Jake Miller
The status of East Jerusalem is a highly contested issue between Israelis and Palestinians. East Jerusalem was captured by Jordan during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, while West Jerusalem was captured by Israel. In 1967, Israel expanded the municipal boundaries of West Jerusalem to include parts of the West Bank, now referred to as East Jerusalem. This expansion included Jordanian East Jerusalem and several West Bank villages, effectively annexing them into Israeli territory. The international community, including the United Nations Security Council, considers these expansions and settlements illegal, while Israel disputes this claim. The complex history and ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank continue to shape the region's political and social landscape.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Status of East Jerusalem | East Jerusalem is considered by the UN and other intergovernmental organizations to be a part of the Palestinian territories under illegal Israeli occupation. |
| Israeli Annexation of East Jerusalem | Israel has never formally annexed East Jerusalem, but its extension of Israeli law and administration there in 1967, and the Jerusalem Basic Law of 1980, are often considered an effective or de facto annexation. |
| International Recognition of East Jerusalem as a Capital | Many states, including Brazil, China, and Russia, recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine. Other states, such as Australia and France, assert that it "will be the capital of Palestine." |
| Israeli Settlement in East Jerusalem | Israel has aggressively encouraged Jewish settlers to move to East Jerusalem, often forcing Palestinians out of their homes. The International Court of Justice deemed the building of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land in East Jerusalem illegal in a 2004 advisory opinion. |
| Palestinian Access to East Jerusalem | Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza are not allowed to enter East Jerusalem without difficult-to-obtain permission from Israel's occupying army. |
| Discrimination Against Palestinians in East Jerusalem | Israel has been accused of systematically discriminating against Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem in terms of municipal planning, funding allocation, residency rights, and freedom of worship. |
| Humanitarian Crisis in East Jerusalem | The Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), which includes East Jerusalem, faces a protracted political crisis characterized by Israeli military occupation, internal Palestinian divisions, and recurrent hostilities. Humanitarian organizations are working to address the urgent needs of the affected population. |
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What You'll Learn
The 1967 Six-Day War
In May 1967, Soviet officials incorrectly informed the Syrian and Egyptian governments that Israel had amassed troops on Syria's border. In response, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser sent a large number of troops into the Sinai Peninsula and demanded that the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF), which had been deployed in the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip since 1957, withdraw. On May 22, after the UNEF withdrew, Nasser announced that he would close the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, a move that Israel had declared a casus belli.
On June 5, 1967, as the UNEF was in the process of leaving the zone, Israel launched Operation Focus, a series of airstrikes against Egyptian airfields and other facilities. The Egyptian forces were caught by surprise, and Israel gained air supremacy. Simultaneously, the Israeli military launched a ground offensive into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the Egyptian-occupied Gaza Strip. Jordan, which had entered into a defence pact with Egypt just a week before the war, launched attacks against Israeli forces to slow their advance. On the fifth day, Syria joined the war by shelling Israeli positions in the north.
By the sixth day of the conflict, Israel had occupied the entire Sinai Peninsula. The UN Security Council called for a ceasefire on June 7, which was accepted by Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. However, Syria continued to shell Israeli villages in the north. On June 8, Israel launched an assault on the fortified Golan Heights, capturing it from Syrian forces after a day of heavy fighting. Syria accepted the ceasefire on June 10, bringing the war to an end.
The Six-Day War resulted in significant territorial gains for Israel, including the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. The displacement of civilian populations as a result of the war had long-term consequences, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and Syrians fleeing or being expelled from their homes. The war also solidified the concept of "land-for-peace" in the region, with Israel occupying the newly captured territories and seeking peace treaties in exchange for their return.
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Israeli citizenship and resident status
The Israeli citizenship law is governed by two primary pieces of legislation: the 1950 Law of Return and the 1952 Citizenship Law. Every Jew has the unrestricted right to immigrate to Israel and become an Israeli citizen. Individuals born in Israel receive citizenship at birth if at least one parent is a citizen. Non-Jewish foreigners may naturalize after living in Israel for at least three years with permanent residency and proficiency in the Hebrew language. However, naturalizing non-Jews must renounce their previous nationalities, while Jewish immigrants are exempt from this requirement.
