East Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world, a city of three religions, whose origin goes back to the biblical figure of Abraham. Over the course of several centuries, it was destroyed and rebuilt. Until now, the city is the center of conflict between representatives of Christians, Jews and Muslims, who are united by reverence and respect for this holy land.
History of the founding of Jerusalem
The history of the ancient city begins 30 centuries ago, the first reliable sources refer us to the XVIII-XIX centuries BC. e., when it was called Rusalimum. During this time, Jerusalem was destroyed 16 times and rebuilt 17 times, and the authorities here were replaced more than 80 times, passing from the Greeks to the Babylonians, from the Romans to the Egyptians, from the Arabs to the Crusaders, etc.
In 1000 B. C. e. power was seized by King David, who brought here the Ark of the Covenant, which is 10 tables of stone with 10 Commandments, which are considered the main shrine of the Jews. At the same time, it was decided to begin the construction of the JerusalemTemple. However, it was built already in 7 years under King Solomon in the 960s. BC e. with the participation of 150 thousand workers and 4 thousand overseers. After the death of the king, the state disintegrated into Israel (the northern part with the capital Jerusalem) and Judea (southern).
In the following centuries, the city became the scene of hostilities more than once, was destroyed and burned, but each time the expelled residents returned, and the settlement was revived. In 332 BC. e. these territories were captured by Alexander the Great, from 65 they fall under the rule of the Romans, and King Herod, nicknamed the Great for cunning and cruelty, becomes the ruler of Judea.
The city where Jesus Christ was born, lived, died and resurrected
During the reign of Herod, the state reaches its maximum prosperity, there is a large restructuring and restoration of buildings, including the temple, roads are being laid, a new water supply system is being introduced. It is these years that become the era in which Jesus Christ was born.
After the unsuccessful reign of the son of Herod, the procurators took over the city, the 5th of which, Pontius Pilate, became infamous as the man who ordered the crucifixion of Christ.
An important and tragic role was played by the Jewish War, which took place in 66-73, which resulted in the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the 2nd Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon. The city has turned into ruins. Only after 135, when the emperor Adrina became the ruler, doesto be reborn already as a Christian settlement, however, under the new name of Elia Capitolina, and Judea receives the name of Syria-Palestine. From that time on, Jews were forbidden to enter Jerusalem under pain of execution.
Since 638, the city has been in the hands of Islamic rulers who built mosques and called it Al-Quds, considering the place from which Mohammed ascended to heaven and received the Koran.
In the following centuries, Jerusalem was under the rule of the Egyptians, then - the Seljuk Turks, later - the Crusaders (until 1187), which brought further advancement of the Christian religion to these lands. Subsequent XIII-XIV centuries. passed under the rule of the Mamluks and the Islamic religion.
From 1517 and for another 400 years, Jerusalem has been under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, during the reign of which the city was surrounded by a wall with 6 gates.
The reign of the Turks ended in 1917, when the British army led by General Allenby entered Jerusalem. The era of British government begins, which came into its own under the mandate of the League of Nations. Attempts by the British to "reconcile" the Arab and Jewish populations were unsuccessful, and the international organization of the United Nations began to resolve the issue.
History of the conflict (1947-1949)
The independent state of Israel was founded over 60 years ago. This was preceded by fierce fighting between the British colonial troops, the formation of the Arab population and the aggression of the Arab states located in the neighborhood. The war in Israel began after the adoption by the UN in 1947 of the decision to divide the territory of Palestine into 2 stateson religious grounds: Arabs and Jews. The Arab part of the population refused to obey this decision, and a war began against the Jews.
The war, which lasted from November 1947 to March 1949, is divided into 2 stages. In the first, which took place in 1947-1948, Syria and Iraq came out in support of the Arabs. The end of this period of the war was marked by the proclamation of the independent state of Israel on May 15, 1948.
However, the next day, the 2nd stage began, during which the armies of 5 Arab countries (Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Syria and Lebanon) opposed him. The Israeli State Defense Army (IDF) formed from Jewish combat units was able to successfully resist the Arab troops, and on March 10, 1949, the Israeli flag was raised over Eilat. Part of the Palestinian possessions entered the territory of Israel, West Jerusalem was proclaimed its capital.
On the side of Jordan (former Transjordan) were the lands of Judea and Samaria, as well as the Eastern part of Jerusalem, on the territory of which were the shrines of the Jews: the Temple Mount and the Wailing Wall, in the occupation of Egypt was the Gaza Strip. They also managed to defend Mount Scopus, on which the Hebrew University and the Hadassah Hospital are located. This area for 19 years (until 1967) became cut off from Israel, communication with it took place with the help of convoys under the auspices of the UN.
Wars between Arabs and Jews (1956-2000s)
In the following decades, Israel had to defend its independence many times in military conflicts with its neighbors:
- The Sinai War (1956-57) ended with Israel's right to navigation in the Red Sea;
- The 6-day war (1967) was marked by the liberation of territories west of the Jordan and the Golan Heights (formerly controlled by Syria), the Sinai Peninsula, as well as the reunification of West and East Jerusalem;
- The Yom Kippur War (1973) repelled Egyptian and Syrian attacks;
- The 1st Lebanon War (1982-1985) ended with the defeat of the PLO terrorist groups that were stationed in Lebanon and fired rockets at the Galilee;
- The 2nd Lebanon War (2006) was carried out against Shiite terrorist Hezbollah fighters.
The history of East Jerusalem is inextricably linked with the conflict situation between Israel and neighboring Arab states.
Jerusalem is the united capital of Israel
In accordance with Israeli law, the city of Jerusalem is the sole capital of the state. The reunification of its eastern and western parts was accepted on June 29, 1967, and since 1980 it has been annexed by Israel.
What the border between East and West Jerusalem looked like before and after 1967 is shown on the map below. After the establishment of independence in the state of Israel, many Jews resettled, who came to the settlement from the Arab countries. For several years, the number of inhabitants of this country has almost doubled, which has increased the creation and development of settlements in the border areas. Today, from all sides (except the west) the city is surrounded by a large number of Jewish settlements. Now the border of East and WestJerusalem is guarded by troops of the UN international force.
Starting in 1967, residents were given the opportunity to obtain Israeli citizenship, which at first was not used by all. However, over the years, realizing that Jordanian power would never return, many became citizens of Israel. Over the past 10 years, the city has been constantly building new Jewish districts, industrial buildings and military facilities.
The term "East Jerusalem" today has 2 interpretations:
- city area, which until 1967 was controlled by Jordan;
- quarters of the city where the country's Arab population lives.
East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine
On the territory of the Eastern part of Jerusalem are the Old City and the holy Jewish and Christian places: the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Al-Aqsa Islamic Mosque.
In July 1988, after demands from the Palestinians, the King of Jordan abandoned East Jerusalem, the Palestinian Authority included it in the list of constituencies for elections to its Legislative Council in 1994 (after the conclusion of a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan).
For both Jews and Muslims, this city is a revered place that houses all religious shrines. Because of this, the Arab-Israeli conflict has been going on for several 10 years.
Although East Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine, is the largest city with 350thousand Palestinians, but the Palestinian government is based in Ramallah and cannot exercise official control over this territory. It is not even allowed to sponsor any (not even cultural) events within its borders, in response to which the locals have been boycotting Israel's municipal elections for years.
Due to the lack of local government elections, a lot of riots occur in the city, even gangs arise that try to control the neighborhoods, demanding money from entrepreneurs. The Israeli police, on the other hand, are very reluctant to intervene in local problems and do not respond to complaints from the population.
In the past 10 years, the city has been undergoing major physical and demographic changes with the construction of a concrete wall running through Palestinian neighborhoods. Bills were also passed to grant voting and other rights to the 150,000 Jews who settled in Jerusalem's West Bank. At the same time, more than 100,000 Palestinians will be disenfranchised and placed in a separate local council.
Old City
East Jerusalem is a city of 3 religions: Christian, Jewish and Muslim. The main shrines are located on its territory in the Old Town, which is surrounded by walls erected in the 16th century.
The Old City, which is the most ancient part of East Jerusalem (photo and map below), where all pilgrims of various religious denominations aspire to, is divided into 4 quarters:
- Christian, originates in the 4th century, on its territory there are 40 churches, as well as monasteries and hotels for pilgrims. The center of this quarter is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ took place.
- Muslim - the largest and most numerous quarter in which live the Arabs who moved from nearby villages after the departure of Jews and Christians. Important mosques are located here: the Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa, which are revered on an equal footing with Mecca. Muslims believe that Muhammad came here from Mecca and prayed along with the souls of the prophets. Not far from the Dome of the Rock lies a stone slab with which, according to legend, Muhammad ascended to heaven. Also along the streets of this quarter passes Via Dolorosa, the Road of Sorrow, along which Jesus Christ walked, heading to the place of his execution - Golgotha.
- Armenian - the smallest quarter, inside which the Cathedral of St. Jacob, who became the main for the Armenian community of the State of Israel.
- Jewish - is the holiest place, because the Wailing Wall passes here, as well as excavations of the ancient Roman shopping street Cardo, which was laid by the Roman emperor Hadrian. In the Jewish quarter, you can also see the ancient synagogues of Hurva, Rambaba, Rabbi Yohannan Ben Zakaya.
Wailing Wall
When people from all over the world ask where East Jerusalem is located, representatives of the Jewish religions know the best answer to this question, because this is where the Wailing Wall is located,which is the main shrine of the Jews. The wall is the surviving part of the supporting western wall of the Temple Mount. The Jerusalem temple itself was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD under Emperor Titus.
It got its name due to the fact that the Jews mourn the First and Second Temples, which were destroyed, which is described in the scriptures as a punishment for the Jews for bloodshed, idolatry and war.
Its length is 488 m, height is 15 m, but the lower part is immersed in the ground. A wall was built of hewn stone blocks without fastening, all its parts were stacked and fitted very tightly. Modern pilgrims and tourists put notes with an appeal to God into the cracks between the stones and pray. Monthly, these paper messages are collected and buried on the Mount of Olives. Men and women approach the wall from different sides and dress according to the rules: cover their heads and shoulders.
After the 1948 war, when the wall was under the control of Jordan, Jews were forbidden to approach it, and only since 1967, after the Six-Day War, Israeli troops regained the Old City as part of East Jerusalem and the wall itself.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
The very first church was erected back in 335 on this site, where the crucifixion, burial, and then the resurrection of Jesus Christ took place, at the direction of the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. She converted to Christianity at an advanced age and made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The church was built instead of the pagan temple of Venus, in its dungeons Elena made finds: a cave with the Holy Sepulcher and a cross,on which Christ was crucified.
After repeated destruction and rebuilding, which were associated with the transition of the temple from Christians to Muslims and back, and then destroyed by a terrible fire, the last building was made in 1810
The temple was divided between 6 religious denominations in 1852, it consists of 3 parts: the temple on Golgotha, the chapel of the Holy Sepulcher and the Church of the Resurrection. For each religion, there are specific hours for prayers. Although all relationships are legalized by agreement, however, conflicts often occur between representatives of these religions.
In the center of the temple in the rotunda there is a cuvuklia - a marble chapel divided into 2 parts:
- chapel of the Angel, which has a window for the transmission of the Holy Fire (the ceremony takes place annually before the start of the Easter holiday);
- The Holy Sepulcher, or Burial Bed - a small cave carved into the rock where Jesus lay, now it is covered with a marble slab.
Another shrine of the temple is the top of the mountain, Golgotha, on which steps are laid. This temple is divided into 2 parts: the location of the cross, now marked with a silver circle, and 2 traces, where supposedly the crosses of the robbers who were executed along with Christ were located.
In the center of the 3rd shrine, the Church of the Resurrection, there is a stone vase, considered the "navel of the earth", steps lead down to the dungeon where the cross was discovered by Empress Elena.
The current political situation in Jerusalem
December 6, 2017, US President D. Trump made a political statement, calling Jerusalem the capital of Israel, as a result of which he decided to move the embassy to its territory. The response from Palestine was the decision of the Hamas group to raise an uprising against the Jewish state, riots began in the country, as a result of which dozens of people were injured at the hands of Israeli police.
This is the third antifada in the last 30 years, the previous ones were caused by Israeli Prime Minister A. Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount (2000) and the occupation of the eastern half of Jerusalem by Israel (1987-1991).
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held an extraordinary summit in response to the statements of the US President. By a majority vote of the OIC member countries, East Jerusalem was recognized as the capital of Palestine, and called on the entire world community to take the same step. The Turkish President, speaking at the summit, called Israel a terrorist state.
Russia considers the US president's statement dangerous, because it could cause complications in relations between the two states and lead to negative consequences. An important issue is free access to the holy places of this city for all believers professing various religions.
Russia has recognized East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and is in favor of peace talks between the two countries. The policy of the Russian state is to support all UN resolutions aimed atestablishing peace in this territory.
