerusalem, though 72% of the public regarded it as a divided city.<ref>[https://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Post-poll-72-percent-of-Jewish-Israelis-view-Jlem-as-divided-315490 Poll: 72% of Jewish Israelis view J'lem as divided] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016001058/http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Post-poll-72-percent-of-Jewish-Israelis-view-Jlem-as-divided-315490 |date=16 October 2015 }}, Jerusalem Post 5 June 2013</ref> A poll conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Public Opinion and American Pechter Middle East Polls for the [[Council on Foreign Relations]] among East Jerusalem Arab residents in 2011 revealed that 39% of East Jerusalem Arab residents would prefer Israeli citizenship, while 31% opted for Palestinian citizenship. According to the poll 40% of Palestinian residents would prefer to leave their neighbourhoods if they would be placed under Palestinian rule.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4013000,00.html |title=Poll: Jerusalem Arabs prefer Israel |work=Ynetnews |date=20 June 1995 |access-date=7 December 2012 |last1=Benhorin |first1=Yitzhak |archive-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006161751/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4013000,00.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Israel Supreme Court.jpg|thumb|The [[Supreme Court of Israel]]]]

===Jerusalem as capital of Israel===
{{Main|Status of Jerusalem}}

[[File:Hutz.JPG|thumb|The [[Foreign Ministry of Israel|Israeli Foreign Ministry]] building]]
On 5 December 1949 Israel's first prime minister, [[David Ben-Gurion]], proclaimed Jerusalem as Israel's "eternal" and "sacred" capital, and eight days later specified that only the war had "compelled" the Israeli leadership "to establish the seat of Government in Tel Aviv", while "for the State of Israel there has always been and always will be one capital only—Jerusalem the Eternal", and that after the war, efforts had been ongoing for creating the conditions for "the Knesset... returning to Jerusalem."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.knesset.gov.il/docs/eng/bengurion-jer.htm |last=Ben-Gurion |first=David |author-link=David Ben-Gurion |publisher=The Knesset |title=Statements of the Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion Regarding Moving the Capital of Israel to Jerusalem |date=5 December 1949 |access-date=2 April 2007 |archive-date=23 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523152628/http://www.knesset.gov.il/docs/eng/bengurion-jer.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> This indeed took place, and since the beginning of 1950 all branches of the [[Politics of Israel|Israeli government]]—[[Politics of Israel#Legislative branch|legislative]], [[Politics of Israel#Judicial system|judicial]] and [[Politics of Israel#Prime Ministers and governments in the last ten years|executive]]—have resided there, except for the [[Ministry of Defense (Israel)|Ministry of Defense]], which is located at [[HaKirya]] in [[Tel Aviv]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.R.4181.IH: |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903233952/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105%3AH.R.4181.IH%3A |archive-date=3 September 2015 |publisher=The Library of Congress |title=Jerusalem and Berlin Embassy Relocation Act of 1998 |access-date=12 February 2007 |url-status=dead |date=25 June 1998}}</ref><ref name="Knesset Proclaims Jerusalem As Israel-1950">{{Cite web |url=https://www.jta.org/1950/01/25/archive/knesset-proclaims-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-mapam-and-herut-abstain-from-voting |title=Knesset Proclaims Jerusalem As Israel's Capital; Mapam and Herut Abstain from Voting |date=25 January 1950 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=3 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003004818/https://www.jta.org/1950/01/25/archive/knesset-proclaims-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-mapam-and-herut-abstain-from-voting |url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of Ben Gurion's proclamations and the ensuing Knesset vote of 24 January 1950,<ref name="Knesset Proclaims Jerusalem As Israel-1950"/> Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan, and thus the proclamation only applied to West Jerusalem.

In July 1980 Israel passed the [[Jerusalem Law]] as [[Basic Laws of Israel|Basic Law]]. The law declared Jerusalem the "complete and united" capital of Israel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1980_1989/Basic%20Law-%20Jerusalem-%20Capital%20of%20Israel |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |access-date=2 April 2007 |date=30 July 1980 |title=Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208165053/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1980_1989/Basic%20Law-%20Jerusalem-%20Capital%20of%20Israel |archive-date=8 February 2007}}</ref> The Jerusalem Law was condemned by the international community, which did not recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The United Nations Security Council passed [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 478|Resolution 478]] on 20 August 1980, which declared that the Jerusalem Law is ''"a violation of international law"'', is ''"null and void and must be rescinded forthwith"''. Member states were called upon to withdraw their diplomatic representation from Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/399/71/IMG/NR039971.pdf?OpenElement |publisher=United Nations |access-date=30 July 2008 |year=1980 |title=Resolution 478 (1980) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205073441/http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/399/71/IMG/NR039971.pdf?OpenElement |archive-date=5 February 2009}}</ref>

Following the resolution, 22 of the 24 countries that previously had their embassy in (West) Jerusalem relocated them in Tel Aviv, where many embassies already resided prior to Resolution 478. [[Costa Rica]] and [[El Salvador]] followed in 2006.<ref>Mosheh ʻAmirav, ''Jerusalem Syndrome: The Palestinian-Israeli Battle for the Holy City'', Sussex University Press, 2009 p. 27: 'In the summer of 2006, these two countries also announced the adoption of a new policy whereby they would no longer recognize Israel's sovereignty in Jerusalem, and transferred their embassies out of the city'.</ref><!-- The source given doesn't say that the two countries concerned had recognised West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, only that they had recognised Israel's sovereignty, ''de jure'', ''de facto'' or otherwise. Nor, presumably, does it say that 22 other countries had done so previously. --> There are five embassies—United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea and Kosovo—and two consulates located within the city limits of Jerusalem. Paraguay maintains an embassy in the [[Jerusalem District]] [[Local council (Israel)|town]] of [[Mevaseret Zion]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.science.co.il/Embassies.php |title=Embassies and Consulates in Israel |publisher=Israel Science and Technology Homepage |access-date=5 August 2017 |archive-date=24 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170724111910/http://www.science.co.il/Embassies.php |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180503-guatemala-embassy-in-israel-opens-in-jerusalem/ |title=Guatemala embassy in Israel opens in Jerusalem |date=3 May 2018 |work=Middle East Monitor |access-date=12 May 2018 |language=en-GB |archive-date=13 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513080855/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180503-guatemala-embassy-in-israel-opens-in-jerusalem/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/14/kosovo-opens-embassy-in-jerusalem-after-israel-recognises-its-independence |title=Kosovo opens embassy in Jerusalem after Israel recognises its independence |access-date=2024-05-26 |date=2021-03-14 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/5/papua-new-guinea-opens-israel-embassy-in-west-jerusalem |title=Papua-New Guinea opens Israel embassy in West Jerusalem |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=2023-09-05 |access-date=26 May 2024 |archive-date=20 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320104241/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/5/papua-new-guinea-opens-israel-embassy-in-west-jerusalem |url-status=live}}</ref> in addition to Bolivia whose embassy is now [[Bolivia–Israel relations#2023: Bolivia severs relations with Israel|closed]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ramos |first=Daniel |date=2023-11-01 |title=Bolivia severs ties with Israel, others recall envoys over Gaza |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/bolivia-severs-diplomatic-ties-with-israel-citing-crimes-against-humanity-2023-10-31/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |work=Reuters |language=en |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031234549/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/bolivia-severs-diplomatic-ties-with-israel-citing-crimes-against-humanity-2023-10-31/ |url-status=live }}</ref> There are [[List of Consulates-General in Jerusalem|a number of consulates-general]] located in Jerusalem, which work primarily either with Israel, or the Palestinian authorities.

In 1995 the [[United States Congress]] passed the [[Jerusalem Embassy Act]], which required, subject to conditions, that its embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ45/content-detail.html |title=Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |access-date=15 February 2007 |date=8 November 1995 |archive-date=17 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617043204/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ45/content-detail.html |url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 December 2017 the [[President of the United States|US president]], [[Donald Trump]], officially [[United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel|recognised Jerusalem]] as Israel's capital and announced his intention to move the [[Embassy of the United States, Tel Aviv|American embassy]] to Jerusalem, reversing decades of United States policy on the issue.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/12/06/president-donald-j-trumps-proclamation-jerusalem-capital-state-israel |title=President Donald J. Trump's Proclamation on Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel |publisher=White House |access-date=6 December 2017 |date=6 December 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206191507/https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/12/06/president-donald-j-trumps-proclamation-jerusalem-capital-state-israel |archive-date=6 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/trump-to-declare-jerusalem-as-israels-capital/news-story/6f16170f8ceec70d7e2f10a9659309a1 |title=Trump Declares Jerusalem as Israel's Capital |work=News.com.au |date=7 December 2017 |access-date=7 December 2017 |archive-date=6 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206234846/http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/trump-to-declare-jerusalem-as-israels-capital/news-story/6f16170f8ceec70d7e2f10a9659309a1 |url-status=live}}</ref> The move was criticised by many nations.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-israel-jerusalem-reaction/arabs-europe-u-n-reject-trumps-recognition-of-jerusalem-as-israeli-capital-idUSKBN1E0312 Arabs, Europe, U.N. reject Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222180040/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-israel-jerusalem-reaction/arabs-europe-u-n-reject-trumps-recognition-of-jerusalem-as-israeli-capital-idUSKBN1E0312 |date=22 December 2017 }}, Mark Heinrich, Reuters</ref> A resolution condemning the US decision was supported by all the 14 other members of the UN Security Council, but was vetoed by the US on 18 December 2017.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/18/us-forced-veto-un-resolution-condemning-trumps-decision-jerusalem/ US forced to veto UN resolution condemning Trump's decision on Jerusalem] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510060242/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/18/us-forced-veto-un-resolution-condemning-trumps-decision-jerusalem/ |date=10 May 2018 }}, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''</ref> A subsequent resolution condemning the US decision was passed in the [[United Nations General Assembly]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42446027 |title=UN rejects Trump's Jerusalem declaration |date=21 December 2017 |work=BBC News |access-date=20 June 2018 |archive-date=13 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613053816/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42446027 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/general-assembly-rejects-trump-jerusalem-move-171221135806725.html |title=UN General Assembly rejects Trump's Jerusalem move |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date=21 December 2017 |archive-date=22 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222211816/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/general-assembly-rejects-trump-jerusalem-move-171221135806725.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-united-nations.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220103/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-united-nations.html |archive-date=3 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Defying Trump, U.N. General Assembly Condemns U.S. Decree on Jerusalem |first=Rick |last=Gladstone |date=21 December 2017 |newspaper=The New York Times}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/ES-10/L.22&Submit=Search&Lang=E |title=United Nations Official Document |publisher=United Nations |access-date=21 December 2017 |archive-date=22 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222122638/http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/ES-10/L.22&Submit=Search&Lang=E |url-status=live}}</ref> On 14 May 2018 the United States officially opened its [[Embassy of the United States, Jerusalem|embassy in Jerusalem]], transforming its Tel Aviv location into a consulate. Due to the general lack of international recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, some non-Israeli media outlets use Tel Aviv as a [[metonym]] for Israel.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-must-cooperate-over-fake-passports-says-david-miliband-1903544.html |title=Israel must co-operate over fake passports, says David Miliband |work=The Independent |location=UK |date=18 February 2010 |access-date=11 September 2010 |first=James |last=Tapsfield |archive-date=20 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820225541/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-must-cooperate-over-fake-passports-says-david-miliband-1903544.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8521246.stm |title=Dubai Hamas killing pledge by UK foreign secretary |work=BBC News |date=18 February 2010 |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=1 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501194540/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8521246.stm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20090104a1.html |title=Editorial A bloody new year in Gaza |newspaper=The Japan Times |date=4 January 2009 |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=16 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716112509/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20090104a1.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/specials/style_guide/article986728.ece Times Online Style Guide—J] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921130217/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/specials/style_guide/article986728.ece |date=21 September 2011 }} "Jerusalem must not be used as a metonym or variant for Israel. It is not internationally recognised as the Israeli capital, and its status is one of the central controversies in the Middle East."</ref>

In December 2017, US President [[Donald Trump]] made the decision to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate the US embassy from [[Tel Aviv]] to that city.<ref>{{cite web |title=President Donald J. Trump Keeps His Promise To Open U.S. Embassy In Jerusalem, Israel |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-keeps-promise-open-u-s-embassy-jerusalem-israel/ |website=Trump White House |access-date=28 September 2025 |archive-date=29 July 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729180615/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-keeps-promise-open-u-s-embassy-jerusalem-israel/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This decision faced significant opposition, particularly from leaders within the Arab and Muslim communities. The Palestinians assert that East Jerusalem should serve as the capital of their future state, and its status ought to be resolved through peace negotiations as outlined in the 1993 Israeli-Palestinian peace accords. Palestinian President [[Mahmoud Abbas]] remarked that Trump's action effectively negated the United States' position as a mediator in the peace process. [[Ismail Haniyeh]], the head of the Islamist Hamas movement, urged for a new "intifada," or uprising. Turkish President [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Recep Tayyip Erdogan]] criticised the decision, stating it would "place the region in a ring of fire." Saudi Arabia's [[Salman of Saudi Arabia|King Salman]] described it as "a clear provocation to Muslims globally." Egyptian President [[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi|Abdel Fattah al-Sisi]] indicated that this decision would exacerbate the situation in the region. [[Iran]] warned that the decision would incite a "new intifada," labelling it a blatant infringement of international resolutions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jerusalem: Trump move prompts negative world reaction |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42250340 |website=BBC |date=6 December 2017 |access-date=28 September 2025 |archive-date=28 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128222351/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42250340 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In April 2017 the Russian [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] announced it viewed Western Jerusalem as Israel's capital in the context of UN-approved principles which include the status of East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Jpost-Exclusive-Moscow-surprisingly-says-west-Jerusalem-is-Israels-capital-486336 |title=Jpost Exclusive: Moscow surprisingly says west Jerusalem is Israel's capital |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=6 April 2017 |access-date=23 September 2017 |archive-date=23 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923193803/http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Jpost-Exclusive-Moscow-surprisingly-says-west-Jerusalem-is-Israels-capital-486336 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.pnn.ps/2017/04/08/russia-could-acknowledge-west-jerusalem-as-israeli-capital/ |title=Russia could acknowledge West Jerusalem as Israeli Capital |date=8 April 2017 |publisher=PNN |access-date=9 April 2017 |archive-date=9 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409195147/http://english.pnn.ps/2017/04/08/russia-could-acknowledge-west-jerusalem-as-israeli-capital/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/2717182 Foreign Ministry statement regarding Palestinian-Israeli settlement (6 April 2017)] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104201944/https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/2717182 |date=4 January 2020 }}"We reaffirm our commitment to the UN-approved principles for a Palestinian-Israeli settlement, which include the status of East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state. At the same time, we must state that in this context we view West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."</ref> On 15 December 2018 the Australian government officially recognised West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, but said their embassy in Tel Aviv would stay until a two-state resolution was settled.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/australia-recognizes-west-jerusalem-as-the-capital-of-israel/ |title=Australia recognizes west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel |work=CBS News |date=15 December 2018 |access-date=16 December 2018 |archive-date=16 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216011904/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/australia-recognizes-west-jerusalem-as-the-capital-of-israel/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The decision was reversed in October 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/10/18/1129609399/australia-will-end-recognition-of-jerusalem-as-israel-capital |language=en-US |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=17 October 2022 |access-date=18 October 2022 |title=Australia says it will end its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital |archive-date=18 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018054516/https://www.npr.org/2022/10/18/1129609399/australia-will-end-recognition-of-jerusalem-as-israel-capital |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Government precinct and national institutions====
The [[Kiryat HaLeom]] (national precinct) project is intended to house most government agencies and national cultural institutions. They are located in the [[Kiryat HaMemshala]] (government complex) in the [[Givat Ram]] neighbourhood. Some government buildings are located in [[Kiryat Menachem Begin]]. The city is home to the Knesset,<ref>{{cite web |title=English gateway to the Knesset website |url=https://www.knesset.gov.il/main/eng/home.asp |access-date=18 May 2007 |archive-date=2 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502130558/https://knesset.gov.il/main/eng/home.asp |url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Supreme Court of Israel|Supreme Court]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The State of Israel: The Judicial Authority |url=http://elyon1.court.gov.il/eng/home/index.html |access-date=18 May 2007 |archive-date=28 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428211321/https://elyon1.court.gov.il/eng/home/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Bank of Israel]], the [[National Headquarters of the Israel Police]], the official residences of the [[President of Israel|president]] and the [[Prime Minister of Israel|prime minister]], the [[Cabinet of Israel|Cabinet]], and all ministries except for the [[Ministry of Defense (Israel)|Ministry of Defense]] (which is located in central Tel Aviv's [[HaKirya]] district) and the [[Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Israel)|Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development]] (which is located in [[Rishon LeZion]], in the wider Tel Aviv [[metropolitan area]], near [[Beit Dagan]]).

====Israeli settlements====
{{See also|Israeli settlements}}
{{Expand section|date=April 2023}}

Since its capture in 1967, the Israeli government has built 12 [[Israeli settlements]] in [[East Jerusalem]], with a population amounting to 220,000 Israeli Jewish settlers as of 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population |url=https://peacenow.org.il/en/settlements-watch/settlements-data/population |access-date=1 June 2022 |website=Peace Now |language=en-US |archive-date=11 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611210642/https://peacenow.org.il/en/settlements-watch/settlements-data/population |url-status=live}}</ref> The international community consider Israeli settlements to be illegal under [[international law]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Roberts |first1=Adam |author-link=Adam Roberts (scholar) |year=1990 |title=Prolonged Military Occupation: The Israeli-Occupied Territories Since 1967 |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8aaa/455b51d4c49285089a97a08496071e322877.pdf |journal=The American Journal of International Law |volume=84 |issue=1 |pages=85–86 |doi=10.2307/2203016 |jstor=2203016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215100933/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8aaa/455b51d4c49285089a97a08496071e322877.pdf |archive-date=15 February 2020 |quote=The international community has taken a critical view of both deportations and settlements as being contrary to international law. General Assembly resolutions have condemned the deportations since 1969, and have done so by overwhelming majorities in recent years. Likewise, they have consistently deplored the establishment of settlements, and have done so by overwhelming majorities throughout the period (since the end of 1976) of the rapid expansion in their numbers. The Security Council has also been critical of deportations and settlements; and other bodies have viewed them as an obstacle to peace, and illegal under international law... Although East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights have been brought directly under Israeli law, by acts that amount to annexation, both of these areas continue to be viewed by the international community as occupied, and their status as regards the applicability of international rules is in most respects identical to that of the West Bank and Gaza. |s2cid=145514740}}</ref>

===Jerusalem as capital of Palestine===
{{See also|East Jerusalem#Jerusalem as capital}}
[[File:Orient House.jpg|thumb|The Orient House, Jerusalem the former headquarters of the PLO|left]]
[[File:French Consulate in Jerusalem at night 2008.jpg|thumb|The [[Consulate General of France, Jerusalem]]]]
The [[Palestinian National Authority]] views East Jerusalem as [[occupied territory]] according to [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 242]]. The Palestinian Authority claims Jerusalem, including the [[Haram al-Sharif]], as the capital of the State of Palestine,<ref name="In the Palestine Liberation Organization">In the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]]'s [[Palestinian Declaration of Independence]] of 1988, Jerusalem is stated to be the capital of the State of Palestine. In 1997, the [[Palestinian Legislative Council]] passed the Palestinian ''Basic Law'' (ratified by Chairman [[Yasser Arafat]] in 2002), designating the city as such. Article 3: ''"Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine."''<br />
See [http://www.palestinianbasiclaw.org/basic-law/2003-amended-basic-law ''2003 Amended Basic Law''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211183132/http://www.palestinianbasiclaw.org/basic-law/2003-amended-basic-law |date=11 February 2016 }}. Retrieved 2 June 2013; [http://english.people.com.cn/200210/06/eng20021006_104530.shtml Arafat Signs Law Making Jerusalem Palestinian Capital] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930185347/http://english.people.com.cn/200210/06/eng20021006_104530.shtml |date=30 September 2014 }}, People's Daily, published 6 October 2002; [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2302961.stm Arafat names Jerusalem as capital] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250702192535/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2302961.stm |date=2 July 2025 }}, BBC News, published 6 October 2002.</ref> The PLO claims that West Jerusalem is also subject to permanent status negotiations. However, it has stated that it would be willing to consider alternative solutions, such as making Jerusalem an [[open city]].<ref>{{cite web |work=PLO-Negotiations Affairs Department (NAD) |url=http://www.nad-plo.org/etemplate.php?id=59&more=1 |title=Jerusalem |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418223336/http://www.nad-plo.org/etemplate.php?id=59 |archive-date=18 April 2016 |access-date=20 May 2013}}</ref>

The PLO's position is that East Jerusalem, as defined by the [[Green Line (Israel)|pre-1967 municipal boundaries]], shall be the capital of Palestine and [[West Jerusalem]] the capital of Israel, with each state enjoying full sovereignty over its respective part of the city and with its own municipality. A joint ''development council'' would be responsible for coordinated development.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nad-plo.org/userfiles/file/Factsheet%202013/EJ%20TODAY_FINAL%20REPORT_II.pdf |website=East Jerusalem today |title=Palestine's Capital: The 1967 border in Jerusalem and Israel's illegal policies on the ground |access-date=5 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825020708/http://www.nad-plo.org/userfiles/file/Factsheet%202013/EJ%20TODAY_FINAL%20REPORT_II.pdf |archive-date=25 August 2013 |publisher=PLO-Negotiations Affairs Department (NAD) |date=August 2013 |page=5}}</ref> [[Orient House]] in East Jerusalem served as the headquarters of the [[PLO]] in the 1980s and 1990s. It was closed by Israel in 2001, two days after the [[Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing]].

