Jerusalem is Converging Point of Three Big Religions

Jerusalem: The Sacred Land and Its Tumultuous History

Jerusalem! Oh, Sacred Land! How testing has your sanctity proven for humanity?

Jerusalem is a unique city where the three major monotheistic religions lay claim to its sanctity. When religion and faith come into play, logic and reason often yield. For over three thousand years, Jews have held deep religious ties to the city; Christians for two thousand years, and Muslims for fourteen hundred years. The city houses 1,204 synagogues, 158 churches, and 73 mosques. Within its walls stand the Jewish Tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple, and the Western Wall. For Christians, it is where Jesus Christ was crucified at Golgotha and where they believe he will be resurrected. Christians make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to seek purification from sin; the Bible mentions Jerusalem 632 times.

 

For Muslims, Jerusalem is the third holiest city after Mecca and Medina. It is home to the first Qibla and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where Prophet Muhammad embarked on the Night Journey, as recounted in the Quran: 

"Glorified is He who took His servant by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs; indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing" (Surah Al-Isra, Ayah 1).

 

According to Hadith, the Kaaba was the first mosque built on earth, and Al-Aqsa followed 40 years later. Muslims initially faced Al-Aqsa during prayers.

 

Jerusalem has endured 2 complete destruction, 23 sieges, 44 captures, and 52 attacks.

A Brief Timeline of Jerusalem’s History:

• 5000 BCE: Archaeologists trace human habitation in Jerusalem back to seven thousand years ago, making it one of the oldest cities.
•  1700 BCE: The Canaanites constructed stone walls to manage water in Jerusalem’s east.
•  1550–1400 BCE: The Egyptians annexed the region.
•  1000 BCE: Prophet David conquered the city, establishing it as the capital of his kingdom.
•  960 BCE: David’s son, Prophet Solomon, built the First Temple, known as Solomon’s Temple.
•  589 BCE: Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city and exiled the Jews.
•  539 BCE: The Persian ruler Cyrus the Great captured Jerusalem, permitting the Jews to return.
•  30 CE: Roman soldiers crucified Jesus Christ.
•  638 CE: Muslims conquered Jerusalem for the first time.
•  691 CE: The Umayyad ruler Abdul Malik constructed the Dome of the Rock.
•  1071 CE: The Turkish commander Atsiz seized Jerusalem from the weakening Fatimid dynasty.
•  1095 CE: Byzantine rulers appealed to Pope Urban II to liberate Jerusalem, sparking the Crusades.
•  1099 CE: Crusaders finally captured Jerusalem, slaughtering most of its Muslim inhabitants.
•  1187 CE: On October 2, during the Night of Ascension, Salah adDin Ayyubi recaptured Jerusalem, raising the crescent in place of the cross and offering general amnesty to the Christians upon payment.

• 1229 CE: Frederick II acquired Jerusalem peacefully.
•  1244 CE: Muslims regained control.
•  1517 CE: Sultan Selim I integrated Jerusalem into the Ottoman Empire.
•  1917 CE: British General Allenby entered Jerusalem, defeating the Ottomans.

• 1947 CE: The UN divided the city into Palestinian and Jewish sectors.
•  1948 CE: Israel declared independence, splitting the city between Israel and Jordan.
•  1967 CE: After the SixDay War, Israel gained control of both parts of Jerusalem.
•  1993 CE: The Oslo Accords led Palestine to recognize Israel and vice versa.
•  1995 CE: Oslo II divided the West Bank into Areas A, B, and C, granting the Palestinian Authority additional powers.
•  2020 CE: President Trump supported moving the US Embassy to disputed Jerusalem, fueling Israel’s expansion into Palestinian territories under the guise of a peace agreement.

 

A Brief Modern History of Jerusalem and the Ongoing Conflict

Post-WWI to Israel's Establishment:

After World War I, Britain defeated the Ottoman Empire and took control of Jerusalem, leading to a wave of Jewish immigration to Palestine. 

Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera

Jews began establishing communities and ultimately launched militant movements for an independent Jewish state. In 1948, as Britain withdrew, the United Nations proposed a partition of Palestine into Jewish and Muslim states, declaring Jerusalem an international city. However, Israel later seized additional Palestinian territories by force. In recent years, under the so-called "peace plan" by President Trump, Israel gained support for further annexation, swiftly advancing its territorial expansion with minimal opposition beyond diplomatic resistance.

Current Crisis: Forced Evictions and East Jerusalem 

Currently, Israeli authorities are evicting Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem—a deeply complex issue. Palestinians argue they have lived there since the 1950s, holding documentation from Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Jewish organizations, however, claim they inhabited these homes as far back as 1885, later losing them in the 1948 war. Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War; prior to that, it was under Jordanian control. Israeli courts have already evicted Palestinians from these homes under a revised property law.

Today, Muslims make up 60% of East Jerusalem’s population and aspire to establish it as their capital.

The area contains the historic Old City and numerous sacred sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Western Wall. 

Demographics and Geography of Jerusalem and Gaza 

Jerusalem’s population stands at approximately 936,000, including 550,000 Israelis and over 350,000 Palestinians. 

Gaza, located along Palestine's western border, covers a mere 365 square kilometers and is home to two million people, with a staggering density of 6,000 individuals per square kilometer, making it the world’s third most densely populated area. 

Bordered by Israel on the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Gaza’s southern corner adjoins Egypt via the Rafah border crossing, which remains tightly closed, leading to severe shortages of water, electricity, and medicine.

Although Gaza falls under Palestinian administration, it is effectively governed by Hamas, a Sunni political and military group founded in 1987. Hamas gained control of Gaza following its 2006 election victory and has maintained an armed presence, launching rockets toward Tel Aviv. While some speculate these rockets are smuggled from Egypt through tunnels, Israel contends that weapons are produced in local factories with assistance from Iranian military experts. Qatar and Turkey are also known to support Hamas at multiple levels and have even advocated for its recognition as a peaceful political party.

Hamas vs. Israel: The Military Dynamics 

Hamas targets Israel with rockets, most of which Israel intercepts using its Iron Dome system, developed by the Israeli company Rafael. The system intercepts missiles fired from ranges of 4 to 70 kilometers, achieving roughly an 80% success rate. However, it does not guarantee total protection, prompting Israel to retaliate with airstrikes on Gaza, where civilians often bear the brunt of the attacks. For both sides, this conflict holds religious significance, with combat seen as a sacred duty. Despite Hamas's limited resources, Israel is a highly advanced state, backed by powerful Western nations and a strong network of lobbying groups in the United States. Israeli drones and technology lead global markets, supplying advanced capabilities to numerous countries.

 

While countries like Algeria, Somalia, Libya, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia do not recognise Israel, advancements under the Trump administration (including formal recognition by the UAE and covert cooperation with Saudi Arabia) have diluted Arab pressure. Egypt and Jordan, which recognised Israel three to four decades ago, have neutralised their regional opposition, and following the UAE’s move, it is anticipated that other Gulf states may soon follow.

Hamas remains Israel’s primary remaining adversary, one Israel aims to dismantle as quickly as possible, regardless of civilian casualties. Both sides view the struggle as a religious duty, adding layers of complexity to a conflict that has already seen far too many innocents lost.