Jerusalem

Jerusalem is an ancient city and capital of the State of Israel, located in the center of the country. The Palestinian Authority also lays claim to Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.


Jerusalem is considered a holy city by major religions, chiefly Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jerusalem is a host to many religious sites, especially within the walls of the old city. The Temple Mount is remains of the Jewish temples, and the holiest site in Judaism. Jews often pray at the Western Wall, or Kotel, a retaining wall for the Temple Mount built by Herod the Great. On the temple mount now sit the al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques, the former being the 3rd holiest site in Islam. Several chirstian sites, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, are important to many sects of Christianity. 


As it is the political capital of Israel, Jerusalem is home to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. There are also ministries that have their headquarters in Jerusalem, such as the Foreign Ministry. The status of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is not recognized by all international actors. However, embassies of states such as the US reside in Jerusalem.


Jerusalem is built on several hills, and has a cooler climate than many other major cities. One of its aesthetic features is that buildings are made with Jerusalem stone, a pale white-yellow limestone.


Jerusalem has been the center of Jewish life since Davidic times. In its history, it has been conquered and destroyed dozens of times by invading armies and empires. However, there has always been a Jewish presence in Jerusalem. In late 1800 Ottoman censuses, Jews were a majority of the population of Jerusalem. However, Jerusalem was set to be an international city in initial partition plans in the late 1940s. Following the Israeli War of Independence, Jerusalem was split between east and west, with the east side being in the possession of Jordan. In 1967, Israel retook east Jerusalem, and the bulk of Jewish holy sites. In 1980, the Knesset passed the “Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel” which establishes a united Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and under complete Israeli sovereignty. 

Jerusalem Film Festival 2025: international films, prizewinners, and must-see titles

From Michel Franco's Dreams starring Jessica Chastain to new works from the Dardenne brothers and Sergei Loznitsa, the Jerusalem Film Festival's 2025 edition showcases the best of global cinema.

 ‘THE PASSENGER,’ with Jack Nicholson and Maria Schneider, will be screened at the Jerusalem Film Festival this month.
 Palestinians collect what remains of relief supplies from the distribution center of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 5, 2025.

GHF slams Reuters over 'false, so-called' document of Gazan relocation, 'deradicalization plan'

 Israel Police and forensic teams at the site of the murder of a three-year-old in east Jerusalem, July 7, 2025.

Police arrest father suspected of murdering three-year-old in east Jerusalem

 THE ‘ASIMON’ is the telephone token that was used for public phones until the early 1990s.

Reflections on almost 48 years of aliyah: An American family arrives and grows


For the first time, cosmic-ray muons map Jeremiah’s cistern in the City of David

April 7 arXiv preprint shows non-invasive imaging of the biblical water system’s hidden ventilation shaft.

 Jeremiah’s cistern in the City of David.

Jerusalem Film Festival announces its opening film and Israeli lineup

The festival will take place from July 17-26 at the Jerusalem Cinematheque, and the opening will be held at the Sultan’s Pool amphitheatre.

 Sentimental Journey, which won the Grand Prize at Cannes, will open the Jerusalem Film Festival.

Luxurious yet authentic: A look inside the Theatron Hotel in Jerusalem

The Theatron Hotel in Jerusalem was designed with a luxurious yet authentic look, characterized by classic Jerusalem lines. It's a five-star deluxe boutique hotel – and the atmosphere reflects that.

 Theatron Jerusalem Hotel

Finding spiritual resilience through prayer and music

The intensive four-day festival offers its participants a variety of master classes, study sessions, collaborative experimentation, and creation.

 Jerusalem’s Fuchsberg Center.

Jerusalem aqueduct tunnel surpassed Rome’s in length, study reveals

Wadi el Biyar’s 2.8-kilometer water tunnel is longer than any Roman equivalent.

 Solomon’s Pools circa 1890.

WATCH: Border policewomen assists in birth of twins, performs CPR on newborn at checkpoint

A woman exited a vehicle at the Tunnel Crossing who was in the advanced stages of labor and shouted: "I'm giving birth! I need a doctor!"

 A Border Police officer conducting operations, May 2025.

A loving life in a peaceful paradise: Ellie Henkind Katz's Jerusalem life

In their little piece of paradise just west of Jerusalem, Ellie and Michael are still very obviously in love after half a century of marriage. 

 ELLIE & MICHAEL KATZ in the garden of their artfilled home in Shoeva as a peacock looks on

Anger, hope, déjà vu and cold chicken soup: How Jerusalemites reacted to war with Iran

RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS: Four Jerusalem residents share Shabbat experiences on the fateful weekend when Israel’s began its strikes on Iran.

 THE ‘POST’ gathered testimonies from Jerusalemites and documented their experiences of last weekend’s attack on Iran. Here, people gather to enter a bomb shelter last Friday in Jerusalem.

Grapevine, June 13, 2025: Welcoming Milei in style

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

 A Special Session in his Honor of Argentinian President Javier Milei at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025.

Yonatan Ben Uziel’s prophecy: As Persia falls, Jerusalem begins to rise

In a timely essay, Rabbi Shai Tchan reveals how Yonatan ben Uziel foresaw the fall of Persia and the rise of Israel—marking the final stage before Mashiach and the end of exile.

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Neutral no more? Baku warns Iran against using its territory for attacks - analysis

 L-R) Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev pose for a picture during a meeting in Tehran, Iran November 1, 2017.