Some states, such as Russia<ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4015504,00.html Medvedev reaffirms Soviet recognition of Palestine (Ynet News, 18 January 2011)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726041642/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4015504,00.html |date=26 July 2013 }} "Russian president says Moscow has not changed its position since 1988 when it 'recognized independent Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem'"</ref> and China,<ref>[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90883/7592121.html China supports Palestinian UN bid (Xinhua, 8 September 2011)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516095526/http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90883/7592121.html |date=16 May 2013 }} "China recognizes Palestine as a country with east Jerusalem as its capital and possessing full sovereignty and independence, in accordance with borders agreed upon in 1967, according to Jiang"</ref> recognise the Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 58/292]] affirmed that the Palestinian people have the right to sovereignty over East Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/A2C2938216B39DE485256EA70070C849 |title=Resolution 58/292. Status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem |date=17 May 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806133025/http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/A2C2938216B39DE485256EA70070C849 |archive-date=6 August 2012 |publisher=[[United Nations]]}}</ref>

==== Palestinian offices and institutions ====
{{See also|List of diplomatic missions in Palestine#Consulates}}
[[File:89480 jerusalem villa constantine salama PikiWiki Israel.jpg|thumb|[[Villa Salameh]]—the home of the Belgian Consulate to Palestine]]

Government offices are located outside the Israeli municipal limits include the [[Palestinian Security Services]], [[Force 17]], the [[Preventative Security Service]] and the [[Ministry of Interior (State of Palestine)|Ministry of Interior]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=IDF forces take control of Governors House Compound in Abu Dis &#124; Ministry of Foreign Affairs |url=https://www.gov.il/en/departments/news/idf-forces-take-control-of-governors-house-compound-in-abu-dis-10-aug-2001 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227132111/https://www.gov.il/en/departments/news/idf-forces-take-control-of-governors-house-compound-in-abu-dis-10-aug-2001 |archive-date=27 February 2024 |access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Archived copy |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2018/02/16/abu-dis-information/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227132110/https://www.israelhayom.com/2018/02/16/abu-dis-information/ |archive-date=27 February 2024 |access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=PA Institutions in Abu Dis Cut Off From East Jerusalem |url=https://www.haaretz.com/2004-01-19/ty-article/pa-institutions-in-abu-dis-cut-off-from-east-jerusalem/0000017f-db21-d3a5-af7f-fbaf31240000 |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=Haaretz |language=en |archive-date=8 June 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250608035818/https://www.haaretz.com/2004-01-19/ty-article/pa-institutions-in-abu-dis-cut-off-from-east-jerusalem/0000017f-db21-d3a5-af7f-fbaf31240000 |url-status=live }}</ref> There is a Palestinian Authority regional office and an electoral office located in the [[Al-Ram|Dahiyat al Barid]] neighbourhood.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Israeli Authorities Were Unaware of Jerusalem City Limits When Shuttering Palestinian Mapping Office |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2017-03-21/ty-article/.premium/police-were-unaware-of-jerusalem-city-limits-when-shuttering-palestinian-mapping-office/0000017f-e06d-d38f-a57f-e67f01870000 |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=Haaretz |language=en |archive-date=8 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250108211056/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2017-03-21/ty-article/.premium/police-were-unaware-of-jerusalem-city-limits-when-shuttering-palestinian-mapping-office/0000017f-e06d-d38f-a57f-e67f01870000 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Municipal administration==
{{main|Municipality of Jerusalem}}

The Jerusalem [[city council|City Council]] is a body of 31 elected members headed by the mayor, who serves a five-year term and appoints eight deputies. The former mayor of Jerusalem, [[Uri Lupolianski]], was elected in 2003.<ref name="Cidor-2007">{{cite news |last=Cidor |first=Peggy |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=15 March 2007 |title=Corridors of Power: A tale of two councils |url=https://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173879092720&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |access-date=28 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716012336/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173879092720&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |archive-date=16 July 2011}}</ref> In the November 2008 city elections, [[Nir Barkat]] was elected. In November 2018 [[Moshe Lion]] was elected mayor.<ref>{{cite news |title=Moshe Lion elected Jerusalem Mayor in dramatic finish |url=https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-moshe-lion-elected-jerusalem-mayor-in-dramatic-finish-1001260573 |date=14 November 2018 |access-date=15 December 2018 |first=Tal |last=Schneider |newspaper=[[Globes (newspaper)|Globes]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216074141/https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-moshe-lion-elected-jerusalem-mayor-in-dramatic-finish-1001260573 |archive-date=16 December 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Apart from the mayor and his deputies, City Council members receive no salaries and work on a voluntary basis. The longest-serving Jerusalem mayor is [[Teddy Kollek]], who spent 28 years—six consecutive terms—in office. Most of the meetings of the Jerusalem City Council are private, but each month, it holds a session that is open to the public.<ref name="Cidor-2007"/> Within the city council, religious political parties form an especially powerful faction, accounting for the majority of its seats.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Jerusalem Becomes A Battleground Over Gay Rights Vs. Religious Beliefs |url=http://www.coxwashington.com/hp/content/reporters/stories/2006/11/11/BC_ISRAEL_GAYS10_COX.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223111106/http://www.coxwashington.com/hp/content/reporters/stories/2006/11/11/BC_ISRAEL_GAYS10_COX.html |archive-date=23 December 2007 |last=Coker |first=Margaret |access-date=28 March 2007 |date=11 November 2006 |publisher=Cox Newspapers}}</ref>

The headquarters of the Jerusalem Municipality and the mayor's office are at [[Safra Square]] (''Kikar Safra'') on [[Jaffa Road]]. The municipal complex, comprising two modern buildings and ten renovated historic buildings surrounding a large plaza, opened in 1993 when it moved from the [[Jerusalem Old Town Hall|old town hall]] building built by the [[Mandate Palestine|Mandate authorities]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_sys/picture/atarim/site_form_atar_eng.asp?site_id=147&pic_cat=2&icon_cat=6&york_cat=7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021031151337/http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_sys/picture/atarim/site_form_atar_eng.asp?site_id=147&pic_cat=2&icon_cat=6&york_cat=7 |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 October 2002 |publisher=The Municipality of Jerusalem |access-date=24 April 2007 |title=Safra Square—City Hall}}</ref> The city falls under the [[Jerusalem District]], with Jerusalem as the district's capital. 37% of the population is Palestinian, but in 2014 not more than 10% of tax revenues were allocated for them. In East Jerusalem, 52% of the land was excluded from development, 35% designated for Jewish settlements, and 13% for Palestinian use, almost all of which was already built upon.<ref>[[Nathan Thrall]], [http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n23/nathan-thrall/rage-in-jerusalem 'Rage in Jerusalem,'] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906092249/http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n23/nathan-thrall/rage-in-jerusalem |date=6 September 2015 }} [[London Review of Books]] Vol. 36 No. 23 4 December 2014, pp. 19–21.</ref>

In the [[Oslo I Accord]], certain parts of few neighbourhoods were allotted to the [[Palestinian Authority]]. Parts of [[Sur Baher]], Wadi al-Hummus, [[Umm Leisun inscription|Umm Leisun]] and [[Umm Tuba]], altogether came under [[Area A]], which is completely controlled by the Palestinian Authority.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Unique Status of the Jerusalem Suburb of Wadi Hummus |url=https://jcpa.org/article/the-unique-status-of-the-jerusalem-suburb-of-wadi-hummus/ |access-date=1 March 2024 |website=Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs |language=en-US |archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220144346/https://jcpa.org/article/the-unique-status-of-the-jerusalem-suburb-of-wadi-hummus/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Al-Ram]] and Dahiyat al-Barid are mostly in [[Area B]], where both Palestine and Israel has control.<ref>[http://vprofile.arij.org/jerusalem/pdfs/vprofile/Ar%20Ram_EN.pdf Ar Ram Town Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516124646/http://vprofile.arij.org/jerusalem/pdfs/vprofile/Ar%20Ram_EN.pdf |date=16 May 2024 }}, ARIJ, 2012, pp. 18-19</ref> Other parts of [[Beit Hanina]], [[Kafr Aqab]] and [['Arab al-Jahalin|Arab al-Jahalin]] also falls under Area B.<ref>[http://vprofile.arij.org/jerusalem/pdfs/vprofile/beithanina.pdf Beit Hanina Town Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122131509/http://vprofile.arij.org/jerusalem/pdfs/vprofile/beithanina.pdf |date=22 November 2023 }}, ARIJ, 2013, p. 16</ref><ref>[http://vprofile.arij.org/jerusalem/pdfs/vprofile/Arab%20al%20Jahalin_EN.pdf 'Arab al Jahalin Locality Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504131419/http://vprofile.arij.org/jerusalem/pdfs/vprofile/Arab%20al%20Jahalin_EN.pdf |date=4 May 2023 }}, ARIJ, p. 17</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ragson |first=Adam |title=Jerusalem's no man's land: Chaos and anarchy in the Kafr Aqab neighborhood |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalems-no-mans-land-chaos-and-anarchy-in-the-kafr-aqab-neighborhood/ |work=[[The Times of Israel]] |access-date=1 March 2024 |archive-date=1 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301235637/https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalems-no-mans-land-chaos-and-anarchy-in-the-kafr-aqab-neighborhood/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{wide image|Panorámica de Jerusalén desde el Monte de los Olivos.jpg|1000px|align-cap=center|A panorama of the [[Temple Mount]] (Haram al-Sharif or Al-Aqsa compound), including [[Al-Aqsa Mosque]], and [[Dome of the Rock]], from the [[Mount of Olives]]}}

Jerusalem is situated on the southern spur of a [[plateau]] in the [[Judaean Mountains]], which include the [[Mount of Olives]] (East) and [[Mount Scopus]] (North East). The elevation of the Old City is approximately {{cvt|760|m|ft|sigfig=3}}.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Drought Management Planning in Water Supply Systems |last=Cabrera |first=Enrique |author2=Jorge García-Serra |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-7923-5294-5 |publisher=Springer |page=[https://archive.org/details/droughtmanagemen0000unse/page/304 304] |quote=The Old City of Jerusalem (760 m) in the central hills |url=https://archive.org/details/droughtmanagemen0000unse/page/304}}</ref> The whole of Jerusalem is surrounded by valleys and dry [[Wadi|riverbeds]] (''wadis''). The [[Kidron Valley|Kidron]], [[Gehenna|Hinnom]], and [[Tyropoeon Valley|Tyropoeon]] Valleys intersect in an area just south of the Old City of Jerusalem.<ref name="Bergsohn-2006">{{cite web |url=https://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/nes263/spring06/scb48/Final%20Website/Geography%20Page.html |last=Bergsohn |first=Sam |date=15 May 2006 |access-date=9 February 2007 |title=Geography |publisher=Cornell University |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714134629/http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/nes263/spring06/scb48/Final%20Website/Geography%20Page.html |archive-date=14 July 2007}}</ref> The Kidron Valley runs to the east of the Old City and separates the Mount of Olives from the city proper. Along the southern side of old Jerusalem is the Valley of Hinnom, a steep ravine associated in biblical [[eschatology]] with the concept of [[Gehenna]] or [[Hell]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Four Views on Hell |last=Walvoord |first=John |publisher=Zondervan |year=1996 |author2=Zachary J. Hayes |author3=Clark H. Pinnock |author4=William Crockett |author5=Stanley N. Gundry |isbn=978-0-310-21268-3 |page=58 |chapter=The Metaphorical View}}</ref>

The [[Tyropoeon Valley]] commenced in the northwest near the Damascus Gate, ran south-southeasterly through the centre of the Old City down to the [[Pool of Siloam]], and divided the lower part into two hills, the Temple Mount to the east, and the rest of the city to the west, the lower and the upper cities described by [[Josephus]]. Today, this valley is hidden by debris that has accumulated over the centuries.<ref name="Bergsohn-2006"/> In biblical times Jerusalem was surrounded by forests of almond, olive and pine trees. These were destroyed by centuries of warfare and neglect. Dating back to the [[History of Israel#Early Israelites (Iron Age I)|Iron Age]], farmers in the arid Jerusalem region built stone terraces along the slopes of hills to hold back the soil and allow for concentrated farming; these terraces are still very much in evidence in the Jerusalem landscape.<ref>Hasson, Nir. [https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2021-01-06/ty-article-magazine/.premium/geologists-solve-archaeological-mystery-about-early-farmers-in-israel/0000017f-db3c-df9c-a17f-ff3c3f8b0000 "Geologists Solve Archaeological Mystery About Early Farmers in Israel"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628194636/https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2021-01-06/ty-article-magazine/.premium/geologists-solve-archaeological-mystery-about-early-farmers-in-israel/0000017f-db3c-df9c-a17f-ff3c3f8b0000 |date=28 June 2022 }}, ''[[Haaretz]]'', January 6, 2021. Accessed February 22, 2026. "One such conundrum has been archaeological evidence of relatively intense hilltop farming thousands of years ago in the relatively arid Jerusalem area, the Judean lowlands and northern West Bank. The Iron Age and Byzantine farmers cultivated the chalky, hilly land mostly by terracing."</ref>

Water supply has always been a major problem in Jerusalem, as attested to by the intricate network of ancient [[aqueduct (watercourse)|aqueducts]], tunnels, pools and cisterns found in the city.<ref>{{cite journal |jstor=3137039 |title=The Water Supply of Jerusalem, Ancient and Modern |first=E. W. G. |last=Masterman |journal=The Biblical World |volume=19 |issue=2 |date=February 1902 |pages=87–112 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |doi=10.1086/472951 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Jerusalem is {{cvt|60|km|mi|0}}<ref>{{Cite book |title=Taking Space Seriously: Law, Space and Society in Contemporary Israel |last=Rosen-Zvi |first=Issachar |isbn=978-0-7546-2351-9 |date=2004 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |page=37 |quote=Thus, for instance, the distance between the four large metropolitan regions are—39 miles}}</ref> east of [[Tel Aviv]] and the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. On the opposite side of the city, approximately {{cvt|35|km|mi|0}}<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5750610 |publisher=NBC News |agency=The Associated Press |date=18 August 2004 |title=Debate flares anew over Dead Sea Scrolls |access-date=9 February 2007 |last=Federman |first=Josef |archive-date=17 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017143456/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5750610/ |url-status=live}}</ref> away, is the [[Dead Sea]], the [[Extremes on Earth|lowest body of water]] on Earth. Neighbouring cities and towns include [[Bethlehem]] and [[Beit Jala]] to the south, [[Abu Dis]] and [[Ma'ale Adumim]] to the east, [[Mevaseret Zion]] to the west, and Ramallah and [[Giv'at Ze'ev]] to the north.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~maeira/About%20us/Introduction/Introduction.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050405000137/http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~maeira/About%20us/Introduction/Introduction.html |archive-date=5 April 2005 |work=The Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Expedition |publisher=Bar Ilan University |access-date=24 April 2007 |title=Introduction}}{{cbignore}} (Image located here [http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080731210023/http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~maeira/About%20us/Introduction/Map_Jerusalem_K_Menahem_small.jpg Archived copy] at the [[Library of Congress]] (31 July 2008).)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eyeonisrael.com/Israel-touring-map.html |publisher=Eye on Israel |access-date=25 April 2007 |title=Map of Israel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427145816/http://www.eyeonisrael.com/Israel-touring-map.html |archive-date=27 April 2007 |url-status=dead}} (See map 9 for Jerusalem)</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title='One more Obstacle to Peace'—A new Israeli Neighborhood on the lands of Jerusalem city |url=http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=1025 |publisher=The Applied Research Institute—Jerusalem |date=10 March 2007 |access-date=24 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131211621/http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=1025 |archive-date=31 January 2008}})</ref>

[[Mount Herzl]], at the western side of the city near the [[Jerusalem Forest]], serves as the national cemetery of Israel.<ref>[https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-801355 "From dream to reality: The history of Mount Herzl as Israel's National Cemetery"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250624194809/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-801355 |date=24 June 2025 }}, ''[[The Jerusalem Post]]'', May 16, 2024. Accessed February 22, 2026. "Three months before the opening of the National Cemetery, the body of Theodor Herzl was transported from its original resting place in Vienna to the then-unnamed hill in Jerusalem. The hill was selected after Mount Scopus was made a non-option during the Independence War; it also faces the Mount of Olives, making it a fitting location..... The National Cemetery was established on Mount Herzl in November 1949 by the decision of the Defense Ministry."</ref> The body of [[Theodor Herzl]], the cemetery's namesake and the visionary behind the Zionist movement that led to the establishment of the State of Israel, was disinterred from a cemetery in [[Vienna]], flown to Israel and buried at the site on August 17, 1949, before the formal opening of the cemetery three months later.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1949/08/18/archives/israelis-reinter-herzl-atop-a-jerusalem-hill.html "Israelis Re-Inter Herzl Atop a Jerusalem Hill"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 18, 1949. Accessed February 22, 2026. "The body of Theodor Herzl, who is credited with transforming Zionism from a mystic dream to a practical movement leading to the establishment of the Jewish State, was reinterred here today on the peak of Jerusalem's highest hill. It was buried in a coffin that had lain for forty-five years in a Vienna cemetery. An estimated 400,000 Israelis turned out to see the coffin between its landing yesterday at Lydda Airport and the final interment today."</ref>


<gallery widths="200" heights="135">
File:Jeruselum 1918 Hurley SLNSW FL520655.jpg|Aerial view of Jerusalem, 1918
File:Jerusalem, Israel.JPG|Astronauts' view of Jerusalem
File:Israel-2013-Aerial-Mount of Olives.jpg|Sunset aerial photograph of the [[Mount of Olives]]
</gallery>

===Climate===
[[File:העיר העתיקה בירושלים בלבן.jpg|thumb|Snow visible on roofs in the Old City of Jerusalem]]
The city is characterised by a [[hot-summer Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Csa''), with hot, dry summers, and mild, wet winters. Snow flurries usually occur once or twice a winter, although the city experiences heavy [[snowfall]] every three to four years, on average, with short-lived accumulation.