Following the 1967 Six-Day War, Jerusalem's municipal boundaries were extended, totaling an area three times the size of pre-war West Jerusalem. This included several West Bank villages to the north, east, and south of the Old City, now considered neighborhoods of the city. East Jerusalem was absorbed into West Jerusalem, along with several neighboring West Bank villages. The international community considers these neighborhoods illegal settlements, but the Israeli government disputes this. The Israeli position is based on the extended municipal boundaries, while the Palestinians base their claim on the 1949 Agreements.
In 1980, the Knesset passed the Jerusalem Law, declaring that "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel". This was commonly seen as an act of annexation, though no formal measure was taken. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 determined this declaration "null and void".
Since 1967, over 14,000 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem have lost their residency status. Only 5% of Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem have obtained Israeli citizenship since 1967. The main reasons cited for denial are the failure to prove that Jerusalem is their primary place of residence and employment, lack of Hebrew language skills, refusal to renounce Jordanian citizenship, and criminal background or security impediments.
East Jerusalem Palestinians without Israeli citizenship cannot vote in Israeli legislative elections, obtain an Israeli passport, or access certain jobs. They must apply for a temporary travel document to go abroad. Their residency status can also be revoked, unlike citizens. This has significant implications, as they lose their health insurance, livelihood, and even the right to enter Jerusalem.
Israeli citizenship can be voluntarily relinquished by a declaration provided that the declarant lives overseas, already possesses another nationality, and has no military service obligations.
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The Oslo Accords
The Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington, D.C., in 1993, and the Oslo II Accord, signed in Taba, Egypt, in 1995, made up the agreements. Both sides agreed that a Palestinian Authority (PA) would be established and assume governing responsibilities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over a five-year period. The PA was supposed to be an "interim self-government" and only last "for a transitional period not exceeding five years".
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The 1948 Arab-Israeli War
The war was fought between Israel and Arab forces from Egypt, Transjordan (Jordan), Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. The Arab coalition included irregular bands of Palestinian Arabs attached to local units of the Arab Liberation Army, composed of volunteers from Palestine and neighbouring Arab countries. The Jewish forces were composed of the Haganah, the underground militia of the Jewish community in Palestine, and two small irregular groups, the Irgun, and LEHI. The goal of the Arabs was initially to block the Partition Resolution and prevent the establishment of a Jewish state, while the Jews aimed to gain control over the territory allotted to them under the Partition Plan.
The 10 months of fighting took place mostly on the territory of the British Mandate and in the Sinai Peninsula and southern Lebanon, interrupted by several truce periods. By the end of the war, Israel controlled all of the area that the UN had proposed for a Jewish state, as well as almost 60% of the area proposed for an Arab state. The war formally ended with the 1949 Armistice Agreements, which established the Green Line and defined the interim boundary between Israel and Jordan.
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Israeli settlements
The international community, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ), considers Israeli settlements to be illegal under international law, and in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. However, Israel disputes this, arguing that the West Bank is not occupied territory and that the settlements are not a war crime. The Israeli government administers the West Bank as the Judea and Samaria Area, which does not include East Jerusalem. The establishment of these settlements often involves the confiscation of Palestinian land and resources, leading to the displacement of Palestinian communities.
The basis for Israeli settlement in the West Bank was the Allon Plan, which implied Israeli annexation of major parts of the Israeli-occupied territories, especially East Jerusalem, Gush Etzion, and the Jordan Valley. The first settlement was Kfar Etzion in the southern West Bank. Many settlements began as Nahal settlements, established as military outposts and later expanded and populated with civilian inhabitants. The settlement policy was driven by the notion of ensuring that the territory's political future would align with Israel's security needs, as well as the religious ideology of settling the entire Land of Israel.
In May 2025, Israeli ministers announced a major expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, approving 22 new Jewish settlements. This move was criticised by the Palestinian Authority as a dangerous escalation that would prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The expansion of settlements is a highly contentious issue between Israel and the Palestinians, impacting the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Frequently asked questions
East Jerusalem is home to many sites of religious importance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
East Jerusalem is considered a part of the West Bank by the international community, but Israel disputes this.
East Jerusalem was captured by Jordan during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1967, Israel expanded the municipal boundaries of West Jerusalem to include parts of the West Bank, now referred to as East Jerusalem.
Israel effectively annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, and it is now considered a part of Jerusalem by Israel. However, the international community considers Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem to be illegal under international law.
The conflict has resulted in discrimination against Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, with restricted access to holy sites and revocation of residency rights. There has also been a push for Jewish settlers to move into the area, often forcing Palestinians out of their homes.
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