Palestine is a region in the Middle East with a long and complex history, rooted in the rise and fall of various empires, religious movements, and national aspirations. It has been, and continues to be, a focal point of international attention, particularly because of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the term “Palestine” often refers to the region historically encompassing the modern-day State of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, the issue of its capital is a topic intertwined with deep political, religious, and historical significance.
The capital of Palestine is a matter of international debate and conflict. The Palestinian leadership and many countries around the world recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. However, this is a contentious issue because Jerusalem itself is also claimed as the capital by Israel, which controls the entire city following the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan. Since then, Israel has maintained sovereignty over the entire city and declared it as its undivided capital in 1980. This move has been heavily contested and is not widely recognized by the international community, leading to ongoing diplomatic disputes.
Historical Overview of Jerusalem and Palestine’s Capital
The city of Jerusalem holds immense religious and historical significance for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. As a result, control over the city has been contested for millennia. It has been inhabited continuously for several thousand years and has changed hands countless times due to its religious, political, and strategic importance.
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Ancient History: The earliest records of Jerusalem date back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It was a Canaanite city before it became significant to the Israelites, who, according to biblical tradition, established it as the political and spiritual center of the Kingdom of Israel. In 70 CE, after the Roman Empire destroyed the Second Temple, the Jewish population was largely dispersed, and Jerusalem became less central to Jewish life, though it always maintained its spiritual importance.
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Islamic Caliphates and Crusades: After the rise of Islam in the 7th century, Jerusalem became a key city in the Muslim world due to the construction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, which are part of the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, considered the third-holiest site in Islam. For centuries, various Islamic empires controlled the city, including the Umayyads, Abbasids, and eventually the Ottoman Empire. During the Crusades, control briefly shifted to European Christian powers before returning to Muslim rule.
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Ottoman Era to British Mandate: Jerusalem remained part of the Ottoman Empire until the empire’s collapse during World War I. Following the war, Britain gained control of Palestine under a League of Nations mandate, and the city became the center of increasing tensions between Jewish and Arab populations. During the British Mandate (1920-1948), Jerusalem was an administrative center, though conflict escalated over competing claims to the land by Jews and Arabs.
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Division and Conflict: In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan that designated Jerusalem as an international city under UN administration, given its religious significance to multiple groups. However, this plan was never fully implemented. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the city was divided: West Jerusalem was controlled by Israel, while East Jerusalem, including the Old City and major holy sites, was controlled by Jordan.
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Six-Day War and Aftermath: In 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan and later annexed the area, declaring the entire city its capital in 1980. This annexation has not been recognized by most countries, and the status of Jerusalem remains one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Palestinian Claims to East Jerusalem
The Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) consider East Jerusalem to be the rightful capital of a future Palestinian state. East Jerusalem contains key Palestinian neighborhoods, as well as significant cultural, economic, and political centers. Furthermore, the area is home to the Haram al-Sharif, the third holiest site in Islam, which includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. For Palestinians, East Jerusalem is not just a political claim but also a symbol of national identity, religious significance, and the broader Palestinian struggle for sovereignty and self-determination.
In 1988, during the First Intifada, the PLO formally declared the establishment of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, though this declaration was largely symbolic, as Palestinians did not control the territory. This claim was reiterated in subsequent negotiations and peace efforts, including the Oslo Accords (1993) and Camp David Summit (2000), both of which sought to resolve the status of Jerusalem, albeit unsuccessfully.
The Role of Ramallah
Due to Israeli control over Jerusalem and the continued conflict surrounding the city’s status, the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority is Ramallah, a city located about 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem in the West Bank. Ramallah serves as the seat of government for the PA and is the location of most governmental institutions, including the offices of the Palestinian president, ministries, and the Palestinian Legislative Council.
While Palestinians continue to assert that East Jerusalem is their capital, practical limitations, such as restricted access and the political reality on the ground, have made Ramallah the operational center of Palestinian governance.
International Reactions and Diplomacy
International reactions to the issue of Jerusalem are mixed and have evolved over time. The majority of countries, including key global powers, do not recognize Israel’s claim to the entirety of Jerusalem and instead support a negotiated two-state solution that would include East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Many countries maintain their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv rather than Jerusalem to avoid endorsing Israeli sovereignty over the whole city.
In 2017, the United States, under President Donald Trump, formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and subsequently moved its embassy there in 2018. This decision marked a significant shift in U.S. policy and was highly controversial, as it was perceived as undermining Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem and complicating peace efforts. While a few other countries followed suit, the majority of the international community, including the European Union and most Arab and Muslim-majority nations, condemned the move and reaffirmed their support for East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
The United Nations continues to uphold resolutions affirming that East Jerusalem is occupied territory and calls for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The UN has passed numerous resolutions, including UN Security Council Resolution 242 (1967), which calls for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the Six-Day War, including East Jerusalem. However, no lasting peace agreement has been reached, and the status of Jerusalem remains one of the most significant obstacles to peace.
Current Status and Future Prospects
The situation in Jerusalem remains highly volatile and complex. Israel continues to expand Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, further complicating the prospects for a two-state solution. Palestinians in East Jerusalem often face discrimination and are subject to Israeli laws, though many do not hold Israeli citizenship. This creates a situation of legal limbo, where Palestinians living in the city are residents but not full citizens of the state that controls their territory.
Peace efforts, such as those brokered by the United States, European Union, and other international actors, have largely failed to resolve the issue of Jerusalem. For Palestinians, the city remains a non-negotiable part of their national identity and their aspirations for an independent state. Meanwhile, Israel maintains that Jerusalem is its undivided and eternal capital, making compromise difficult.
In conclusion, while the Palestinian leadership continues to assert that East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, the city’s future remains uncertain due to ongoing Israeli control, international disputes, and the broader challenges posed by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both Palestinians and Israelis see Jerusalem as central to their historical, religious, and political narratives, and until a mutually acceptable solution is found, the status of the city will remain one of the core issues in the search for lasting peace in the region.