January is the coldest month of the year, with an average temperature of {{cvt|9.1|°C|1}}; July and August are the hottest months, with an average temperature of {{cvt|24.2|°C|1}}, and the summer months are usually rainless. The average annual precipitation is around {{cvt|537|mm|in|0}}, with rain occurring almost entirely between October and May.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mean Daily Sunshine on each month for Jerusalem, Israel |publisher=The Weather Channel |url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/ISXX0010?from=month_bottomnav_business |access-date=7 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114085738/http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/ISXX0010?from=month_bottomnav_business |archive-date=14 November 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Snowfall is rare, and large snowfalls are even more rare.<ref name="Lappin-2013">{{cite news |title=Roads to Jerusalem closed as huge storm batters Israel |first=Yaakov |last=Lappin |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=13 December 2013 |url=https://www.jpost.com/National-News/Police-IDF-called-in-to-help-motorists-stranded-in-snow-in-Jerusalem-BG-Airport-shut-temporarily-334920 |access-date=13 December 2013 |archive-date=25 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425111635/https://www.jpost.com///national-news/police-idf-called-in-to-help-motorists-stranded-in-snow-in-jerusalem-bg-airport-shut-temporarily-334920 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Samenow-2013">{{cite news |title=Biblical snowstorm: Rare flakes in Cairo, Jerusalem paralyzed by over a foot |first=Jason |last=Samenow |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=13 December 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/12/13/rare-snow-in-cairo-jerusalem-paralyzed-in-historic-snow/ |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-date=3 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903233952/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/12/13/rare-snow-in-cairo-jerusalem-paralyzed-in-historic-snow/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Jerusalem received over {{cvt|30|cm|in}} of snow on 13 December 2013, which nearly paralysed the city.<ref name="Lappin-2013"/><ref name="Samenow-2013"/> A day in Jerusalem has on average, 9.3 sunshine hours. With summers averaging similar temperatures as the coastline, the maritime influence from the [[Mediterranean Sea]] is strong, in particular given that Jerusalem is located on a similar latitude as scorching hot deserts not far to its east.

The highest recorded temperature in Jerusalem was {{cvt|44.4|°C|1}} on 28 and 30 August 1881, and the lowest temperature recorded was {{cvt|−6.7|°C|1}} on 25 January 1907.

Most of the air pollution in Jerusalem comes from vehicular traffic.<ref name="Ma'oz-2000">{{Cite book |title=Jerusalem: Points of Friction-And Beyond |last=Ma'oz |first=Moshe |publisher=Brill Academic Publishers |year=2000 |author2=Sari Nusseibeh |isbn=978-90-411-8843-4 |pages=44–46}}</ref> Many main streets in Jerusalem were not built to accommodate such a large volume of traffic, leading to traffic congestion and more [[carbon monoxide]] released into the air. Industrial pollution inside the city is sparse, but emissions from factories on the [[Israeli coastal plain|Israeli Mediterranean coast]] can travel eastward and settle over the city.<ref name="Ma'oz-2000"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411414621&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |title=Worst ozone pollution in Beit Shemesh, Gush Etzion |author=Rory Kess |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=16 September 2007 |access-date=23 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624112024/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411414621&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |archive-date=24 June 2011}}</ref>

{{Weather box|location=Jerusalem (1991–2020 normals)
|metric first= yes
|single line=Y
|Jan record high C = 24.4
|Feb record high C = 27.5
|Mar record high C = 32.7
|Apr record high C = 35.6
|May record high C = 38.6
|Jun record high C = 38.4
|Jul record high C = 40.6
|Aug record high C = 44.4
|Sep record high C = 42.7
|Oct record high C = 36.5
|Nov record high C = 32.6
|Dec record high C = 28.5
|year record high C = 44.4
|Jan high C = 12.7
|Feb high C = 14.0
|Mar high C = 17.4
|Apr high C = 22.0
|May high C = 26.2
|Jun high C = 28.6
|Jul high C = 30.0
|Aug high C = 30.3
|Sep high C = 28.9
|Oct high C = 25.9
|Nov high C = 19.9
|Dec high C = 14.9
|year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 9.8
|Feb mean C = 10.7
|Mar mean C = 13.4
|Apr mean C = 17.3
|May mean C = 21.2
|Jun mean C = 23.5
|Jul mean C = 25.0
|Aug mean C = 25.3
|Sep mean C = 24.0
|Oct mean C = 21.6
|Nov mean C = 16.4
|Dec mean C = 11.9
|year mean C = 
|Jan low C = 6.7
|Feb low C = 7.3
|Mar low C = 9.5
|Apr low C = 12.5
|May low C = 16.2
|Jun low C = 18.3
|Jul low C = 20.0
|Aug low C = 20.2
|Sep low C = 19.1
|Oct low C = 17.3
|Nov low C = 12.9
|Dec low C = 8.8
|year low C = 
|Jan record low C = -6.7
|Feb record low C = -2.5
|Mar record low C = -0.3
|Apr record low C = 0.8
|May record low C = 7.6
|Jun record low C = 11.0
|Jul record low C = 14.6
|Aug record low C = 15.5
|Sep record low C = 13.2
|Oct record low C = 9.8
|Nov record low C = 1.8
|Dec record low C = -0.4
|year record low C = -6.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 136.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 117.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 67.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 21.8
|May precipitation mm = 7.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 0.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 0.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 0.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 10.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 51.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 112.3
|year precipitation mm = 
|unit precipitation days = 1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 9.2
|Feb precipitation days = 8.5
|Mar precipitation days = 6.2
|Apr precipitation days = 2.4
|May precipitation days = 0.8
|Jun precipitation days = 0.0
|Jul precipitation days = 0.0
|Aug precipitation days = 0.0
|Sep precipitation days = 0.2
|Oct precipitation days = 1.9
|Nov precipitation days = 4.7
|Dec precipitation days = 7.7
|year precipitation days = 
|Jan humidity = 61
|Feb humidity = 59
|Mar humidity = 52
|Apr humidity = 39
|May humidity = 35
|Jun humidity = 37
|Jul humidity = 40
|Aug humidity = 40
|Sep humidity = 40
|Oct humidity = 42
|Nov humidity = 48
|Dec humidity = 56
|Jan sun = 192.9
|Feb sun = 243.6
|Mar sun = 226.3
|Apr sun = 266.6
|May sun = 331.7
|Jun sun = 381.0
|Jul sun = 384.4
|Aug sun = 365.8
|Sep sun = 309.0
|Oct sun = 275.9
|Nov sun = 228.0
|Dec sun = 192.2
|year sun = 3397.4
|source 1=[[Israel Meteorological Service]] (records until 1990)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo |title=Long Term Climate Information for Israel |date=August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914010915/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo |archive-date=14 September 2010}}{{in lang|he}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael/ |title=Record Data in Israel |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124024203/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael |archive-date=24 January 2010}}{{in lang|he}}</ref>
|source 2 = NOAA (normal values & records, 1991–2020)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Israel/CSV/JERUSALEM_40183.csv |title=WMO Climate Normals for Jerusalem 1991–2020 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=25 October 2023 |archive-date=12 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112053004/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Israel/CSV/JERUSALEM_40183.csv |url-status=live}}</ref> (sun, 1961–1990)<ref>{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/IS/40184.TXT |title=Jerusalem Climate Normals 1961–1990 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019015618/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/IS/40184.TXT |archive-date=2017-10-19 |url-status=dead |access-date=26 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=40183&ano=2025&mes=11&day=5&hora=18&min=0&ndays=30 |title= 40183:   Jerusalem Centre (Israel)|author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 5 November 2025|website=ogimet.com |publisher=OGIMET |access-date= 9 November 2025|quote=}}</ref>
|date=August 2016}}

==Demographics==
===Demographic history===
{{Main|Demographic history of Jerusalem}}

[[File:Demographic history of Jerusalem by religion.png|thumb|361x361px|Demographic history of Jerusalem by religion based on available data]]

Jerusalem's population size and composition have shifted many times over its 5,000-year history. Since the 19th century, the [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City]] of Jerusalem has been divided into [[Jewish Quarter (Jerusalem)|Jewish]], [[Muslim Quarter (Jerusalem)|Muslim]], [[Christian Quarter|Christian]] and [[Armenian Quarter|Armenian quarters]]. Matthew Teller writes that this convention may have originated in the [[1840–41 Royal Engineers maps of Palestine, Lebanon and Syria|1841 British Royal Engineers map of Jerusalem]],<ref name="Teller-2022">{{cite book |last=Teller |first=Matthew |title=Nine Quarters of Jerusalem: A New Biography of the Old City |publisher=[[Profile Books]] |year=2022 |issue=map |isbn=978-1-78283-904-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SgQ3EAAAQBAJ |access-date=30 May 2023 |page=Chapter 1 |quote=What wasn't corrected, though—and what, in retrospect, should have raised much more controversy than it did (it seems to have passed completely unremarked for the last 170-odd years)—was [[1840–41 Royal Engineers maps of Palestine, Lebanon and Syria|[Aldrich and Symonds's] map's]] labelling. Because here, newly arcing across the familiar quadrilateral of Jerusalem, are four double labels in bold capitals. At top left ''Haret En-Nassara'' and, beneath it, ''Christian Quarter''; at bottom left ''Haret El-Arman'' and ''Armenian Quarter''; at bottom centre ''Haret El-Yehud'' and ''Jews' Quarter''; and at top right—the big innovation, covering perhaps half the city—''Haret El-Muslimin'' and ''Mohammedan Quarter'', had shown this before. Every map has shown it since. The idea, in 1841, of a Mohammedan (that is, Muslim) quarter of Jerusalem is bizarre. It's like a Catholic quarter of Rome. A Hindu quarter of Delhi. Nobody living there would conceive of the city in such a way. At that time, and for centuries before and decades after, Jerusalem was, if the term means anything at all, a Muslim city. Many people identified in other ways, but large numbers of Jerusalemites were Muslim and they lived all over the city. A Muslim quarter could only have been dreamt up by outsiders, searching for a handle on a place they barely understood, intent on asserting their own legitimacy among a hostile population, seeing what they wanted to see. Its only purpose could be to draw attention to what it excludes. |archive-date=9 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194835/https://books.google.com/books?id=SgQ3EAAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}</ref> or at least the Rev. [[George Williams (priest)|George Williams]]' subsequent labelling of it.<ref>{{cite book |last=Teller |first=Matthew |title=Nine Quarters of Jerusalem: A New Biography of the Old City |publisher=[[Profile Books]] |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-78283-904-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SgQ3EAAAQBAJ |access-date=30 May 2023 |page=Chapter 1 |quote=But it may not have been Aldrich and Symonds. Below the frame of their map, printed in italic script, a single line notes that 'The Writing' had been added by 'the [[George Williams (priest)|Revd. G. Williams]]' and 'the Revd. Robert Willis'… Some sources suggest [Williams] arrived before [[Michael Alexander (bishop)|[Michael] Alexander]], in 1841. If so, did he meet Aldrich and Symonds? We don't know. But Williams became their champion, defending them when the Haram inaccuracy came up and then publishing their work. The survey the two Royal Engineers did was not intended for commercial release (Aldrich had originally been sent to [[Syria (region)|Syria]] under 'secret service'), and it was several years before their military plan of Jerusalem came to public attention, published first in 1845 by their senior officer Alderson in plain form, without most of the detail and labelling, and then in full in 1849, in the second edition of Williams's book The Holy City. Did Aldrich and/or Symonds invent the idea of four quarters in Jerusalem? It's possible, but they were military surveyors, not scholars. It seems more likely they spent their very short stay producing a usable street-plan for their superior officers, without necessarily getting wrapped up in details of names and places. The 1845 publication, shorn of street names, quarter labels and other detail, suggests that… Compounding his anachronisms, and perhaps with an urge to reproduce Roman urban design in this new context, Williams writes how two main streets, north-south and east-west, 'divide Jerusalem into four quarters.' Then the crucial line: 'The subdivisions of the streets and quarters are numerous, but unimportant.' Historians will, I hope, be able to delve more deeply into Williams's work, but for me, this is evidence enough. For almost two hundred years, virtually the entire world has accepted the ill-informed, dismissive judgementalism of a jejune Old Etonian missionary as representing enduring fact about the social make-up of Jerusalem. It's shameful… With Britain's increased standing in Palestine after 1840, and the growth of interest in biblical archaeology that was to become an obsession a few decades later, it was vital for the Protestant missionaries to establish boundaries in Jerusalem… Williams spread his ideas around. {{ill|Ernst Gustav Schultz|de||he|ארנסט גוסטב שולץ}}, who came to Jerusalem in 1842 as Prussian vice-consul, writes in his 1845 book Jerusalem: ''Eine Vorlesung'' ('A Lecture'): 'It is with sincere gratitude I must mention that, on my arrival in Jerusalem, Mr Williams ... willingly alerted me to the important information that he [and] another young Anglican clergyman, Mr Rolands, had discovered about the topography of [Jerusalem].' Later come the lines: 'Let us now divide the city into quarters,' and, after mentioning Jews and Christians, 'All the rest of the city is the Mohammedan Quarter.' Included was [[Kiepert maps of Palestine and Jerusalem|a map]], drawn by [[Heinrich Kiepert]], that labelled the four quarters, mirroring Williams's treatment in ''The Holy City''. |archive-date=9 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194835/https://books.google.com/books?id=SgQ3EAAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Most population data before 1905 are based on estimates, often from foreign travellers or organisations, since previous census data usually covered wider areas such as the [[Jerusalem District]].<ref>Usiel Oskar Schmelz, in Ottoman Palestine, 1800–1914: studies in economic and social history, Gad G. Gilbar, Brill Archive, 1990 {{Google books |id=sdYUAAAAIAAJ |title=Ottoman Palestine 1800–1940}}</ref> These estimates suggest that since the end of the [[Crusades]], Muslims formed the largest group in Jerusalem until the mid-nineteenth century.

Between 1838 and 1876 a number of estimates exist which conflict as to whether Jews or Muslims were the largest group during this period, and between 1882 and 1922 estimates conflict as to exactly when Jews became an absolute majority of the population.

===Current demographics===
{{See also|Demographics of Jerusalem by quarter}}
[[File:Jerusalem population pyramid.svg|thumb|Jerusalem population pyramid in 2021]]

{{sort under}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sort-under floatright" style="width:450px"
|+Approximate 2021 population for East/West Jerusalem (UN-recognised 1967 border)
|-
!style="line-height:100%"| <small>West or East<br/>(1967 borders)</small>
!style="line-height:100%"| <small>Total</small>
!style="line-height:100%"| <small>Jews<br/>and<br/>others</small>
!style="line-height:100%"| <small>Jews<br/>and<br/>others<br/>%</small>
!style="line-height:100%"| <small>Approx.<br/># of<br/>Ultra-<br/>Orthodox</small>
!style="line-height:100%"| <small>Ultra-<br/>Orthodox<br/>as %<br/>of "Jews<br/>and Others"</small>
!style="line-height:100%"| <small>Arabs/<br/>Pale-<br/>stinians</small>
!style="line-height:100%"| <small>Pale-<br/>stinian<br/>%</small>
|-
| style=background:#fbd4d4; | '''East Jerusalem'''  || style=background:#fbd4d4; |611,370 || style=background:#fbd4d4; |240,831|| style=background:#fbd4d4; | 39.4% || style=background:#fbd4d4; |111,121|| style=background:#fbd4d4; | 46.1%|| style=background:#fbd4d4; |370,532 || style=background:#fbd4d4; |	60.6%
|-
| style=background:aliceblue;| '''West&nbsp;Jerusalem'''  ||  style=background:aliceblue;| 354,840 || style=background:aliceblue;| 349,734 || style=background:aliceblue;|  98.6% ||  style=background:aliceblue;| 166,688 ||  style=background:aliceblue;| 47.7% || style=background:aliceblue;| 5,088 ||  style=background:aliceblue;| 1.4%
|-
| style=background:#e6e6f6| '''Total&nbsp;Jerusalem'''  || style=background:#e6e6f6| '''966,210''' ||style=background:#e6e6f6|  '''590,565'''	||style=background:#e6e6f6| 61% ||style=background:#e6e6f6| '''277,809''' ||style=background:#e6e6f6|  47%||style=background:#e6e6f6|  '''375,620'''||style=background:#e6e6f6|  39%
|-
| colspan = 8 style="background:white;text-align:left;line-height:100%"| <small>Some sub-quarters straddle the [[Green Line (Israel)|Green Line]] and in those cases the sub-quarter is assigned to the sector (East or West) into which most of the area falls. Source: Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Table III/5—Population of Jerusalem by Population Group, Religious Identification, Quarter and Sub-Quarter, 2021 |url=https://jerusaleminstitute.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/shnaton_C0523.pdf |website=Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research |access-date=15 February 2024 |archive-date=15 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240215221031/https://jerusaleminstitute.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/shnaton_C0523.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Totals do not sum exactly due to the presentation of some ethnoreligious groups as percentages of totals.</small>
|}

In December 2007 Jerusalem had a population of 747,600—63.7% were Jewish, 33.1% Muslim, and 2% Christian.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Israel Central Bureau of Statistics |title=Table 3.&nbsp;– Population (1) of Localities Numbering Above 2,000 Residents and Other Rural Population on 31/12/2008 |url=http://www.cbs.gov.il/population/new_2009/table3.pdf |access-date=26 October 2009 |archive-date=9 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409211826/http://www.cbs.gov.il/population/new_2009/table3.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

According to a study published in 2000, the percentage of Jews in the city's population had been decreasing; this was attributed to a higher Muslim [[birth rate]], and Jewish residents leaving. The study also found that about nine percent of the Old City's 32,488 people were Jews.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/meast/09/26/mideast.jerusalem.reut/index.html |title=Arab population growth outpaces Jews in Jerusalem |agency=Reuters |date=26 September 2000 |access-date=25 July 2018 |publisher=[[CNN]] |archive-date=24 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124020225/http://edition.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/meast/09/26/mideast.jerusalem.reut/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Of the Jewish population, 200,000 live in East Jerusalem settlements which are considered illegal under international law.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24741524 |title=Israel approves new East Jerusalem settlement homes |newspaper=BBC News |access-date=12 February 2016 |date=30 October 2013 |archive-date=16 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016001058/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24741524 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2005, 2,850 new immigrants settled in Jerusalem, mostly from the United States, France and the former [[Soviet Union]]. In terms of the local population, the number of outgoing residents exceeds the number of incoming residents. In 2005, 16,000 left Jerusalem and only 10,000 moved in.<ref name="Central Bureau of Statistics-2006">{{cite web |publisher=Central Bureau of Statistics |title=Press Release: Jerusalem Day |date=24 May 2006 |url=http://www.cbs.gov.il/hodaot2006n/11_06_106e.pdf |access-date=10 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614014210/http://www.cbs.gov.il/hodaot2006n/11_06_106e.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Nevertheless, the population of Jerusalem continues to rise due to the high birth rate, especially in the [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi Jewish]] and [[Arab people|Arab]] communities. Consequently, the [[total fertility rate]] in Jerusalem (4.02) is higher than in Tel Aviv (1.98) and well above the national average of 2.90. The average size of Jerusalem's 180,000 households is 3.8 people.<ref name="Central Bureau of Statistics-2006" />

In 2005 the total population grew by 13,000 (1.8%)—similar to the Israeli national average, but the religious and ethnic composition is shifting. While 31% of the Jewish population is made up of children below the age fifteen, the figure for the Arab population is 42%.<ref name="Central Bureau of Statistics-2006" />

In 1967 Jews accounted for 74% of the population, while the figure for 2006 is down by 9%.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3254277,00.html |website=Ynetnews |title=Jerusalem: More tourists, fewer Jews |access-date=10 March 2007 |last=Sela |first=Neta |archive-date=26 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126160709/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3254277,00.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Possible factors are the high cost of housing, fewer job opportunities and the increasingly religious character of the city, although proportionally, young [[Haredi Judaism|Haredim]] are leaving in higher numbers.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}} The percentage of secular Jews, or those who 'wear their faith lightly' is dropping, with some 20,000 leaving the city over the past seven years (2012). They now number 31% of the population, the same percentage as the rising Haredi population.

In 2010, 61% of all Jewish children in Jerusalem studied in Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) schools. This correlates with the high number of children in Haredi families.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3883620,00.html |title=Only 1 in 8 pupils in Jerusalem is secular |access-date=28 December 2022 |archive-date=28 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221228120210/https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3883620,00.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

While some secular Jews leave Jerusalem for its relative lack of development and religious and political tensions, Jerusalem-born Palestinians cannot leave Jerusalem, or they lose their right to live in the city. Palestinians with a "Jerusalem resident status" are entitled to the subsidised healthcare and social security benefits Israel provides to its citizens, and have the right to vote in municipal elections, but not to be voted in municipal elections, or to vote in national elections. Arabs in Jerusalem can send their children to Israeli-run schools, although not every neighbourhood has one, and universities. Israeli doctors and highly regarded hospitals such as [[Hadassah Medical Center|Hadassah Medical Centre]] are available to residents.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-barrier4jun04,1,5853828,full.story |title=Change cast in concrete |author=Ken Ellingwood |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=22 July 2009 |date=4 June 2007 |archive-date=14 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414202513/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-barrier4jun04,1,5853828,full.story |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Demographics and the Jewish-Arab population divide play a major role in the dispute over Jerusalem. In 1998, the [[Jerusalem Development Authority]] expanded city limits to the west to include more areas heavily populated with Jews.<ref name="Laub-2006">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/02/AR2006120200463_pf.html |title=Jerusalem Barrier Causes Major Upheaval |date=2 December 2006 |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Laub |first=Karin |access-date=10 March 2007 |archive-date=7 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407094614/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/02/AR2006120200463_pf.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Within the past few years, there has been a steady increase in the Jewish birthrate and a steady decrease in the Arab birthrate. In May 2012 it was reported that the Jewish birthrate had overtaken the Arab birthrate. The city's birthrate stands about 4.2 children per Jewish family and 3.9 children per Arab family.<ref>{{cite web |author=Peggy Cidor |url=https://www.jpost.com/InJerusalem/CityFront/Article.aspx?id=270431 |title=Jerusalem 2012—the state of things |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=17 May 2012 |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-date=31 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031133233/http://www.jpost.com/InJerusalem/CityFront/Article.aspx?id=270431 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/155980 |title=Jewish Birthrate Up, Arab Rate Down in Jerusalem—Inside Israel |publisher=Arutz Sheva |date=20 May 2012 |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-date=8 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408094412/http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/155980 |url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, increasing numbers of Jewish immigrants chose to settle in Jerusalem. In the last few years, thousands of Palestinians have moved to previously fully Jewish neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem, built after the 1967 Six-Day War. In 2007, 1,300 Palestinians lived in the previously exclusively Jewish neighbourhood of [[Pisgat Ze'ev]] and constituted 3% of the population in [[Neve Ya'akov]]. In the [[French Hill (neighborhood)|French Hill]] neighbourhood Palestinians today constitute one-sixth of the overall population.<ref>{{cite web |first=Ben |last=Hubbard |url=http://www.cjp.org/page.aspx?id=206230 |title=Holy city twist: Arabs moving into Jewish areas |work=Cjp.org |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730093730/http://www.cjp.org/page.aspx?id=206230 |archive-date=30 July 2013}}</ref>[[File:Jerusalem vista.jpg|thumb|[[Sheikh Jarrah]], a predominantly Arab neighbourhood on the road to [[Mount Scopus]]]]At the end of 2008 the population of East Jerusalem was 456,300, comprising 60% of Jerusalem's residents. Of these 195,500 (43%) were Jews, (comprising 40% of the Jewish population of Jerusalem as a whole), and 260,800 (57%) were Muslim (comprising 98% of the Muslim population of Jerusalem).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chosen |first1=Maya |last2=Korach |first2=Michal |title=Jerusalem: Facts and Trends 2006–2010 |url=https://jerusaleminstitute.org.il/en/publications/jerusalem-facts-and-trends-2009-2010/ |website=Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research |access-date=24 November 2019 |archive-date=13 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113073547/https://jerusaleminstitute.org.il/en/publications/jerusalem-facts-and-trends-2009-2010/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008 the [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] reported the number of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem was 208,000 according to a recently completed census.<ref>{{cite web |title=Palestinians grow by a million in decade |publisher=The Jerusalem Post/AP |date=9 February 2008 |url=https://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=91497 |access-date=18 October 2010 |archive-date=4 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204001402/http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=91497 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Jerusalem's Jewish population is overwhelmingly religious. Only 18% of Jewish residents are secular. In addition, [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi Jews]] comprise 35% of the city's adult Jewish population. In a phenomenon seen rarely around the world, the percentage of Jewish women who work, 81%, exceeds the percentage of Jewish men who work, 70%.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://jerusaleminstitute.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/shnaton_G0522_64-25-1.pdf |title=Table VII/5—Population Aged 25–64 in Jerusalem, by Labor Force Characteristics Population Group and Religious Identification, 2021 |website=jerusaleminstitute.org |access-date=27 December 2022 |archive-date=27 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227211152/https://jerusaleminstitute.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/shnaton_G0522_64-25-1.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

Jerusalem had a population of 804,400 in 2011, of which Jews comprised 499,400 (62.1%), Muslims 281,100 (34.9%), Christians 14,700 (1.8%), and 9,000 (1.1%) were not classified by religion.<ref name="jerusaleminstitute.org.il-2022"/>

Jerusalem had a population of 882,700 in 2016, of which Jews comprised 536,600 (60.8%), Muslims 319,800 (36.2%), Christians 15,800 (1.8%), and 10,300 unclassified (1.2%).<ref name="jerusaleminstitute.org.il-2022"/>

Jerusalem had a population of 951,100 in 2020, of which [[Jews]] comprised 570,100 (59.9%), [[Muslims]] 353.800 (37.2%), [[Christians]] 16.300 (1.7%), and 10,800 unclassified (1.1%).<ref name="jerusaleminstitute.org.il-2022"/>

According to [[Peace Now]], approvals for building in Israeli settlements in [[East Jerusalem]] expanded by 60% under [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Donald Trump's first US presidency]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.apnews.com/98e4ad57e0784e05b9fdde2e0ffd7439 |title=New data shows Israeli settlement surge in east Jerusalem |date=12 September 2019 |work=Associated Press |access-date=13 September 2019 |archive-date=13 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913182134/https://apnews.com/98e4ad57e0784e05b9fdde2e0ffd7439 |url-status=live}}</ref> Since 1991, Palestinians, who make up the majority of the residents in East Jerusalem, have only received 30% of the building permits.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5587170,00.html |title=New data shows Israeli settlement surge in east Jerusalem |work=Ynetnews |date=12 September 2019 |access-date=24 May 2020 |archive-date=12 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912113746/https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5587170,00.html |url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Armenian_Patriarchate_Road_sign_in_Armenian,_Jerusalem.jpg|thumb|Sign in [[Armenian language|Armenian]] in the [[Armenian Quarter]]]]

===Urban planning issues===
Critics of efforts to promote a Jewish majority in Jerusalem say that government planning policies are motivated by demographic considerations and seek to limit Arab construction while promoting Jewish construction.<ref>Allison Hodgkins, "The Judaization of Jerusalem—Israeli Policies Since 1967"; PASSIA publication No. 101, December 1996, (English, p. 88)</ref> According to a [[World Bank]] report, the number of recorded building violations between 1996 and 2000 was four and half times higher in Jewish neighbourhoods but four times fewer demolition orders were issued in West Jerusalem than in East Jerusalem; Arabs in Jerusalem were less likely to receive construction permits than Jews, and "the authorities are much more likely to take action against Palestinian violators" than Jewish violators of the permit process.<ref name="Movement and Access Restrictions in the West Bank"/> In recent years, private Jewish foundations have received permission from the government to develop projects on disputed lands, such as the [[City of David (archaeological site)|City of David archaeological site]] in the 60% Arab neighbourhood of [[Silwan]] (adjacent to the Old City),<ref>{{cite news |first=Meron |last=Rapoport |url=https://news.haaretz.co.il/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=530047&contrassID=1 |title=Land lords |newspaper=[[Haaretz]] |date=20 January 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220142640/http://news.haaretz.co.il/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=530047&contrassID=1 |archive-date=20 December 2008}}</ref> and the [[Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem|Museum of Tolerance]] on Mamilla Cemetery (adjacent to Zion Square).<ref name="Movement and Access Restrictions in the West Bank">[http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWESTBANKGAZA/Resources/WestBankrestrictions9Mayfinal.pdf "Movement and Access Restrictions in the West Bank: Uncertainty and Inefficiency"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410135638/http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWESTBANKGAZA/Resources/WestBankrestrictions9Mayfinal.pdf |date=10 April 2010 }}; World Bank Technical Team, 9 May 2007</ref><ref>Esther Zandberg.[https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/825662.html "The architectural conspiracy of silence"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050506043837/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/825662.html |date=6 May 2005 }}; Haaretz, 24 February 2007</ref>

==Religious significance==
{{Main|Religious significance of Jerusalem}}

[[File:THE_OLD_CITY_JERUSALEM.JPG|thumb|The [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City]] is home to many sites of seminal [[Religious significance of Jerusalem|religious importance]] for the three major [[Abrahamic religions]]—[[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], and [[Islam]].]]
Jerusalem has been sacred to Judaism for roughly 3000 years, to Christianity for around 2000 years, and to Islam for approximately 1400 years. The 2000 Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem lists 1204 synagogues, 158 churches, and 73 mosques within the city.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Protecting Jerusalem's Holy Sites: A Strategy for Negotiating a Sacred Peace |url=https://archive.org/details/protectingjerusa00guin |url-access=limited |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2006 |edition=1st |last=Guinn |first=David E. |isbn=978-0-521-86662-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/protectingjerusa00guin/page/n151 142]}}</ref> Despite efforts to maintain peaceful religious coexistence, some sites, such as the Temple Mount, have been a continuous source of friction and controversy. The [[Temple Mount]] is the holiest spot in [[Judaism]] and the third holiest site in Islam. Jews venerate it as the site of the two former [[Temple in Jerusalem|Temples]] and [[Muslim]]s believe that [[Muhammad in Islam|Muhammad]] was transported from the [[Great Mosque of Mecca]] to this location during the [[Isra and Mi'raj|Night Journey]].

=== Judaism ===
{{Further|Jerusalem in Judaism}}
Jerusalem has been the [[Four Holy Cities|holiest city]] in Judaism and the ancestral and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people since King David proclaimed it his capital in the 10th century BCE.{{refn|group=note|name=bible-david}}<ref name="Since the 10th century BCE" /> Without counting its other names, Jerusalem appears in the [[Hebrew Bible]] 669 times.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Muslim Claim to Jerusalem |date=5 July 2017 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315125374-3 |work=Nothing Abides |pages=11–38 |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9781315125374-3 |isbn=978-1-315-12537-4 |access-date=5 February 2022 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> The first five books of the [[Torah]] (Pentateuch), only mentions [[Moriah]], but in the rest of the Bible, the city is mentioned explicitly.<ref>{{cite news |date=20 June 1995 |title=Parshat Re'eh: No Jerusalem in Torah—Israel Opinion |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3136760,00.html |access-date=17 October 2011 |work=Ynetnews |last1=Burg |first1=Avraham |archive-date=1 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101044831/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3136760,00.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The Temple Mount, which was the site of [[Solomon's Temple]] and the Second Temple, is the holiest site in Judaism and the place Jews throughout the world turn towards during prayer.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rivka |first=Gonen |title=Contested Holiness: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Perspectives on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem |publisher=KTAV Publishing House, Inc. |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-88125-798-4 |location=Jersey City, NJ |pages=4 |oclc=1148595286 |quote=To the Jews the Temple Mount is the holiest place on Earth, the place where God manifested himself to King David and where two Jewish temples—Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple—were located.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Marshall J. |first1=Breger |title=Jerusalem: A City and Its Future |last2=Ahimeir |first2=Ora |publisher=Syracuse University Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-8156-2912-2 |pages=296 |oclc=48940385}}</ref> The Western Wall, a remnant of the wall surrounding the Second Temple, attracts over 10 million visitors each year.<ref>{{cite web |date=21 July 2019 |title=The Temple Mount in the Herodian Period (37 BC–70 A.D.) |url=https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/temple-at-jerusalem/the-temple-mount-in-the-herodian-period/ |access-date=17 July 2020 |publisher=Biblical Archaeology Society |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805161750/https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/temple-at-jerusalem/the-temple-mount-in-the-herodian-period/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Edit |date=2017-07-04 |title=Full text: The complete version of the Western Wall compromise from January 2016 |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-the-complete-version-of-the-western-wall-compromise-from-january-2016/ |access-date=2025-08-03 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909 |archive-date=15 January 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260115125835/https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-the-complete-version-of-the-western-wall-compromise-from-january-2016/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Synagogues around the world are traditionally built with the Holy Ark facing Jerusalem,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.schechter.edu/askrabbi/synagoguetemple.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131205934/http://www.schechter.edu/askrabbi/synagoguetemple.htm |archive-date=31 January 2008 |title=Synagogues |work=Ask the Rabbi |publisher=Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies |last=Goldberg |first=Monique Susskind |access-date=10 March 2007}}</ref> and Arks within Jerusalem face the [[Holy of Holies]].<ref name="Segal-1987">{{Cite book |url=http://www.jewishhistory.com/jh.php?id=AdditionalReadings&content=content/segal_ch12 |publisher=Department of Education and Culture of the World Zionist Organization |title=Returning: The Land of Israel as Focus in Jewish History |last=Segal |first=Benjamin J. |location=Jerusalem, Israel |year=1987 |page=124 |access-date=10 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051223025133/http://www.jewishhistory.com/jh.php?id=AdditionalReadings&content=content%2Fsegal_ch12 |archive-date=23 December 2005}}</ref> As prescribed in the [[Mishnah|Mishna]] and codified in the ''[[Shulchan Aruch]]'', daily prayers are recited while facing towards Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Praying Towards Jerusalem |url=https://etzion.org.il/en/holidays/yom-yerushalayim/praying-towards-jerusalem |access-date=2025-08-03 |website=[[Yeshivat Har Etzion]] |language=en |archive-date=29 August 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829111711/https://etzion.org.il/en/holidays/yom-yerushalayim/praying-towards-jerusalem |url-status=live }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=August 2025}} Many Jews have "[[Mizrah|Mizrach]]" plaques hung on a wall of their homes to indicate the direction of prayer.<ref name="Segal-1987" />{{refn|group=note|The Jewish injunction to pray toward Jerusalem comes in the ''[[Orach Chayim]]'' section of ''[[Shulchan Aruch]]'' (94:1)—"When one rises to pray anywhere in the Diaspora, he should face towards the Land of Israel, directing himself also toward Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Holy of Holies."<ref>{{cite web |title=Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 94:1 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Shulchan_Arukh%2C_Orach_Chayim.94.1?lang=bi |website=Sefaria Library |access-date=23 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref>}} Many parts of Jewish liturgy mention Jerusalem, including at the conclusion of the [[Passover Seder]] when participants declare "Next Year in Jerusalem!"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lind |first=Dara |date=2014-08-05 |title=Why are you supposed to say "next year in Jerusalem"? |url=https://www.vox.com/2014/8/5/18002034/why-are-you-supposed-to-say-next-year-in-jerusalem |access-date=2025-08-03 |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The fourteenth blessing of the [[Amidah]] prayer, said three times per day is a request that the Jerusalem be rebuilt, as well as the "Shechinah" be returned to Zion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Amidah (Part 18): Blessing of the Rebuilding of Jerusalem by Rabbi Reuven Lauffer |url=https://ohr.edu/9963 |access-date=2025-08-03 |website=[[Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem|Ohr Somayach]] |archive-date=30 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930150749/https://ohr.edu/9963 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=August 2025}} The "Grace After Meals" which is said after eating a meal including bread, has multiple references to Jerusalem.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gerber |first=Alan Jay |date=2017-08-09 |title=Birkat HaMazon and Jerusalem |url=https://www.thejewishstar.com/stories/birkat-hamazon-and-jerusalem,14266 |access-date=2025-08-03 |website=The Jewish Star |language=en}}</ref> The entire fast day of [[Tisha B'Av]] is dedicated to remembering and mourning the destruction of the first and second temples in Jerusalem.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rimon |first=Rabbi Yosef Tzvi |date=2025-07-31 |title=Mourning the destruction of the Temples on Tisha B'Av 2025: Special guidelines when the fast falls on Saturday night |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hj9q1000dxl |access-date=2025-08-03 |work=[[Ynetnews]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Christianity ===
{{Further|Jerusalem in Christianity}}
Jerusalem is generally considered the cradle of Christianity.<ref>{{cite book |title=Orientalism and Musical Mission: Palestine and the West |first=Rachel |last=Beckles Willson |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-107-03656-7 |page=146 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |quote=}}</ref> Christianity reveres Jerusalem for its [[Old Testament]] history, and also for its significance in the life of Jesus. According to the [[New Testament]], Jesus was brought to Jerusalem soon after his birth<ref>From the [[Authorized King James Version|King James Version of the Bible]]: "And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought [Jesus] to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;" ([[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 2:22)</ref> and later in his life cleansed the Second Temple.<ref>From the [[Authorized King James Version|King James Version of the Bible]]: "And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;" ([[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 11:15)</ref> The [[Cenacle]], believed to be the site of Jesus' [[Last Supper]], is located on [[Mount Zion]] in the same building that houses the [[David's Tomb|Tomb of King David]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades |url=https://archive.org/details/jerusalemtimecru00boas |url-access=limited |last=Boas |first=Adrian J. |publisher=Routledge |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-415-23000-1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/jerusalemtimecru00boas/page/n128 112] |chapter=Physical Remains of Crusader Jerusalem |quote=The interesting, if not reliable illustrations of the church on the round maps of Jerusalem show two distinct buildings on Mount Zion: the church of St Mary and the Cenacle (Chapel of the Last Supper) appear as separate buildings.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=A Life of Jesus |last=Endo |first=Shusaku |author-link=Shusaku Endo |isbn=978-0-8091-2319-3 |year=1999 |editor=Richard A. Schuchert |publisher=Paulist Press |page=116}}</ref> Another prominent Christian site in Jerusalem is [[Calvary|Golgotha]], the site of the [[crucifixion]]. The [[Gospel of John]] describes it as being located outside Jerusalem,<ref>From the [[Authorized King James Version|King James Version of the Bible]]: "This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin." ([[Gospel of John|John]] 19:20)</ref> but recent archaeological evidence suggests Golgotha is a short distance from the Old City walls, within the present-day confines of the city.<ref name="Stump-1993">{{cite web |url=http://www.wcg.org/lit/jesus/golgotha.htm |publisher=Worldwide Church of God |title=Where Was Golgotha? |last=Stump |first=Keith W. |year=1993 |access-date=11 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070402020110/http://www.wcg.org/lit/jesus/golgotha.htm |archive-date=2 April 2007}}</ref> The land occupied by the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] is considered one of the top candidates for Golgotha and thus has been a Christian pilgrimage site for the past 2000 years.<ref name="Stump-1993"/><ref>{{Cite book |title=St. John's Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary for Individuals and Groups |last=Ray |first=Stephen K. |isbn=978-0-89870-821-9 |year=2002 |page=340 |publisher=Ignatius Press |location=San Francisco, CA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=PilgrFile: Adventures of the Spirit |last=O'Reilly |first=Sean |author2=James O'Reilly |isbn=978-1-885211-56-9 |date=30 November 2000 |publisher=Travelers' Tales |edition=1st |page=[https://archive.org/details/pilgrimageadvent0000unse/page/14 14] |quote=The general consensus is that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre marks the hill called Golgotha, and that the site of the Crucifixion and the last five Stations of the Cross are located under its large black domes. |url=https://archive.org/details/pilgrimageadvent0000unse/page/14}}</ref> The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is generally considered the most important church in [[Christendom]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The World of the Crusades: A Daily Life Encyclopedia [2 volumes] |first=Andrew |last=Holt |year=2019 |isbn=978-1-4408-5462-0 |page=57 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |quote=was housed in the most important church in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.}}</ref> It contains the two holiest sites in [[Christianity]]: the site where [[Jesus]] was [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucified]], and Jesus's empty tomb, where he is believed by Christians to have been [[Burial of Jesus|buried]] and [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrected]].

