3000 Years of Jerusalem History

The UN vote to partition Palestine into a Jewish State and an Arab State and the end of British rule led to joyful celebrations for the Jews. The celebrations were very short-lived, however, because almost immediately the fledgling country was at war on all fronts. In additions to the attacks from local Arabs, now five armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Transjordan invaded the new State.

While Israel was victorious against great odds, some 6,000 Jews (about 1% of the total Jewish population) died in the War of Independence. At the end of the war, the ceasefire lines drawn became the borders for Israel during the first decades of her existence. A ceasefire line, running north to south, divided Jerusalem so that the western part of the city was under Israeli rule and the eastern part, including the Old City, were under Jordanian control.

During the 1967 Six Day War, Israel gained control of all of Jerusalem, giving Jews access to their holy sites such as the Western Wall of the Temple. Throughout the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st century, the city and country continued to suffer from the tension of having two people, Jews and Arabs, both claiming their right to the land.
The UN has suggested making Jerusalem an international city, but both Arabs and Jews have rejected this idea.

While many peace initiatives have been pursued, peace will only come once ideas and attitudes are changed. Until there is a psychological, emotional change among the people, tension will continue to reign in Jerusalem.

Page Intro, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Information from The Sources of Jerusalem, Chaim Feder and Laura Janner-Klausner, Education Matters Ltd., Jerusalem.

~ Lisa Katz

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