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.

Israeli think tank urges tougher measures against Turkish consulate, limiting diplomatic presence

Among the recommendations are revoking diplomatic benefits, canceling work visas, restricting freedom of movement in Israel, and removing immunity from diplomatic vehicles.

JULY 14, 2026|ByANNA BARSKY

View of the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv on August 26, 2021.

Elisha Wiesel, Elie Wiesel's son, keeps his father's leagcy and memory alive

Elie Wiesel's son rejects Rahm Emanuel's 'pariah' verdict on Israel

From Auschwitz to the UN, Elisha Wiesel describes the lessons he inherited from his father and the battle he believes must now be fought over language and memory.

JULY 14, 2026|ByJERUSALEM POST PODCASTS

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men clash with police during a protest against construction work on the Jerusalem Light Rail in the Bar-Ilan area of Jerusalem, June 8, 2026.

Protesters block Jerusalem roads, target light rail construction site

Police used crowd dispersal measures after protesters blocked roads near Jerusalem’s Bar Ilan Street and refused orders to leave.

JULY 14, 2026|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

The colors of each sinkhole come from minerals, salt, clay, and water.

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'A living landscape': Photographing the Dead Sea, Judean Desert, and Jerusalem

From Jerusalem’s ancient streets to the shifting shores of the Dead Sea, one Israeli photographer documents a land that refuses to stand still

JULY 13, 2026|BySHIMON PERLSTEIN

Jerusalem highlights: July 10-16

What's new to do in Israel's capital?

JULY 10, 2026ByHAGAY HACOHEN

Grapevine, July 10, 2026: Mixed Irish feelings

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

JULY 10, 2026ByGREER FAY CASHMAN

CHIEF OF State Protocol Gil Haskel with Tanzanian Ambassador Alex Gabriel Kallua.

Jerusalem Film Festival opens 43rd edition at Sultan's Pool with 6,000 guests

Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, one of the most acclaimed filmmakers working today, was the festival’s guest of honor and received an award in recognition of his cinematic achievements.

JULY 9, 2026ByHANNAH BROWN

From left: Jerusalem Film Festival artistic director Orr Sigoli, Jerusalem Film Festival director Roni Mahadav-Levin, Jerusalem Cinematheque executive board chairman Dani Mimran, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, and Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa.

Jerusalem among the top 10 cities in the world this year

In the annual ranking of the prestigious American magazine Travel + Leisure, in which more than 661,000 readers from around the world participated, Jerusalem was ranked seventh in the world.

JULY 9, 2026ByZIV REINSTEIN

Young people spend time at the Mahaneh Yehuda Market in Jerusalem

Will Turkey box Israel out of Hamas's future role in Gaza?

Israel watches Turkey’s rise with concern as F-35 talks, Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Iran’s uranium stockpile reshape the regional threat map.

JULY 9, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST PODCASTS

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes US President Donald Trump at Ankara Airport, who is paying an official visit to Turkey ahead of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7, 2026.

Aminadav Forest visitor center near Jerusalem reopens after major upgrade

KKL-JNF completed an upgrade of the Aminadav Forest visitor center, adding new infrastructure, accessible paths, observation points, and signage.

JULY 8, 2026ByMEITAL SHARABI

Haredi protests against Jerusalem Light Rail continue, reports of over NIS 400 million in damage

The protests follow an N12 News report that haredi protests have cumulatively caused over NIS 400 million in damage to the Jerusalem light rail's unfinished Green Line.

JULY 7, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters set fire to construction materials during a protest against construction work on the Jerusalem Light Rail in the Bar-Ilan area of Jerusalem, June 8, 2026.

Teen arrested after reportedly sexually assaulting 5-year-old child in Modi'in Illit bomb shelter

Police reported cases of child sexual abuse, endangerment in a motor vehicle, and domestic abuse within a span of two weeks in late June and early July 2026.

JULY 7, 2026ByMAYA ZANGER-NADIS

An Israel Police car, April 13, 2026; illustrative.

Walking through the ancient waterway behind Jerusalem's story

During the Three Weeks, descend into the Biyar Aqueduct in Gush Etzion and experience the cool waters that once supplied ancient Jerusalem.

JULY 7, 2026ByMEITAL SHARABI

Rahm Emanuel meets Herzog, calls for ‘historic agreement’ on Israeli-Palestinian future

Emanuel said Arab states’ push for regional stability, Israel’s security needs, and Palestinian self-determination could be brought together in a diplomatic framework.

JULY 7, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF