East Jerusalem

East Jerusalem is a territory with a highly disputed status.

It is the portion of Jerusalem located east of the Green Line. This line was established by armistice agreements following the 1948 Palestine war. The area is globally significant because it contains the Old City. This historic center holds many sites of religious importance for Muslims, Christians, and Jews.

Because of these holy sites, the region is a central focus of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

The history of the area involves many shifts in control. Settlement in this region dates back to the Chalcolithic period around 5000 BCE.

In the late second millennium BCE, people concentrated near the City of David. They settled there due to its proximity to the Gihon Spring. Ancient Canaanite builders even excavated water channels through rock. They used massive stones weighing up to three tonnes for their constructions. This long history of habitation has made the land deeply meaningful to many cultures.

Modern political boundaries changed significantly during the 20th century. In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan. This plan envisioned Jerusalem as an international city called a corpus separatum. However, the 1948 Arab–Israeli War prevented this. The 1949 Armistice Agreements divided the city into two sectors. The western half came under Israeli control. The eastern half, containing the Old City, fell under Jordanian rule.

The only eastern area remaining in Israeli hands during this time was the Mount Scopus enclave.

A major turning point occurred during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel captured and occupied East Jerusalem during this conflict. Following this, Israel unilaterally annexed the territory. In 1980, the Jerusalem Law declared the entire city to be the unified capital of Israel.

This annexation is not recognized by much of the international community. The United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations consider East Jerusalem to be part of the Palestinian territories. They describe the situation as an illegal occupation under international law.

The demographic makeup of East Jerusalem is diverse. In 2020, the population was approximately 595,000 inhabitants.

Of these people, 361,700, or 61 percent, were Palestinian Arabs. The remaining 234,000, or 39 percent, were Jewish Israelis. Many Arab residents are increasingly integrated into Israeli society through education and national service. However, the political status of these residents remains a subject of intense debate. Different groups use different names for the area, such as "Arab Jerusalem" or "Occupied East Jerusalem."

International recognition of the city's status varies by country. Many states recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine.

For example, China and Russia have expressed support for this position. All 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation hold this view. Other nations, such as France and Australia, describe the area as occupied territory. They suggest that East Jerusalem will eventually become the capital of Palestine. Most countries currently maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv instead of Jerusalem.

The physical landscape has also been transformed by modern development. After the 1967 war, municipal boundaries were extended. This made the city area three times larger than the pre-war West Jerusalem. This expansion included several West Bank villages and eight suburban neighborhoods.

The international community considers these new settlements to be illegal. The Israeli government disputes this, citing the extended municipal boundaries. These changes continue to impact the relationship between the different populations living in the region.