=== Islam ===
{{Further|Jerusalem in Islam}}
{{see also|Islamization of Jerusalem}}
Jerusalem is the third-holiest city in [[Sunni Islam]].<ref name="Esposito-2002" /> Islamic tradition holds that for approximately a year, before it was permanently switched to the [[Kaaba]] in [[Mecca]], the ''[[qibla]]'' (direction of [[salat|prayer]]) for Muslims was Jerusalem.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Israeli-Palestinian War: Escalating to Nowhere |last=Cordesman |first=Anthony H. |publisher=Praeger Security International |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-275-98758-9 |page=62 |chapter=The Final Settlement Issues: Asymmetric Values & Asymmetric Warfare |author-link=Anthony Cordesman}}</ref><ref>{{Qref|2|142|b=yl|c=}}</ref> The city's lasting place in Islam, however, is primarily due to [[Muhammad]]'s [[Isra and Mi'raj|Night Journey]] ({{Circa|620 CE}}). Muslims believe that Muhammad was miraculously transported one night from the [[Great Mosque of Mecca]] to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, whereupon he ascended to [[Jannah|Heaven]] to meet previous [[prophets of Islam]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Monotheists: The Peoples of God |last=Peters |first=Francis E. |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-691-11460-6 |author-link=Francis Edward Peters |chapter=Muhammad the Prophet of God |pages=[https://archive.org/details/monotheistsjewsc00pete_0/page/95 95–6] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/monotheistsjewsc00pete_0/page/95}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sahih Bukhari |url=http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/093.sbt.html#009.093.608 |publisher=University of Southern California |work=Compendium of Muslim Texts |access-date=9 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081127160919/http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/093.sbt.html |archive-date=27 November 2008}} (from an English translation of [[Sahih al-Bukhari|Sahih Bukhari]], Volume IX, Book 93, Number 608)</ref><ref>{{Quotehadith|bukhari|7517|b=yl}}</ref> The first verse in the [[Qur'an]]'s [[al-Isra|''Surat al-Isra'']] notes the destination of Muhammad's journey as ''al-masjid al-aqṣā'' ("the farthest place of prayer").<ref>From [[Abdullah Yusuf Ali]]'s English translation of the [[Qur'an]]: "Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things)." ([[al-Isra|17]]:1)</ref><ref>{{Qref|17|1|b=yl}}</ref> In the earliest days of Islam, this was understood as a reference to a site in the heavens,<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Encyclopaedia of Islam |publisher=Brill |year=2006 |edition=New ed. 2006 |volume=7 |pages=97–105}}</ref> however, Post-[[Rashidun Caliphate|Rashidun]] Islamic scholars understood it as relating to Jerusalem, and particularly to the site of the former Jewish Temple.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Colby |first=Frederick S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sasZCjcTisIC&pg=PA15 |title=Narrating Muhammad's Night Journey: Tracing the Development of the Ibn 'Abbas Ascension Discourse |date=6 August 2008 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-7788-5 |pages=15 |language=en |quote=From the earliest extant Muslim texts, it becomes clear that a group of Muslims from the beginning interpreted the 'furthest place of prayer' (al-masjid al-aqṣā) with the city of Jerusalem in general and its Herodian/Solomonic Temple in particular... Eventually, a general consensus formed around the idea that Muhammad's journey did indeed take him to Jerusalem.}}</ref> The [[hadith]], a collection of the sayings of Muhammad, mentions that the location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque is in Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://haditsbukharionline.blogspot.ca/2010/11/merits-of-helpers-in-madinah-ansaar.html |title=Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar)—Hadith Sahih Bukhari |publisher=Haditsbukharionline.blogspot.ca |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-date=1 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101044831/http://haditsbukharionline.blogspot.ca/2010/11/merits-of-helpers-in-madinah-ansaar.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Qibli Mosque|Al-Aqsa Mosque]], originally named after the wider compound it sits within,<ref>{{cite book |last=Hughes |first=Aaron W. |author-link=Aaron W. Hughes |title=Theorizing Islam: Disciplinary Deconstruction and Reconstruction |publisher=Taylor & Francis |series=Religion in Culture |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-317-54594-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nWV_BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA45 |page=45 |quote=Although later commentators would debate whether or not this journey was a physical one or took place at an internal level, it would come to play a crucial role in establishing Muhammad's prophetic credentials. In the first part of this journey, referred to as the isra, he traveled from the Kaba in Mecca to "the farthest mosque" (al-masjid al-aqsa), identified with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem: the al-Aqsa mosque that stands there today eventually took its name from this larger precinct, in which it was constructed. |access-date=15 July 2022 |archive-date=19 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719063147/https://books.google.com/books?id=nWV_BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA45 |url-status=live}}</ref> was built on the Temple Mount under the Umayyad Caliph [[Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik|Al-Walid]] several decades after Muhammad's death to commemorate the place from which Muslims believe he had ascended to Heaven.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.al-islam.org/al-miraj |title=Me'raj—The Night Ascension |date=27 September 2012 |publisher=Al-islam.org |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-date=13 October 2009 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091013221925/http://www.al-islam.org/al-miraj/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Gallery |align=center |width=200 |height=160 |title=Gallery
|File:THE TEMPLE MOUNT JERUSALEM.jpg|A view of the [[Temple Mount]], considered a holy place by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
|File:Western Wall at night (20063).jpg|The [[Western Wall]], also known as the Wailing Wall and the Kotel, is a remnant of the [[Second Temple]] and the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray.
|File:The Church of the Holy Sepulchre-Jerusalem.JPG|The [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] it's the holiest site in Christianity and it has been an important pilgrimage site for Christians since the 4th century.
|File:Jerusalem-Garden-Tomb-KTM-1266.jpg|[[The Garden Tomb]]—a new holy site established by British [[Protestantism|Protestants]] in the 19th century. 
|File:Jerusalem-2013(2)-Temple Mount-Dome of the Rock (SE exposure).jpg|[[Dome of the Rock]], where [[Muhammad]] is believed by Muslims to ascended the sky during a night journey ([[Isra' and Mi'raj]]). 
|File:Al-Aqsa Mosque (Jerusalem).jpg|[[Qibli Mosque|Al-Aqsa Mosque]], on the Temple Mount ([[Haram al-Sharif]] or [[Al-Aqsa compound]]). 
}}

==Economy==
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 19135 Israel Bank in Jerusalem.JPG|thumb|[[Bank of Israel]]]]
Historically, Jerusalem's economy was supported almost exclusively by religious pilgrims, as it was far from the major ports of [[Jaffa]] and [[Gaza City|Gaza]].<ref name="Dumper-1996">{{Cite book |title=The Politics of Jerusalem Since 1967 |last=Dumper |first=Michael |isbn=978-0-231-10640-5 |year=1996 |publisher=Columbia University Press |pages=207–10}}</ref> Jerusalem's religious and cultural landmarks today remain the top draw for foreign visitors, with the majority of tourists visiting the Western Wall and the [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City]].<ref name="Central Bureau of Statistics-2006"/> In 2010, Jerusalem was named the top leisure travel city in Africa and the Middle East by [[Travel + Leisure|''Travel + Leisure magazine'']].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2010/cities/africa-middle-east-cities/15 |title=World's Best Awards 2010—Africa and the Middle East |access-date=11 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712140230/http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2010/cities/africa-middle-east-cities/15 |archive-date=12 July 2010}}</ref> In 2013, 75% of the 3.5&nbsp;million tourists to Israel visited Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/2013-record-year-for-tourism-government-says |title=2013 'record year' for tourism, government says |author=Yiffa Yaakov |newspaper=[[The Times of Israel]] |date=10 January 2014 |access-date=30 April 2015 |archive-date=10 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510114922/https://www.timesofisrael.com/2013-record-year-for-tourism-government-says |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Hotzvimview.jpg|thumb|[[Har Hotzvim]] high-tech park]]
Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the national government has remained a major player in Jerusalem's economy. The government, centred in Jerusalem, generates a large number of jobs, and offers subsidies and incentives for new business initiatives and start-ups.<ref name="Dumper-1996"/> Although Tel Aviv remains Israel's financial centre, a growing number of [[high tech]] companies are moving to Jerusalem, providing 12,000 jobs in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1182951036437&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624113544/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1182951036437&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 June 2011 |title=Bet your bottom dollar? |author=Gil Zohar |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=28 June 2007 |access-date=10 July 2007}}</ref> Northern Jerusalem's [[Har Hotzvim]] industrial park and the [[Jerusalem Technology Park]] in south Jerusalem are home to large [[Research and Development]] centres of international tech companies, among them [[Intel Corporation|Intel]], [[Cisco Systems]], [[Teva Pharmaceutical Industries]], [[IBM]], [[Mobileye]], [[Johnson & Johnson]], [[Medtronic]] and more.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hotzvim.org.il/SiteFiles/1/35/901.asp |publisher=Har Hotzvim Industrial Park |title=Har Hotzvim Industrial Park |access-date=13 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427222723/http://www.hotzvim.org.il/SiteFiles/1/35/901.asp |archive-date=27 April 2007}}</ref> In April 2015 ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine picked Jerusalem as one of the five emerging tech hubs in the world, proclaiming that "The city has become a flourishing centre for biomed, cleantech, Internet/mobile startups, accelerators, investors and supporting service providers."<ref>[https://time.com/3836714/5-tech-hubs-world/ 5 Emerging Tech Hubs From Around The World] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310034001/https://time.com/3836714/5-tech-hubs-world/ |date=10 March 2020 }} ''Time'', 28 April 2015</ref>
[[File:Jerusalem_Israel,_Jerusalém_-_Shopping_de_Rua_(5172398236).jpg|thumb|[[Mamilla Mall]] adorned with upscale shops stands just outside the Old City Walls.]]
[[File:MalhaMallApr192023_01.jpg|thumb|[[Malha Mall]]]]
Higher than average percentages are employed in education (17.9% vs. 12.7%); health and welfare (12.6% vs. 10.7%); community and social services (6.4% vs. 4.7%); hotels and restaurants (6.1% vs. 4.7%); and public administration (8.2% vs. 4.7%).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton57/st12_14x.pdf |publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics|Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics]] |title=Employed Persons, by Industry, District and Sub-District of Residence, 2005 |access-date=11 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614014211/http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton57/st12_14x.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2007}}</ref> During the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate]], a law was passed requiring all buildings to be constructed of [[Jerusalem stone]] in order to preserve the unique historic and aesthetic character of the city.<ref>{{cite web |last=Eisenstadt |first=David |title=The British Mandate |work=Jerusalem: Life Throughout the Ages in a Holy City |publisher=Bar-Ilan University Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies |date=26 August 2002 |access-date=10 February 2007 |url=http://www.biu.ac.il/JS/rennert/history_12.html |archive-date=16 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151216173540/http://www.biu.ac.il/JS/rennert/history_12.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> Complementing this building code, which is still in force, is the discouragement of [[heavy industry]] in Jerusalem; only about 2.2% of Jerusalem's land is zoned for "industry and infrastructure". By comparison, the percentage of land in Tel Aviv zoned for industry and infrastructure is twice as high, and in Haifa, seven times as high.<ref name="Central Bureau of Statistics-2006"/> Only 8.5% of the [[Jerusalem District]] work force is employed in the manufacturing sector, which is half the national average (15.8%).

Although many statistics indicate economic growth in the city, since 1967, East Jerusalem has lagged behind the development of West Jerusalem.<ref name="Dumper-1996"/> Nevertheless, the percentage of households with employed persons is higher for Arab households (76.1%) than for Jewish households (66.8%). The unemployment rate in Jerusalem (8.3%) is slightly better than the national average (9.0%), although the civilian [[labor force|labour force]] accounted for less than half of all persons fifteen years or older—lower in comparison to that of Tel Aviv (58.0%) and [[Haifa]] (52.4%).<ref name="Central Bureau of Statistics-2006"/> Poverty remains a problem in the city as 37% of the families in Jerusalem lived in 2011 below the poverty line. According to a report by the [[Association for Civil Rights in Israel]] (ACRI), 78% of Arabs in Jerusalem lived in poverty in 2012, up from 64% in 2006. While the ACRI attributes the increase to the lack of employment opportunities, infrastructure and a worsening educational system, the activist group [[Ir Amim]] blames the legal status of Palestinians in Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nir |last=Hasson |title=Report: 78% of East Jerusalem Palestinians live in poverty |url=https://www.haaretz.com/news/national/report-78-of-east-jerusalem-palestinians-live-in-poverty-1.431384?localLinksEnabled=false |work=Haaretz |date=20 May 2012 |access-date=23 May 2012 |archive-date=6 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106115700/http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/report-78-of-east-jerusalem-palestinians-live-in-poverty-1.431384?localLinksEnabled=false |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The increasing number of educated Palestinians in Jerusalem has brought about positive economic changes.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Palestinian Entrepreneur Seeks to Turn Jerusalem into Startup City—Together with Jews |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/2014-12-19/ty-article/.premium/turning-jerusalem-into-startup-city/0000017f-e126-d804-ad7f-f1fe221c0000 |access-date=20 February 2024 |work=Haaretz |language=en |archive-date=28 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528102854/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/2014-12-19/ty-article/.premium/turning-jerusalem-into-startup-city/0000017f-e126-d804-ad7f-f1fe221c0000 |url-status=live}}</ref> Through reforms and initiatives in sectors like technology, tourism, trade, and infrastructure, they have helped drive economic growth, create jobs, and improve living conditions in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JestWebsite |url=http://jesthub.org/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=jesthub.org |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126164603/http://jesthub.org/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Supporting East Jerusalem Entrepreneurs |url=https://thisweekinpalestine.com/supporting-east-jerusalem-entrepreneurs/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=This Week in Palestine |language=en-US |archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220153731/https://thisweekinpalestine.com/supporting-east-jerusalem-entrepreneurs/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Various joint summits between Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs have been held in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NGO brings together Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs |url=https://azrielifoundation.org/media/ngo-brings-together-israeli-and-palestinian-entrepreneurs/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=The Azrieli Foundation |language=en-US |archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220153731/https://azrielifoundation.org/media/ngo-brings-together-israeli-and-palestinian-entrepreneurs/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Palestine Investment Fund]] have proposed various projects in Jerusalem.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amaar Jeruslalem {{!}} Home |url=https://amaar-jerusalem.com/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=amaar-jerusalem.com |archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220153733/https://amaar-jerusalem.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Musa |first=Khaled |date=20 September 2020 |title=Tourism sector Eng page |url=https://www.pif.ps/tourism-sector-eng-page/,%20https://www.pif.ps/tourism-sector-eng-page/ |publisher=Palestine Investment Fund |access-date=20 February 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref> Palestinian industrialist [[Bashar Masri]] sought to make heavy investments in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Talk with Bashar Masri, Business, Economics and Homeland |url=https://jerusalem.24fm.ps/11680.html |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=Jerusalem24 |language=en-US |archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220153732/https://jerusalem.24fm.ps/11680.html |url-status=live}}</ref> PA controlled industrial areas are located outskirts of Jerusalem, primarily in [[Bir Nabala]], [[Abu Dis]] and [[Eizariya]], engaging in manufacture of tyres, food products and concretes.<ref>[http://www.maan-ctr.org/old/pdfs/BirNabala.pdf Bir Nabala: A Devastating Blow to the Economy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304232213/https://www.maan-ctr.org/old/pdfs/BirNabala.pdf |date=4 March 2024 }} Ma'an Development Center and Bir Nabala Village Council Chairman Haj Tawfik Nabeli. February 2007.</ref>

High-tech industry is an emerging sector within Palestinian society in Jerusalem.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Palestinian innovation is going global and its first stop is Dubai |url=https://www.wamda.com/2022/10/palestinian-innovation-going-global-dubai |access-date=25 February 2024 |website=Wamda |language=en |archive-date=1 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201175510/https://www.wamda.com/2022/10/palestinian-innovation-going-global-dubai |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ferziger |first=Jonathan |date=4 September 2023 |title=Palestinian interns dodge obstacles for tech opportunities |url=https://circuit.news/2023/09/04/palestinian-interns-dodge-obstacles-for-tech-opportunities/ |access-date=25 February 2024 |website=The Circuit |language=en-US |archive-date=25 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225213218/https://circuit.news/2023/09/04/palestinian-interns-dodge-obstacles-for-tech-opportunities/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, Israel opened a technology park in East Jerusalem, known as EasTech. Local Palestinian engineers are employed in the complex by multinational companies, some of which includes [[AT&T]], Natural Intelligence, [[Nvidia]], [[Unity (game engine)|Unity]], and [[Synamedia]]. Station J, an innovation hub located in Sheikh Jarrah, is another tech hub for Palestinians in the city. Hani Alami, a Jerusalem-based Palestinian entrepreneur, has set up a startup accelerator.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Palestinian Entrepreneur Seeks to Turn Jerusalem Into Startup City—Together with Jews |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/2014-12-19/ty-article/.premium/turning-jerusalem-into-startup-city/0000017f-e126-d804-ad7f-f1fe221c0000 |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=Haaretz |language=en |archive-date=28 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528102854/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/2014-12-19/ty-article/.premium/turning-jerusalem-into-startup-city/0000017f-e126-d804-ad7f-f1fe221c0000 |url-status=live}}</ref> As part of [[Israeli–Palestinian economic peace efforts]], interactions between Israeli and Palestinian business communities also contribute to the growth of the Palestinian IT sector in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 March 2019 |title=Israeli and Palestinian architects and planners seek common ground on innovation, entrepreneurship |url=https://news.mit.edu/2019/israeli-and-palestinian-architects-planners-find-common-ground-around-innovation-0307 |access-date=25 February 2024 |website=MIT News {{!}} Massachusetts Institute of Technology |language=en |archive-date=25 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225213217/https://news.mit.edu/2019/israeli-and-palestinian-architects-planners-find-common-ground-around-innovation-0307 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stoller |first=Kristin |title=Here's How Young Palestinian And Israeli Entrepreneurs Are Forging Co-Existence Through Startups |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinstoller/2022/06/02/heres-how-young-palestinian-and-israeli-entrepreneurs-are-forging-co-existence-through-startups/ |access-date=25 February 2024 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=25 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225213217/https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinstoller/2022/06/02/heres-how-young-palestinian-and-israeli-entrepreneurs-are-forging-co-existence-through-startups/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Urban structure ==

===High-rise construction===
Jerusalem has traditionally had a low-rise skyline. About 18 tall buildings were built at different times in the downtown area when there was no clear policy over the matter. One of them, Holyland Tower 1, Jerusalem's tallest building, is a [[skyscraper]] by international standards, rising 32 stories. Holyland Tower 2, which has been approved for construction, will reach the same height.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emporis.com/statistics/tallest-buildings-jerusalem-israel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113081540/http://www.emporis.com/statistics/tallest-buildings-jerusalem-israel |url-status=usurped |archive-date=13 November 2012 |title=Jerusalem's tallest buildings—Top 20 &#124; Statistics |publisher=Emporis |access-date=7 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/holylandtower2-jerusalem-israel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113081532/http://www.emporis.com/building/holylandtower2-jerusalem-israel |url-status=usurped |archive-date=13 November 2012 |title=Holyland Tower 2 &#124; Buildings |location=Jerusalem / |publisher=Emporis |access-date=7 December 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Jerusalem_Holyland_Tower_remote_view_from_Rehavia.jpg|thumb|Holyland Tower, Jerusalem's tallest building|left]]
A new master plan for the city will see many high-rise buildings, including skyscrapers, built in certain, designated areas of downtown Jerusalem. Under the plan, towers will line [[Jaffa Road]] and [[King George Street (Jerusalem)|King George Street]]. One of the proposed towers along King George Street, the Migdal Merkaz HaYekum, is planned as a 65-story building, which would make it one of the tallest buildings in Israel. At the entrance to the city, near the [[Jerusalem Chords Bridge]] and the [[Jerusalem Central Bus Station|Central Bus Station]], twelve towers rising between 24 and 33 stories will be built, as part of a complex that will also include an open square and an [[Jerusalem Binyanei HaUma Railway Station|underground train station]] serving a new express line between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and will be connected by bridges and tunnels. Eleven of the skyscrapers will be either office or apartment buildings, and one will be a 2,000-room hotel. The complex is expected to attract many businesses from Tel Aviv, and become the city's main business hub. In addition, a complex for the city's courts and the prosecutor's office will be built, as well as new buildings for Central Zionist Archives and [[Israel State Archives]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Hasson |first=Nir |url=https://www.haaretz.com/2012-08-14/ty-article/jlem-building-new-business-quarter/0000017f-ec70-d639-af7f-edf7973a0000 |title=Jerusalem skyline to undergo massive transformation with 12 new skyscrapers Israel News &#124; Haaretz Daily Newspaper |work=Haaretz |date=2 April 2008 |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-date=11 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911133440/http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/jerusalem-skyline-to-undergo-massive-transformation-with-12-new-skyscrapers.premium-1.458031 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Dvir |first=Noam |url=https://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/jerusalem-reaches-for-the-heavens-1.347554 |title=Jerusalem reaches for the heavens |work=Haaretz |date=7 March 2011 |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-date=30 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233542/http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/jerusalem-reaches-for-the-heavens-1.347554 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Lidman |first=Melanie |url=https://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=281153 |title=Interior Ministry approves 12 skyscrapers for J'lem |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=14 August 2012 |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-date=31 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031133243/http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=281153 |url-status=live}}</ref> The skyscrapers built throughout the city are expected to contain public space, shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, and it has been speculated that this may lead to a revitalisation of downtown Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://israelity.com/2011/03/07/a-revitalized-downtown-jerusalem-with-skyscrapers/ |title=A revitalized downtown Jerusalem—with skyscrapers |publisher=Israelity |date=7 March 2011 |access-date=7 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512123533/http://israelity.com/2011/03/07/a-revitalized-downtown-jerusalem-with-skyscrapers/ |archive-date=12 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/migdal-merkaz-hayekum-jerusalem-israel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234922/http://www.emporis.com/building/migdal-merkaz-hayekum-jerusalem-israel |url-status=usurped |archive-date=30 December 2013 |title=Migdal Merkaz HaYekum &#124; Buildings |location=Jerusalem / |publisher=Emporis |access-date=12 March 2013}}</ref> In August 2015, the city council approved construction of a 344-foot pyramid-shaped skyscraper designed by [[Daniel Libeskind]] and Yigal Levi, in place of a rejected previous design by Libeskind; it was set to break ground by 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/08/03/daniel_libeskind_s_pyramid_in_jerusalem_the_new_skyscraper_will_be_the_city.html |title=The "Pyramid" Will Be the Newest Addition to Jerusalem's Skyline |date=3 August 2015 |work=Slate |access-date=27 November 2015 |archive-date=21 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121164737/http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/08/03/daniel_libeskind_s_pyramid_in_jerusalem_the_new_skyscraper_will_be_the_city.html |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=June 2025|reason=References building construction planned to begin in 2019}}

=== New projects in Jerusalem ===
In 2021 [[Bashar Masri]] announced and launched "Lana", a massive mix-used project in [[East Jerusalem]], which is located in the neighbourhood of [[Beit Hanina]].<!--<ref>--> The project is in a partnership between Massar International and the [[Orthodox Church of Jerusalem]]. It features 400 residential apartments along with a vibrant commercial centre that hosts well-known global brands, cinemas, restaurants, cafés and offices. The project also includes modern educational facilities, such as a school and a [[kindergarten]], catering to the needs of residents.<!--<ref>--> In addition to its focus on residential and commercial aspects, the Lana project emphasises the improvement of infrastructure within the project and its surroundings.<!--<ref>--> This involves the construction of three to four floors of underground parking to accommodate the residents' vehicles conveniently. Furthermore, there is a comprehensive plan to expand the road network surrounding the project, ensuring smooth transportation and accessibility for both residents and visitors. It is situated just 15 minutes away from the historic [[Old City of Jerusalem]].<!--<ref>--><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kuttab |first1=Daoud |title=Israel Dashes Hopes for New Palestinian Neighborhood |url=https://www.jerusalemstory.com/en/article/palestinian-jerusalemites-organized-15-years-build-new-neighborhood-their-own-land-israeli |access-date=18 April 2024 |work=Jerusalem Story |date=10 May 2023 |language=en |archive-date=18 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418104749/https://www.jerusalemstory.com/en/article/palestinian-jerusalemites-organized-15-years-build-new-neighborhood-their-own-land-israeli |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Transportation==
{{Main|Transport in Jerusalem}}

===Public transport===
[[File:Jerusalem Chords Bridge.JPG|thumb|[[Jerusalem Chords Bridge]]]]

Jerusalem is served by highly developed communication infrastructures, making it a leading logistics hub for Israel.

The [[Jerusalem Central Bus Station]], located on [[Jaffa Road]], is the busiest bus station in Israel. It is served by [[Egged (company)|Egged Bus Cooperative]], which is the second-largest bus company in the world,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/11/Facets%20of%20the%20Israeli%20Economy-%20Transportation |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |title=Facets of the Israeli Economy—Transportation |date=1 November 2001 |last=Solomon |first=Shoshanna |access-date=14 March 2007 |archive-date=26 May 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526005406/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/11/Facets%20of%20the%20Israeli%20Economy-%20Transportation |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Dan Bus Company|Dan]] serves the [[Bnei Brak]]-Jerusalem route along with Egged, and [[Superbus (company)|Superbus]] serves the routes between Jerusalem, [[Modi'in Illit]] and [[Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut]]. The companies operate from Jerusalem Central Bus Station. Arab neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem and routes between Jerusalem and locations in the [[West Bank]] are served by the [[East Jerusalem Central Bus Station]], a transportation hub located near the Old City's [[Damascus Gate]].

===Railway===
The [[Jerusalem Light Rail]] initiated service in August 2011. According to plans, the first rail line will be capable of transporting an estimated 200,000 people daily, and has 23 stops. The route is from Pisgat Ze'ev in the north via the Old City and city centre to Mount Herzl in the south.
[[File:JLR_26,_Jaffa_Street,_2019_(01).jpg|thumb|[[Jerusalem Light Rail|Light Rail]] tram on [[Jaffa Road]]]]
A [[High-speed railway to Jerusalem|high-speed rail line]] connecting Tel Aviv to Jerusalem became partially operational in 2018 and was completed in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245035 |title=Jerusalem-Tel Aviv train opening delayed until 2019 |last=Lev |first=Tzvi |date=26 April 2018 |website=Israel National News |language=en |access-date=10 May 2019 |archive-date=16 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116124452/http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245035 |url-status=live}}</ref> Its terminus is at the [[Jerusalem Binyanei HaUma Railway Station|new underground station]] ({{cvt|80|m|ft|0|disp=or}} deep) serving the [[International Convention Center (Jerusalem)|International Convention Centre]] and the Central Bus Station,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://overseas.huji.ac.il/campus.asp?cat=277&in=275 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912175341/http://overseas.huji.ac.il/campus.asp?cat=277&in=275 |archive-date=12 September 2007 |publisher=Rothberg International Station—Hebrew University of Jerusalem |title=Life in Jerusalem—Transportation |access-date=14 March 2007}}</ref> and is planned to be extended eventually to [[Jerusalem Malha Railway Station|Malha station]]. [[Israel Railways]] operated train services to Malha train station from Tel Aviv via [[Beit Shemesh]], but this service was discontinued in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Keinan |first1=Lior |title=רגב נגד האוצר: מסרבת לבטל את הקו לדימונה - חרף מיעוט נוסעים |url=https://13news.co.il/item/news/domestic/transportation/train-dimona-1085407/ |access-date=19 March 2021 |work=Channel 13 News |date=27 June 2020 |archive-date=20 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020002232/https://13news.co.il/item/news/domestic/transportation/train-dimona-1085407/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.israrail.org.il/english/travel/jerusalem_m.html |publisher=Israel Railways |title=Jerusalem—Malha |access-date=14 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006053005/http://www.israrail.org.il/english/travel/jerusalem_m.html |archive-date=6 October 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.israrail.org.il/english/travel/map.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006052152/http://www.israrail.org.il/english/travel/map.html |archive-date=6 October 2007 |publisher=Israel Railways |title=Passenger Lines Map |access-date=14 March 2007}}</ref>

[[Highway 50 (Israel)|Begin Expressway]] is one of Jerusalem's major north–south thoroughfares; it runs on the western side of the city, merging in the north with [[Route 443 (Israel)|Route 443]], which continues toward Tel Aviv. [[Highway 60 (Israel)|Route 60]] runs through the centre of the city near the [[Green Line (Israel)|Green Line]] between East and West Jerusalem. Construction is progressing on parts of a {{cvt|35|km|mi|adj=on}} [[beltway|ring road]] around the city, fostering faster connection between the suburbs.<ref name="Burstein-2006">{{cite news |url=https://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1137605873879&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624104929/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1137605873879&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 June 2011 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |date=19 January 2006 |access-date=17 March 2007 |last=Burstein |first=Nathan |title=Running rings around us}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1180527974291&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624110449/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1180527974291&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 June 2011 |title=Their way or the highway? |author=Gil Zohar |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |access-date=11 June 2007}}</ref> The eastern half of the project was conceptualised decades ago, but reaction to the proposed highway is still mixed.<ref name="Burstein-2006"/>

===Airport===
In the past, Jerusalem was also served by the local [[Atarot Airport|Jerusalem International Airport]], locally known as Atarot Airport. It was the first airport built in the British Mandate of Palestine. Palestinians considered the Atarot Airport as a "symbol of Palestinian sovereignty".<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 December 2021 |title=PA: Jerusalem airport symbol of Palestinian sovereignty |url=https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/pa-jerusalem-airport-symbol-of-palestinian-sovereignty-687548 |access-date=22 February 2024 |website=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |language=en |archive-date=22 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222115053/https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/pa-jerusalem-airport-symbol-of-palestinian-sovereignty-687548 |url-status=live |issn=0792-822X}}</ref> The airport falls beyond Green Line. After the 1948 war it came under control of Jordan. Following the Six Day War of 1967, the airport came under control of Israel.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Jerusalem's Posh Airport Had Direct Flights to Iran. This Is What It Looks Like Today |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2021-04-20/ty-article-magazine/jerusalems-posh-airport-now-home-to-weeds-heres-what-it-looks-like/0000017f-dc18-df9c-a17f-fe18f1dd0000 |access-date=22 February 2024 |work=Haaretz |language=en |archive-date=4 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004222013/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2021-04-20/ty-article-magazine/jerusalems-posh-airport-now-home-to-weeds-heres-what-it-looks-like/0000017f-dc18-df9c-a17f-fe18f1dd0000 |url-status=live}}</ref> With increase of violence in the [[second intifada]], Atarot Airport ceased operation in 2000. Today Jerusalem is served by [[Ben Gurion Airport]], some {{cvt|50|km|mi|-1|abbr=off}} northwest of the Jerusalem, on the route to Tel Aviv. The [[Tel Aviv–Jerusalem railway]] runs non-stop from [[Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon railway station]] to the airport and began operation in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |date=25 August 2018 |title=Jerusalem's new high-speed train starts regular trips to Ben Gurion Airport |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalems-new-high-speed-train-starts-regular-trips-to-ben-gurion-airport/ |access-date=1 June 2019 |website=The Times of Israel |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326040817/https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalems-new-high-speed-train-starts-regular-trips-to-ben-gurion-airport/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The Australian businessman [[Kevin Bermeister]] proposed a masterplan of Jerusalem, which also includes the development of an airport for Jerusalem in the [[Jordan Valley]], near [[Jericho]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Sanders |first1=Edmund |last2=Times |first2=Los Angeles |date=31 August 2012 |title=Investor Kevin Bermeister has big plans for Jerusalem, West Bank |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2012-aug-31-la-fg-israel-bermeister-qa-20120901-story.html |access-date=22 February 2024 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=22 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222114517/https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2012-aug-31-la-fg-israel-bermeister-qa-20120901-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The airport is sought to be a joint Israeli-Palestinian airport. Palestinian Prime Minister [[Mohammad Shtayyeh]] have also appealed to Israeli authorities to redevelop the airport.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 August 2022 |title=Israel's Ramon Airport to open for Palestinian passengers—report |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-713876 |access-date=22 February 2024 |website=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |language=en |archive-date=22 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222114517/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-713876 |url-status=live |issn=0792-822X}}</ref> In 2021, the Israeli government planned to redevelop Atarot Airport as a joint Israeli–Palestinian airport.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 December 2021 |title=A New Airport Is Being Proposed to Serve Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/israeli-palestinian-airport |access-date=22 February 2024 |website=Architectural Digest |language=en-US |archive-date=25 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125000707/https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/israeli-palestinian-airport |url-status=live}}</ref> The new Atarot Airport will include two separate Israeli and Palestinian terminals.

==Education==
===Universities===
Jerusalem is home to several prestigious universities offering courses in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and English.
[[File:HADASSA_HOSPITAL_MT._SCOPUS_JERUSALEM.jpg|thumb|[[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]], [[Mount Scopus]] campus]]
Founded in 1925, the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]] has been ranked among the top 100 schools in the world.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/hybrid.asp?typeCode=243&pubCode=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110414230850/http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/hybrid.asp?typeCode=243&pubCode=1 |archive-date=14 April 2011 |title=Times Higher Education |magazine=Times Higher Education |date=9 October 2008 |access-date=5 May 2009}}</ref> The Board of Governors has included such prominent Jewish intellectuals as [[Albert Einstein]] and [[Sigmund Freud]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History |publisher=The Hebrew University of Jerusalem |url=http://www.huji.ac.il/huji/eng/aboutHU_history_e.htm |access-date=18 March 2007 |archive-date=5 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205121934/http://www.huji.ac.il/huji/eng/aboutHU_history_e.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> The university has produced several [[Nobel Prize|Nobel]] laureates; recent winners associated with Hebrew University include [[Avram Hershko]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2004/hershko-autobio.html |publisher=The Nobel Foundation |title=Avram Hershko |last=Hershko |first=Avram |access-date=18 March 2007 |archive-date=30 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530223313/http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2004/hershko-autobio.html |url-status=live}}</ref> [[David Gross]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2004/gross-autobio.html |publisher=The Nobel Foundation |title=David J. Gross |last=Gross |first=David |access-date=18 March 2007 |archive-date=30 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530215540/http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2004/gross-autobio.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Daniel Kahneman]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/2002/kahneman-autobio.html |publisher=The Nobel Foundation |title=Daniel Kahneman |last=Kahneman |first=Daniel |access-date=18 March 2007 |archive-date=30 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530215603/http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/2002/kahneman-autobio.html |url-status=live}}</ref> One of the university's major assets is the [[National Library of Israel|Jewish National and University Library]], which houses over five million books.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Library: Main Collections |publisher=Jewish National and University Library |url=http://www.jnul.huji.ac.il/eng/col_general.html |access-date=27 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429175424/http://jnul.huji.ac.il/eng/col_general.html |archive-date=29 April 2007}}</ref> The library opened in 1892, over three decades before the university was established, and is one of the world's largest repositories of books on Jewish subjects. Today it is both the central library of the university and the national library of Israel.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Jewish National and University Library |title=About the Library: History and Aims |url=http://www.jnul.huji.ac.il/eng/history.html |access-date=27 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070421084915/http://www.jnul.huji.ac.il/eng/history.html |archive-date=21 April 2007}}</ref> The Hebrew University operates three campuses in Jerusalem, on Mount Scopus, on [[Givat Ram|Giv'at Ram]] and a medical campus at the [[Hadassah Medical Center|Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital]]. The [[Academy of the Hebrew Language]] are located in the Hebrew university in Givat Ram and the [[Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities]] located near the [[Beit HaNassi|Presidents House]].[[File:Hebron yeshiva 1.jpg|thumb|[[Hebron Yeshiva]] in [[Givat Mordechai]] neighbourhood|left]]
The [[Jerusalem College of Technology]], founded in 1969, combines training in engineering and other high-tech industries with a Jewish studies programme.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jct.ac.il/NR/exeres/56FCED6F-06D1-4E02-8C2F-15E36061D279.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201120754/http://www.jct.ac.il/NR/exeres/56FCED6F-06D1-4E02-8C2F-15E36061D279.htm |archive-date=1 February 2008 |publisher=Jerusalem College of Technology |title=About JCT |access-date=25 March 2007}}</ref> It is one of many schools in Jerusalem, from elementary school and up, that combine secular and religious studies. Numerous religious educational institutions and [[Yeshiva|''Yeshivot'']], including some of the most prestigious yeshivas, among them the [[Brisk yeshiva|Brisk]], [[Chevron yeshiva|Chevron]], [[Midrash Shmuel Yeshiva|Midrash Shmuel]] and [[Mir yeshiva (Jerusalem)|Mir]], are based in the city, with the Mir Yeshiva claiming to be the largest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Home/About/Press+Room/Jewish+Agency+In+The+News/2000+and+before/jpdec28.htm+188.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080202163159/http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Home/About/Press%2BRoom/Jewish%2BAgency%2BIn%2BThe%2BNews/2000%2Band%2Bbefore/jpdec28.htm%2B188.htm |archive-date=2 February 2008 |publisher=Jewish Agency for Israel |title=The village of Mir, where Torah once flowed |last=Wohlgelernter |first=Elli |date=28 December 2000 |access-date=26 March 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> There were nearly 8,000 twelfth-grade students in Hebrew-language schools during the 2003–2004 school year.<ref name="Central Bureau of Statistics-2006"/> However, due to the large portion of students in [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi Jewish]] frameworks, only fifty-five percent of twelfth graders took [[matriculation]] exams (''[[Bagrut]]'') and only thirty-seven percent were eligible to graduate. Unlike [[public school (government funded)|public schools]], many Haredi schools do not prepare students to take standardised tests.<ref name="Central Bureau of Statistics-2006"/> To attract more university students to Jerusalem, the city has begun to offer a special package of financial incentives and housing subsidies to students who rent apartments in downtown Jerusalem.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=572046 |title=The best medicine for Jerusalem |author=Jonathan Lis |date=4 May 2005 |access-date=22 July 2009 |archive-date=4 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104122607/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=572046 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Abu jihad.jpg|thumb|Inside [[Abu Jihad|Abu Jihad Museum]] of [[Al-Quds University]] ]]
[[Al-Quds University]] was established in 1984<ref name="al-Quds University">{{cite web |url=http://www.alquds.edu/faculties/science/index.php?page=overview |publisher=al-Quds University |access-date=19 March 2007 |title=Science & Technology |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928061028/http://www.alquds.edu/faculties/science/index.php?page=overview |archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref> to serve as a flagship university for the Arab and Palestinian peoples.{{Citation needed|date=June 2019}} It describes itself as the "only Arab university in Jerusalem".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alquds.edu/press/urgent_appeal.php |publisher=al-Quds University |title=Urgent Appeal |access-date=27 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070317104232/http://www.alquds.edu/press/urgent_appeal.php |archive-date=17 March 2007}}</ref> [[Bard College]] of Annandale-on-Hudson, New York and Al-Quds University agreed to open a joint college in a building originally built to house the [[Palestinian Legislative Council]] and [[Yasser Arafat]]'s office. The college gives [[Master of Arts in Teaching]] degrees.<ref>[http://chronicle.com/article/Bard-CollegeAl-Quds/42380 "Bard College and Al-Quds University to Open Joint Campus"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106005513/http://chronicle.com/article/Bard-CollegeAl-Quds/42380 |date=6 November 2011 }}. ''[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]]'', February 2008, by Matthew Kalman</ref> Al-Quds University resides southeast of the city proper on a {{cvt|190000|m2|acre|adj=on}} [[Abu Dis]] campus.<ref name="al-Quds University" /> Other campuses of AQU are located within city limits of Jerusalem. A campus of university in [[Sheikh Jarrah]], which is one of the oldest faculties, is known as Hind Al Husseini College for Arts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 May 2021 |title=Hind Taher al-Husseini |url=https://www.jerusalemstory.com/en/bio/hind-taher-al-husseini |access-date=22 February 2024 |website=www.jerusalemstory.com |language=en |archive-date=28 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228001331/https://www.jerusalemstory.com/en/bio/hind-taher-al-husseini |url-status=live}}</ref> It was named after [[Hind al-Husseini]], a Palestinian activists known for rescuing orphaned survivors of [[Deir Yassin massacre]] and giving them shelter in a palace of her grandfather, which was converted into an orphanage and later a college, which is a part today's Al Quds University.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 July 2021 |title=Hind Al-Husseini Arts College continues its role as a vibrant scientific and cultural beacon in the heart of Jerusalem |url=https://www.alquds.edu/en/news/staff-news/4796/hind-al-husseini-arts-college-continues-its-role-as-a-vibrant-scientific-and-cultural-beacon-in-the-heart-of-jerusalem/ |access-date=22 February 2024 |website=Al-Quds University |language=en-US |archive-date=8 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308055116/https://www.alquds.edu/en/news/staff-news/4796/hind-al-husseini-arts-college-continues-its-role-as-a-vibrant-scientific-and-cultural-beacon-in-the-heart-of-jerusalem/ |url-status=live}}</ref> A joint campus of AQU and Bard College is located in [[Beit Hanina]]. [[Bayt Mal Al Qods Acharif Agency]], a Moroccan organisation, is constructing a new campus in the same neighbourhood.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rahhou |first=Jihane |title=Morocco's Foundation for Palestine to Construct University in East Jerusalem |url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/09/351292/moroccos-foundation-for-palestine-to-construct-university-in-east-jerusalem |access-date=22 February 2024 |work=Morocco World News |date=11 September 2022 |language=en |archive-date=22 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222094302/https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/09/351292/moroccos-foundation-for-palestine-to-construct-university-in-east-jerusalem |url-status=live}}</ref>

Other institutions of higher learning in Jerusalem are the [[Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Official site |work=[[Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance]] |url=http://www.jamd.ac.il/en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504003213/http://www.jamd.ac.il/english/ |archive-date=4 May 2010 |access-date=24 July 2018}}</ref> and [[Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design|Bezalel Academy of Art and Design]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Official site |work=[[Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design|Bezalel Academy of Art and Design]] |url=http://www.bezalel.ac.il/homenew/ |language=he |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512014427/http://www.bezalel.ac.il/homenew/ |archive-date=12 May 2016 |access-date=24 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bezalel.ac.il/en/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022092403/http://bezalel.ac.il/en/ |archive-date=22 October 2007 |access-date=24 July 2018 |title=Welcome to the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design Jerusalem}}</ref> whose buildings are located on the campuses of the Hebrew University.

===Arab schools===
[[File:Du-leshoni-2.jpg|thumb|[[Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel|Hand in Hand]], a bilingual Jewish-Arab school in Jerusalem]]Israel's public schools for Arabs in Jerusalem and other parts of the country have been criticised for offering a lower quality education than those catering to Israeli Jewish students.<ref name="Second Class Discrimination Against Palestinian Arab Children in Israel's Schools-2001">{{cite web |publisher=Human Rights Watch |work=Second Class Discrimination Against Palestinian Arab Children in Israel's Schools |title=Summary |date=September 2001 |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/israel2/ISRAEL0901-01.htm |access-date=27 March 2007 |archive-date=8 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208103444/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/israel2/ISRAEL0901-01.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> While many schools in the heavily Arab East Jerusalem are filled to capacity and there have been complaints of overcrowding, the Jerusalem Municipality is building over a dozen new schools in the city's Arab neighbourhoods.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1221034883085&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |title=Bridging the gap |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916231636/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1221034883085&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |archive-date=16 September 2011 |first=Etgar |last=Lefkovits |date=10 September 2008 |access-date=24 July 2018 |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]]}}</ref> Schools in [[Ras al-Amud|Ras el-Amud]] and [[Umm Lison]] opened in 2008.<ref name="Lis-2008">{{Cite news |last=Lis |first=Jonathan |title=Mayor to raise funds for E. J'lem Arabs to block Hamas |work=Haaretz |access-date=9 September 2011 |date=21 April 2008 |url=https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/976126.html |archive-date=13 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413071254/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/976126.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> In March 2007 the Israeli government approved a five-year plan to build 8,000 new classrooms in the city, 40 percent in the Arab sector and 28 percent in the Haredi sector. A budget of 4.6&nbsp;billion shekels was allocated for this project.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/839099.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607102540/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/839099.html |archive-date=7 June 2008 |title=8,000 new classrooms to be built in Arab, ultra-Orthodox schools |author=Or Kashti |date=18 March 2007 |access-date=22 July 2009}}</ref> In 2008, Jewish British philanthropists donated $3&nbsp;million for the construction of schools for Arabs in East Jerusalem.<ref name="Lis-2008" /> Arab high school students take the ''[[Bagrut]]'' matriculation exams, so that much of their curriculum parallels that of other Israeli high schools and includes certain Jewish subjects.<ref name="Second Class Discrimination Against Palestinian Arab Children in Israel's Schools-2001" />

==Culture==
[[File:Jerusalem_Schrein_des_Buches_BW_1.JPG|thumb|left|The [[Shrine of the Book]], housing the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]], at the [[Israel Museum]]]]

Although Jerusalem is known primarily for its [[Religious significance of Jerusalem|religious significance]], the city is also home to many artistic and cultural venues. The [[Israel Museum]] attracts nearly one million visitors a year, approximately one-third of them tourists.<ref name="The Israel Museum, Jerusalem">{{cite web |title=About the Museum |publisher=The Israel Museum, Jerusalem |access-date=27 February 2007 |url=http://www.imj.org.il/eng/about/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206172904/http://www.imj.org.il/eng/about/index.html |archive-date=6 February 2007}}</ref> The {{cvt|20|acre|ha|0|order=flip|adj=on}} museum complex comprises several buildings featuring special exhibits and extensive collections of [[Jewish ceremonial art|Judaica]], archaeological findings, and Israeli and European art. The [[Dead Sea scrolls]], discovered in the mid-20th century in the [[Qumran Caves]] near the Dead Sea, are housed in the Museum's [[Shrine of the Book]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imj.org.il/eng/shrine/index.html |publisher=The Israel Museum, Jerusalem |title=Shrine of the Book |access-date=27 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228232740/http://www.imj.org.il/eng/shrine/index.html |archive-date=28 February 2007}}</ref> The Youth Wing, which mounts changing exhibits and runs an extensive art education programme, is visited by 100,000 children a year. The museum has a large outdoor sculpture garden and includes the [[Holyland Model of Jerusalem]], a scale-model of the city during the late [[Second Temple period]].<ref name="The Israel Museum, Jerusalem"/> The [[Ticho House]] in downtown Jerusalem houses the paintings of [[Anna Ticho]] and the Judaica collections of her husband, an ophthalmologist who opened Jerusalem's first eye clinic in this building in 1912.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imj.org.il/eng/branches/Ticho_house/index.html |title=Ticho House |publisher=The Israel Museum, Jerusalem |access-date=28 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205165524/http://www.imj.org.il/eng/branches/Ticho_house/index.html |archive-date=5 February 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Jerusalem Zoo spider monkey.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Jerusalem Biblical Zoo]]]]

Next to the Israel Museum is the [[Bible Lands Museum]], near [[Israel Antiquities Authority#The National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel|The National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel]], which includes the [[Israel Antiquities Authority]] offices. A World Bible Centre is planned to be built adjacent to [[Mount Zion]] at a site called the "Bible Hill". A planned [[World Kabbalah Center|World Kabbalah Centre]] is to be located on the nearby [[Armon Hanatziv Promenade|promenade]], overlooking the Old City. The [[Rockefeller Museum]], located in East Jerusalem, was the first archaeological museum in the Middle East. It was built in 1938 during the British Mandate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imj.org.il/eng/branches/rockefeller/index.html |title=The Rockefeller Archaeological Museum |publisher=The Israel Museum, Jerusalem |access-date=28 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304085126/http://www.imj.org.il/eng/branches/rockefeller/index.html |archive-date=4 March 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imj.org.il/eng/branches/rockefeller/permanent.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211171315/http://www.imj.org.il/eng/branches/rockefeller/permanent.html |archive-date=11 December 2007 |publisher=The Israel Museum, Jerusalem |title=The Rockefeller Archaeological Museum: About the Museum: The Permanent Exhibition |access-date=28 February 2007}}</ref> In 2006, a {{cvt|38|km|mi}} [[Jerusalem Trail]] was opened, a hiking trail that goes to many cultural sites and [[national parks]] in and around Jerusalem. The [[Jerusalem Biblical Zoo]] has ranked consistently as Israel's top tourist attraction for Israelis.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenblum |first=Irit |url=https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/843385.html |title=Haareez Biblical Zoo favorite tourist site in 2006 |work=Haaretz |location=Israel |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=29 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829180225/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/843385.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Lis |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/978314.html |title=Jerusalem Zoo is Israel's number one tourist attraction |work=Haaretz |location=Israel |access-date=9 September 2011 |archive-date=16 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316210405/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/978314.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> The national cemetery of Israel is located at the city's western edge, near the [[Jerusalem Forest]] on [[Mount Herzl]]. The western extension of Mount Herzl is the Mount of Remembrance, where the main Holocaust museum of Israel is located. [[Yad Vashem]], Israel's national memorial to the victims of the [[Holocaust]], houses the world's largest library of Holocaust-related information.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yadvashem.org/ |publisher=The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority |title=Yad Vashem |access-date=28 February 2007 |archive-date=4 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204081835/http://www.yadvashem.org/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> It houses an estimated 100,000 books and articles. The complex contains a state-of-the-art museum that explores the genocide of the Jews through exhibits that focus on the personal stories of individuals and families killed in the Holocaust. An art gallery featuring the work of artists who perished is also present. Further, Yad Vashem commemorates the 1.5&nbsp;million Jewish children murdered by the [[Nazis]], and honours the [[Righteous among the Nations]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.yadvashem.org/about_yad/index_about_yad.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217113512/http://www1.yadvashem.org/about_yad/index_about_yad.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 February 2007 |publisher=The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority |title=About Yad Vashem |access-date=28 February 2007}}</ref>

[[File:NationalLibraryofIsraelJan052023 - 2.jpg|thumb|The new building of the [[National Library of Israel]]|left]]

The [[Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra]], established in the 1940s,<ref name="Jerusalem Orchestra">{{cite web |publisher=Jerusalem Orchestra |access-date=4 March 2007 |title=History |url=http://www.jso.co.il/history_english.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928091514/http://www.jso.co.il/history_english.php |archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref> has appeared around the world.<ref name="Jerusalem Orchestra"/> The [[International Convention Center (Jerusalem)|International Convention Centre]] (''Binyanei HaUma'') near the entrance to city houses the [[Israel Philharmonic Orchestra]]. The Jerusalem Cinemateque, the [[Gerard Behar Center|Gerard Behar Centre]] (formerly Beit Ha'Am) in downtown Jerusalem, the [[Jerusalem Music Centre]] in [[Yemin Moshe]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Jerusalem Music Center |url=http://www.jmc.co.il/Default.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070317224824/http://www.jmc.co.il/Default.asp |archive-date=17 March 2007 |access-date=18 May 2007}}</ref> and the Targ Music Centre in [[Ein Kerem]] also present the arts. The [[Israel Festival]], featuring indoor and outdoor performances by local and international singers, concerts, plays, and street theatre has been held annually since 1961, and Jerusalem has been the major organiser of this event. The [[Jerusalem Theater|Jerusalem Theatre]] in the [[Talbiya]] neighbourhood hosts over 150 concerts a year, as well as theatre and dance companies and performing artists from overseas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jerusalem-theatre.co.il/about_en.asp |publisher=Jerusalem Theater |title=The Jerusalem Centre for the Performing Arts |access-date=4 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202220213/http://www.jerusalem-theatre.co.il/about_en.asp |archive-date=2 February 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[The Jerusalem Khan Theatre|Khan Theatre]], located in a caravanserai opposite the old Jerusalem train station, is the city's only [[repertory|repertoire]] theatre.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.khan.co.il/about/index_english.php |publisher=The Khan Theatre |title=About Us |year=2004 |access-date=9 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811081440/http://www.khan.co.il/about/index_english.php |archive-date=11 August 2010}}</ref> The station itself has become a venue for cultural events in recent years as the site of ''Shav'ua Hasefer'' (an annual week-long book fair) and outdoor music performances.<ref>{{cite web |title=Summer Nights Festival 2008 |publisher=Jerusalem Foundation |access-date=20 July 2008 |url=http://www.jerusalemfoundation.org/news_article.aspx?MID=547&CID=558&AID=738&ID=2452 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220124345/http://www.jerusalemfoundation.org/news_article.aspx?MID=547&CID=558&AID=738&ID=2452 |archive-date=20 December 2008}}</ref> The [[Jerusalem Film Festival]] is held annually, screening Israeli and international films.<ref>{{cite web |title=About The Festival |work=Jerusalem Film Festival |access-date=20 July 2008 |url=http://www.jff.org.il/?CategoryID=361&ArticleID=163&sng=1 |archive-date=2 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402180517/http://www.jff.org.il/?CategoryID=361&ArticleID=163&sng=1 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1974 the [[Jerusalem Cinematheque]] was founded. In 1981 it was moved to a new building on Hebron Road near the [[Valley of Hinnom]] and the Old City.

Jerusalem was declared the [[2009 Capital of Arab Culture|Capital of Arab Culture]] in 2009.<ref name="Ynetnews-1995">{{cite news |date=20 June 1995 |title=Israel bans Palestinian cultural events |work=Ynetnews |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3689673,00.html |access-date=22 January 2010 |archive-date=28 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428211907/https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3689673,00.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Jerusalem is home to the [[Palestinian National Theatre]], which engages in cultural preservation as well as innovation, working to rekindle Palestinian interest in the arts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pnt-pal.org/history.php |publisher=Palestinian National Theatre |title=History |access-date=4 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929051321/http://www.pnt-pal.org/history.php |archive-date=29 September 2007}}</ref> [[The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music]] sponsors the Palestine Youth Orchestra<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ncm.birzeit.edu/pyo/about.htm |title=Palestine Youth Orchestra |publisher=Ncm.birzeit.edu |access-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927115145/http://ncm.birzeit.edu/pyo/about.htm |archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref> which toured [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]] and other Middle East countries in 2009.<ref>Joel Epstein, "Teaching in Palestine", ''The Strad'' June 2009, p. 42.</ref> The [[Islamic Museum]] on the Temple Mount, established in 1923, houses many Islamic artefacts, from tiny [[kohl (cosmetics)|kohl]] flasks and rare manuscripts to giant marble columns.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jmcc.org/palculture/go.htm |publisher=Jerusalem Media & Communication Centre |title=List of Palestinian Cultural & Archeological Sites |access-date=20 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080125080612/http://jmcc.org/palculture/go.htm |archive-date=25 January 2008}}</ref> Al-Hoash, established in 2004, is a gallery for the preservation of Palestinian art.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Alhoash |work=Palestinian ART Court |access-date=20 July 2008 |url=http://www.alhoashgallery.org/aboutus.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703223719/http://www.alhoashgallery.org/aboutus.shtml |archive-date=3 July 2008}}</ref> While Israel approves and financially supports some Arab cultural activities,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Pletcher |first1=Kenneth |last2=Levy |first2=Michael |last3=Augustyn |first3=Adam |last4=Etheredge |first4=Laura |last5=Tikkanen |first5=Amy |last6=McKenna |first6=Amy |last7=Tesch |first7=Noah |last8=Lotha |first8=Gloria |last9=Zeidan |first9=Adam |display-authors=etal |date=27 April 2023 |title=Israel—The arts |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel/The-arts |access-date=3 May 2023 |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |language=en |archive-date=17 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617000216/https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel/The-arts |url-status=live}}</ref> Arab Capital of Culture events were banned because they were sponsored by the [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestine National Authority]].<ref name="Ynetnews-1995"/> In 2009 a four-day culture festival was held in the [[Beit 'Anan]] suburb of Jerusalem, attended by more than 15,000 people<ref>{{cite web |url=http://alquds2009.org/etemplate.php?id=273 |title=Promoting Palestinian culture presents challenge to occupation and celebrates heritage |publisher=Alquds2009.org |access-date=11 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721180701/https://alquds2009.org/etemplate.php?id=273 |archive-date=21 July 2011}}</ref>

[[Palestinian cinema]] is based in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reiff |first=Ben |date=16 August 2023 |title=At local festivals, Palestinian cinema steps out of its comfort zone |url=https://www.972mag.com/palestinian-film-festivals-haifa-jerusalem/ |access-date=6 March 2024 |website=+972 Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=22 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222083326/https://www.972mag.com/palestinian-film-festivals-haifa-jerusalem/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Jerusalem has been location for "Jerusalem Arab Film Festival", for exhibiting [[Cinema of Palestine|Palestinian films]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reiff |first=Ben |date=2023-08-16 |title=At local festivals, Palestinian cinema steps out of its comfort zone |url=https://www.972mag.com/palestinian-film-festivals-haifa-jerusalem/ |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=+972 Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> The city is home to numerous artists, singers, actors, actresses and filmmakers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Culture in Al-Quds |url=https://thisweekinpalestine.com/culture-in-al-quds/ |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=This Week in Palestine |language=en-US}}</ref> Established in 1991, [[Riwaq (organization)|Riwaq]] have been working on various projects to restore cultural and historical sites across [[Palestine]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Life Jacket: the Revitalisation and Development of Rural Jerusalem |url=https://cultureincrisis.org/projects/the-revitalisation-and-development-of-rural-jerusalem |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=Culture in Crisis |language=en}}</ref> Difficulties to operate in the [[Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem|annexed areas of Palestinian Jerusalem]], it have successfully worked across those neighbourhoods, rural and suburban area and Jerusalem Mountains (''Jibal al-Quds''), where the [[Palestinian government]] has control.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Tour of Rural Jerusalem |url=https://thisweekinpalestine.com/a-tour-of-rural-jerusalem/ |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=This Week in Palestine |language=en-US}}</ref> So far, the organisation have restored a number of sites across the neighbourhoods of [[Kafr 'Aqab]], [[Al Jib]], [[Jaba', Jerusalem|Jaba]] and [[Qalandia]].<ref name="tadamon.community">{{Cite web |title=Establish Safe and Inclusive Spaces for Children and Families in Rural Jerusalem |url=https://tadamon.community/campaigns/establish-safe-and-inclusive-spaces-for-children-and-families-in-rural-jerusalem |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=tadamon.community}}</ref> Those restored structures serves as local community centres, cultural sites and headquarters of several NGOs and cultural groups.<ref name="tadamon.community" /> Yabous Cultural Center is the largest cultural centre in the city, opened by Palestinian groups in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-31 |title=Yabous Cultural Centre |url=https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/organization/yabous-cultural-centre |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=Front Line Defenders |language=en}}</ref> [[Edward Said National Conservatory of Music]] have a branch in Jerusalem.

