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.

When Shabbat becomes a battleground - opinion

I sat on my balcony watching around 50 haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men and children harass a new cafe’s patrons and staff in Jerusalem’s city center, angry that it was operating on Shabbat.

JULY 14, 2026|ByATARA RUDERMAN

POLICE ARE seen dragging an ultra-Orthodox protester away during a demonstration against a cafe operating on Shabbat while secular protesters demonstrate in support of the cafe in central Jerusalem, on July 11, 2026.

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

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

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

'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, 2026BySHIMON PERLSTEIN

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

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Modern luxury meets old-world grandeur at Jerusalem's Waldorf Astoria

Modern luxury at Jerusalem’s Waldorf Astoria

JULY 13, 2026ByRUTH MARKS EGLASH

Despite the struggles facing Israel’s tourism industry, the hotel has striven to maintain a high level of service and make sure visitors receive the same care and attention.

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This is the price of 3 nights in Israeli hotels for Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot

We checked the costs of three nights for a family in four popular destinations in Israel: Eilat, the Dead Sea, Tiberias, and Jerusalem.

JULY 13, 2026ByEYAL SHAPIRA

A Shabbat with a view: Falling for Hotel Beit Shmuel, one balcony at a time - review

Good food, better panoramas, and one contested piece of cake.

JULY 12, 2026ByERICA SCHACHNE

Haredi protesters disrupt light rail construction, block traffic on Jerusalem's Bar Ilan Street

Police officers and Border Police are on the scene, attempting to disperse the protesters, Israel Police confirmed.

JULY 12, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Ultra orthoodx jewish men block a road during a protest against the jailing of yeshiva students who failed to comply with an army recruitment order, in Jerusalem, July 1, 2026; Illustrative.

'Jewish, Christian and Islamic Traditions': Jerusalem and its names - review

The book offers a perspective on how language itself shapes the identity, and holiness of Jerusalem.

JULY 12, 2026ByBEN SOLOMON

A SECTION of what is believed to be the world’s ‘Foundation Stone,’ currently under the Golden Dome.

Man stabbed to death in Jerusalem's Nahlaot after Jaffa shooting, Haifa stabbing

Earlier on Saturday, a man in his 30s was critically injured after a shooting on Jerusalem Boulevard in Jaffa, according to Ynet News.

JULY 11, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Jerusalem partially saves historic Bikur Cholim building after backlash over haredi seminary plan

Opponents propose turning it into a cultural or arts center, heritage campus, performance venue, cafes and community spaces, or a museum on Jerusalem medicine and preservation.

JULY 11, 2026ByJUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH