Jerusalem: THE JEWISH CAPITOL

Eli E. Hertz - May 21, 2009


Myths and Facts


One Nation’s Capital Throughout History

Jerusalem and the Jewish people are so intertwined that telling the history of one is telling the history of the other. For more than 3,000 years, Jerusalem has played a central role in the history of the Jews, culturally, politically, and spiritually, a role first documented in the Scriptures. All through the 2,000 years of the diaspora, Jews have called Jerusalem their ancestral home. This sharply contrasts the relationship between Jerusalem and the new Islamists who artificially inflate Islam`s links to Jerusalem.

The Arab rulers who controlled Jerusalem through the 1950s and 1960s demonstrated no religious tolerance in a city that gave birth to two major Western religions. That changed after the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel regained control of the whole city. Symbolically, one of Israel`s first steps was to officially recognize and respect all religious interests in Jerusalem. But the war for control of Jerusalem and its religious sites is not over.

Palestinian terrorism has targeted Jerusalem particularly in an attempt to gain control of the city from Israel. The result is that they have turned Jerusalem, the City of Peace, into a bloody battleground and have thus forfeited their claim to share in the city`s destiny.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Psalm 122:6