[[Hadassah Medical Center]] and the Hebrew University have unveiled a "Tree of Peace" statue at the [[Al-Quds University Teaching Hospital|Al Quds University School of Dental Medicine]].<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Henry Schein, Al-Quds University And Hebrew University-Hadassah Schools Of Dental Medicine Celebrate The Unveiling Of The Tree Of Peace And Dedication Of The Dr. Musa Bajali Henry Schein Cares Education Center |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/henry-schein-al-quds-university-and-hebrew-university-hadassah-schools-of-dental-medicine-celebrate-the-unveiling-of-the-tree-of-peace-and-dedication-of-the-dr-musa-bajali-henry-schein-cares-education-center-218717141.html |access-date=2024-06-30 |publisher=Henry Schein Inc. |via=PRNewswire |language=en}}</ref> The Museum on the Seam, which explores issues of coexistence through art, is situated on the road dividing eastern and western Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Museum |work=Museum on the Seam |access-date=9 September 2011 |url=http://www.mots.org.il/eng/museum/about.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429045200/http://www.mots.org.il/eng/museum/about.asp |archive-date=29 April 2009}}</ref> The Abraham Fund and the Jerusalem Intercultural Centre (JICC) promote joint Jewish-Palestinian cultural projects. The Jerusalem Centre for Middle Eastern Music and Dance<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jerusalemfoundation.org/project_overview.aspx?TAB=0&MID=550&CID=566&PID=641 |title=Jerusalem Center for Middle Eastern Music and Dance |publisher=Jerusalemfoundation.org |access-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001134242/http://www.jerusalemfoundation.org/project_overview.aspx?TAB=0&MID=550&CID=566&PID=641 |archive-date=1 October 2011}}</ref> is open to Arabs and Jews and offers workshops on Jewish-Arab dialogue through the arts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jicc.org.il/activityPage.asp?activityID=7&subActivityID=14&activityPageID=19 |title=''"Speaking Art" Conference: Jewish-Arab Dialogue Through the Arts'' at the Jerusalem Intercultural Center |publisher=Jicc.org.il |access-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105231109/http://www.jicc.org.il/activityPage.asp?activityID=7&subActivityID=14&activityPageID=19 |archive-date=5 November 2011}}</ref> The Jewish-Arab Youth Orchestra performs both European classical and Middle Eastern music.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jerusalemfoundation.org/he/project_overview.aspx?TAB=0&MID=769&CID=792&PID=841 |title=The Jewish-Arab Youth Orchestra |publisher=Jerusalemfoundation.org |access-date=11 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726062320/http://www.jerusalemfoundation.org/he/project_overview.aspx?TAB=0&MID=769&CID=792&PID=841 |archive-date=26 July 2011}}</ref> In 2008 the [[Tolerance Monument]], an outdoor sculpture by [[Czesław Dźwigaj]], was erected on a hill between Jewish [[East Talpiot|Armon HaNetziv]] and Arab [[Jabel Mukaber|Jebl Mukaber]] as a symbol of Jerusalem's quest for peace.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Isabel |last=Kershner |title=Symbol of Peace Stands at Divide Between Troubled Jerusalem's East and West |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/world/middleeast/18jerusalem.html |work=The New York Times |date=17 October 2008 |access-date=18 October 2008 |archive-date=17 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717231128/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/world/middleeast/18jerusalem.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Media ===
The headquarters of the [[Israel Broadcasting Authority]] and its successor [[Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation]] are located in Jerusalem, as well as television and radio studios for [[Channel 12 (Israel)|Channel 12]], [[Channel 13 (Israel)|Channel 13]], and part of the radio studios of [[BBC News]]. ''[[The Jerusalem Post]]'' and ''[[The Times of Israel]]'' are also headquartered in Jerusalem. Local newspapers include the Israeli ''[[Kol Ha'ir]]'' and the Palestinian [[The Jerusalem Times|''Jerusalem Times'']]. [[GOD TV|God TV]], an international Christian television network, is also based in the city. [[Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation|PYALARA]], an organisation based in Jerusalem, transformed [[Jaba', Jerusalem|Jaba]] into a digital hub, which is the Middle East's first digital village and is also home to the first Media Interactive Learning Center in the Middle East.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The digital village in Jerusalemite Jaba' ... The first of its kind in the Middle East. |url=https://pyalara.org/en/trend/861.html |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Pyalara |language=en}}</ref>

=== Sports ===
{{see also|Beitar Jerusalem F.C.|Hapoel Jerusalem B.C.|Jerusalem Marathon}}
[[File:TeddyStadiumJerusalemِApr172023 03.jpg|thumb|[[Teddy Stadium]], [[Malha]]]]
[[File:JerusalemArenaApr172023 01.jpg|thumb|[[Pais Arena]]]]

The two most popular sports are [[Association football|football]] (soccer) and basketball.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Culture and Customs of Israel |last=Torstrick |first=Rebecca L. |isbn=978-0-313-32091-0 |year=2004 |publisher=Greenwood Press |page=141 |quote=The two most popular spectator sports in Israel are football and basketball.}}</ref> [[Beitar Jerusalem F.C.|Beitar Jerusalem Football Club]] is one of the most well known in Israel. Fans include political figures who often attend its games.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/MFA/Israel%20beyond%20the%20conflict/Betar%20Jerusalem-%20A%20Local%20Sports%20Legend%20Exports%20Tal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402050714/http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/MFA/Israel%2Bbeyond%2Bthe%2Bconflict/Betar%2BJerusalem-%2BA%2BLocal%2BSports%2BLegend%2BExports%2BTal |archive-date=2 April 2013 |publisher=Israel Magazine via the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |last=Griver |first=Simon |date=October 1997 |access-date=7 March 2007 |title=Betar Jerusalem: A Local Sports Legend Exports Talent to Europe's Top Leagues |url-status=dead}}</ref> Jerusalem's other major football team, and one of Beitar's top rivals, is [[Hapoel Jerusalem F.C.]] Whereas Beitar has been [[Israel State Cup]] champion seven times,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bjerusalem.co.il/ |title=בית"ר ירושלים האתר הרשמי – דף הבית |publisher=Bjerusalem.co.il |access-date=11 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823075655/http://www.bjerusalem.co.il/ |archive-date=23 August 2007}}</ref> Hapoel has won the Cup only once. Beitar has won the top league six times, while Hapoel has never succeeded. Beitar plays in the more prestigious [[Israeli Premier League|Ligat HaAl]], while Hapoel is in the second division [[Liga Leumit]]. Since its opening in 1992, [[Teddy Stadium]] has been Jerusalem's primary football stadium, with a capacity of 31,733.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.beitarfc.co.il/%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A6%D7%98%D7%93%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%98%D7%93%D7%99/ |title=בית״ר ירושלים – איצטדיון טדי |website=בית״ר ירושלים |access-date=19 September 2022 |archive-date=5 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905144143/https://www.beitarfc.co.il/%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A6%D7%98%D7%93%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%98%D7%93%D7%99/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The most popular Palestinian football club is [[Jabal Al Mukaber (football club)|Jabal Al Mukaber]] (since 1976) which plays in West Bank Premier League. The club hails from Mount Scopus at Jerusalem, part of the [[Asian Football Confederation]], and plays at the [[Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium]] at [[Al-Ram]], across the [[West Bank Barrier]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pfa.ps/clubdetails.aspx?clubid=13 |title=Palestinian Football Association, Jabal Al-Mokaber |publisher=Pfa.ps |access-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502075101/http://www.pfa.ps/clubdetails.aspx?clubid=13 |archive-date=2 May 2011}}</ref><ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/09/14/football.israel.palestine.beitar/index.html Football and the wall: The divided soccer community of Jerusalem] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722062543/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/09/14/football.israel.palestine.beitar/index.html |date=22 July 2013 }}, by James Montague, [[CNN]] 17 September 2010</ref>

In basketball [[Hapoel Jerusalem B.C.|Hapoel Jerusalem]] is one of the top teams in the [[Israeli Basketball Super League|top division]]. The club has won Israel's championship in 2015, the [[Israeli Basketball State Cup|State Cup]] four times, and the [[EuroCup Basketball|ULEB Cup]] in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hapoel.co.il/hapoel.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102043627/http://www.hapoel.co.il/hapoel.asp |archive-date=2 January 2008 |publisher=Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem |title=Home |access-date=7 March 2007 |language=he}} (The listing of championship wins are located at the bottom after the completion of the Flash intro.)</ref>

The [[Jerusalem Marathon]], established in 2011, is an international marathon race held annually in Jerusalem in the month of March. The full 42-kilometre race begins at the Knesset, passes through Mount Scopus and the Old City's Armenian Quarter, and concludes at Sacher Park. In 2012, the Jerusalem Marathon drew 15,000 runners, including 1,500 from fifty countries outside Israel.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baskin |first=Rebecca |title=First Jerusalem marathon to be held in 2011 |url=https://www.jpost.com/Sports/Article.aspx?id=159342 |access-date=2 February 2013 |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=20 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Davidovich |first=Joshua |title=Kenyan slogs out Jerusalem marathon win through soggy weather |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/kenyan-slogs-out-jerusalem-marathon-win-through-soggy-weather/ |access-date=2 February 2013 |newspaper=[[The Times of Israel]] |date=16 March 2012 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |archive-date=6 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606204139/http://www.timesofisrael.com/kenyan-slogs-out-jerusalem-marathon-win-through-soggy-weather/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ward |first=Harold |title=Thousands brave rain, wind for Jerusalem marathon |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ileOZ_fQw-q-wWqRSxpZ8IOml_6Q?docId=CNG.cc1f0a0def2357600fe7ce8952046eeb.01 |access-date=2 February 2013 |agency=[[Agence France-Presse]] |date=16 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305100043/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ileOZ_fQw-q-wWqRSxpZ8IOml_6Q?docId=CNG.cc1f0a0def2357600fe7ce8952046eeb.01 |archive-date=5 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Pazornik |first=Amanda |title=Jerusalem hills won't faze local marathon runners |url=http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/60665/jerusalem-hills-wont-faze-local-marathon-runners/ |access-date=2 February 2013 |newspaper=[[Jweekly]] |date=27 January 2011 |archive-date=19 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419173839/http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/60665/jerusalem-hills-wont-faze-local-marathon-runners/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Interactive course map |url=http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_sys/marathon11/eng/kataveMessage.asp?msg_id=14702 |publisher=[[Municipality of Jerusalem]] |access-date=2 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427222723/http://www.hotzvim.org.il/SiteFiles/1/35/901.asp |archive-date=27 April 2007}}</ref>

A popular non-competitive sports event is the [[Jerusalem March]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.funinjerusalem.com/events/jerusalem-march/ |title=Jerusalem March - Fun In Jerusalem |website=funinjerusalem.com |date=2024-10-21 |access-date=2025-05-22}}</ref> held annually during the [[Sukkot]] festival.

==Twin towns and sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Israel|List of twin towns and sister cities in Palestine{{!}}Palestine}}

Jerusalem is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:
{{Div col}}
[[East Jerusalem]] (Claimed by Palestine):
* {{Flagicon|EGY}} [[Cairo]], Egypt<ref>{{cite web |title=Brotherhood & Friendship Agreements |url=http://www.cairo.gov.eg/en/Pages/agreements.aspx |website=cairo.gov.eg |publisher=Cairo |access-date=2020-10-16 |archive-date=24 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124123644/http://www.cairo.gov.eg/en/Pages/agreements.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|IDN}} [[Jakarta]], Indonesia<ref>{{cite web |title=Amid Violence in Holy City, Durable Social, Political Solutions Encouraged as International Conference on Question of Jerusalem Opens in Jakarta |url=https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-205302/ |website=un.org |publisher=United Nations |date=2015-12-14 |access-date=2021-07-21 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721081634/https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-205302/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|IRN}} [[Tehran]], Iran<ref>{{cite web |title=گذری بر خواهرخوانده تهران در شرق اروپا |url=https://www.isna.ir/news/96122915736/%DA%AF%D8%B0%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%BE%D8%A7 |website=isna.ir |publisher=Iranian Students' News Agency |language=fa |date=2018-03-21 |access-date=2020-06-18 |archive-date=28 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210528203620/https://www.isna.ir/news/96122915736/%DA%AF%D8%B0%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%BE%D8%A7 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|MRT}} [[Nouakchott]], Mauritania<ref>{{cite web |title=توقيع أتفاقية توأمة بين نواكشوط والقدس |url=http://www.ami.mr/Depeche-25006.html |website=ami.mr |publisher=Agence Mauritanienne d'Information |language=ar |date=2012-05-31 |access-date=2020-10-22 |archive-date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206151958/https://www.ami.mr/Depeche-25006.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|MAR}} [[Fez, Morocco|Fez]], Morocco<ref>{{cite web |title=Twin Towns |url=https://www.fescity.com/en/twin-towns/ |website=fescity.com |date=8 January 2019 |publisher=Fes City |access-date=2020-05-29 |archive-date=16 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116180423/https://www.fescity.com/en/twin-towns/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|MAR}} [[Oujda]], Morocco<ref>{{cite web |title=La ville d'Oujda jumelée à Al-Qods |url=https://www.2m.ma/fr/news/la-ville-doujda-jumelee-a-al-qods-20180717/ |website=2m.ma |language=fr |date=2018-07-17 |access-date=2020-10-22 |archive-date=24 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024010938/https://www.2m.ma/fr/news/la-ville-doujda-jumelee-a-al-qods-20180717/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col end}}
{{Div col}}
[[West Jerusalem]] (Administered by Israel):
* {{Flagicon|BRA}} [[Niterói]], Brazil<ref>{{cite web |title=Lei Nº3322 de 27 de Outubro de 2017 |url=http://pgm.niteroi.rj.gov.br/legislacao_pmn/2017/LEIS/Lei%203322%20Disp%C3%B5e%20e%20declara%20Jerusal%C3%A9m,%20cidade%20irm%C3%A3%20de%20Niter%C3%B3i%20e%20d%C3%A1%20outras%20provid%C3%AAncias.pdf |website=niteroi.rj.gov.br |publisher=Niterói |language=pt |date=28 October 2017 |access-date=1 November 2023 |archive-date=26 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426051306/http://pgm.niteroi.rj.gov.br/legislacao_pmn/2017/LEIS/Lei%203322%20Disp%C3%B5e%20e%20declara%20Jerusal%C3%A9m,%20cidade%20irm%C3%A3%20de%20Niter%C3%B3i%20e%20d%C3%A1%20outras%20provid%C3%AAncias.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|BRA}} [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil<ref>{{cite web |title=Lei Nº 5919 DE 17/07/2015 |url=https://www.legisweb.com.br/legislacao/?id=287203 |website=legisweb.com.br |publisher=Legisweb |language=pt |date=19 May 2017 |access-date=1 November 2023 |archive-date=10 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160710110153/https://www.legisweb.com.br/legislacao/?id=287203 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|BRA}} [[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]], Brazil<ref>{{cite web |title=Salvador se torna cidade-irmã de Jerusalém |url=https://atarde.com.br/politica/salvador-se-torna-cidade-irma-de-jerusalem-1096471 |website=atarde.com.br |publisher=A Tarde |language=pt |date=31 October 2019 |access-date=1 November 2023 |archive-date=1 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101153455/https://atarde.com.br/politica/salvador-se-torna-cidade-irma-de-jerusalem-1096471 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|JPN}} [[Ayabe, Kyoto|Ayabe]], [[Kyoto Prefecture]], Japan<ref>{{cite web |title=International Exchange: List of Sister Cities |url=http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/en/01-04-03.html |website=pref.kyoto.jp |publisher=Kyoto Prefecture |access-date=1 November 2023 |archive-date=19 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919051110/http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/en/01-04-03.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://www.mayorsforpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/file-9th_gc_Report_en.pdf#page=58 ''The 9th General Conference of Mayors for Peace''], [[Mayors for Peace]], August 8, 2017. Accessed February 23, 2026. "Introduction of Peace Activities 5: Mr. Zenya Yamazaki, Mayor of Ayabe, Japan... Why is it that Ayabe took the initiative of starting the Middle East Peace Project? It is because Jerusalem is our sister city."</ref>
* {{Flagicon|PER}} [[Cusco]], Peru<ref>{{cite web |title=Ciudades Hermanas de Cusco |url=https://www.aatccusco.com/ciudades_hermanas.php |website=aatccusco.com |publisher=Asociación de Agencias de Turismo del Cusco |language=es |access-date=1 November 2023 |archive-date=29 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329013108/https://www.aatccusco.com/ciudades_hermanas.php |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|USA}} [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]], [[New Jersey]], United States<ref>{{cite web |title=Sister City Agreements |url=https://data.jerseycitynj.gov/explore/dataset/sister-city-agreements/table/?sort=-date_of_resolution |website=jerseycitynj.gov |publisher=Jersey City |access-date=1 November 2023 |archive-date=2 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502121026/https://data.jerseycitynj.gov/explore/dataset/sister-city-agreements/table/?sort=-date_of_resolution |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|USA}} [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States<ref>{{cite web |title=Mayor Adams Signs Sister City Agreement Between New York City And Athens, Greece |url=https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/875-22/mayor-adams-signs-sister-city-agreement-between-new-york-city-athens-greece |publisher=Office of Mayor of the City of New York |date=1 December 2022 |access-date=1 November 2023 |archive-date=5 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305222521/https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/875-22/mayor-adams-signs-sister-city-agreement-between-new-york-city-athens-greece |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Israel|Palestine|Cities|Judaism|Christianity|Islam}}
* [[Greater Jerusalem]]
* [[List of people from Jerusalem]]
* [[List of places in Jerusalem]]
* [[List of songs about Jerusalem]]
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* [[Martin Gilbert|Gilbert, Martin]] (1978). ''Jerusalem: Illustrated History Atlas''. New York: Macmillan Publishing.
* {{cite book |title=Society and Settlement: Jewish Land of Israel in the Twentieth Century |last=Kellerman |first=Aharon |year=1993 |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-0-7914-1295-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/societysettlemen0000kell}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* Cheshin, Amir S.; Bill Hutman and Avi Melamed (1999). ''Separate and Unequal: the Inside Story of Israeli Rule in East Jerusalem''. [[Harvard University Press]]. {{ISBN|978-0-674-80136-3}}.
* Cline, Eric (2004). ''Jerusalem Besieged: From Ancient Canaan to Modern Israel''. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. {{ISBN|978-0-472-11313-2}}.
* Collins, Larry, and La Pierre, Dominique (1988). ''O Jerusalem!''. New York: Simon & Schuster {{ISBN|978-0-671-66241-7}}.
* ''The Holy Cities: Jerusalem'' produced by Danae Film Production, distributed by HDH Communications; 2006
* Gold, Dore (2007). ''The Fight for Jerusalem: Radical Islam, The West, and the Future of the Holy City''. International Publishing Company J-M, Ltd. {{ISBN|978-1-59698-029-7}}.
* Hosler, John D. (2022). ''Jerusalem Falls: Seven Centuries of War and Peace''. London and New Haven: Yale University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-300-25514-0}}.
* Klein, Konstantin M.; Wienand, Johannes, eds. (2022). ''City of Caesar, City of God: Constantinople and Jerusalem in Late Antiquity.'' De Gruyter, Berlin 2022, {{ISBN|978-3-11-071720-4}}. {{doi|10.1515/9783110718447}}.
* [[Hans Köchler|Köchler, Hans]] (1981). ''The Legal Aspects of the Palestine Problem with Special Regard to the Question of Jerusalem'' Vienna: Braumüller {{ISBN|978-3-7003-0278-0}}.
* [[Simon Sebag Montefiore|Montefiore, Simon Sebag]] (2011). ''[[Jerusalem: The Biography]]'', London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, {{ISBN|978-0-297-85265-0}}.
* "[http://www.rissc.jo/docs/J101-10-10-10.pdf Keys to Jerusalem: A Brief Overview]" ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222120957/http://rissc.jo/docs/J101-10-10-10.pdf |date=22 December 2010 }}, The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center, Amman, Jordan, 2010.
* Wasserstein, Bernard (2002). ''Divided Jerusalem: The Struggle for the Holy City'' New Haven and London: Yale University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-300-09730-6}}.
* Young, Robb A. (2012). ''Hezekiah in History and Tradition'' Brill Global Oriental Hotei Publishing, Netherlands.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links |voy=Jerusalem}}
* {{Official website|https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/en/Pages/default.aspx}} of the [[Jerusalem Municipality]]
* [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26934435 What makes Jerusalem so holy?] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180531061101/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26934435 |date=31 May 2018 }}) [[BBC News]]
* [https://www.un.org/unispal/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/The-Status-of-Jerusalem-Engish-199708.pdf The Status of Jerusalem] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526031014/https://www.un.org/unispal/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/The-Status-of-Jerusalem-Engish-199708.pdf |date=26 May 2023 }}). [[United Nations]] document related to the dispute over the city
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171204035752/http://www.jerusalem-library.org/ Jerusalem Virtual Library], joint project by [[Al-Quds University]] and the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]]
* [http://new.huji.ac.il/en Official website] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206072153/http://new.huji.ac.il/en |date=6 December 2017 }}) of the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]], the city's foremost institution of higher education
* [https://www.alquds.edu/en Official website] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206203332/https://www.alquds.edu/en |date=6 December 2017 }}) of [[Al-Quds University]], the only Palestinian university in Jerusalem
* {{OSM relation|1381350}}

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