East Jerusalem, home to Muslim and Jewish shrines, is crux of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

East Jerusalem lies at core of conflict

Israel’s plan to build 1,600 new apartments in contested east Jerusalem has thrown a spotlight on the city at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

—What’s the bottom line? Israel wants to retain control of an undivided Jerusalem. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as capital of a future state.

—Why is it so important? Important Jewish and Muslim holy sites are located in east Jerusalem’s Old City. Christian shrines also stand there.

The hilltop compound known to Muslims as Haram as-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third-holiest shrine.

Jews call the site Temple Mount because the biblical Jewish temples stood there, making it Judaism’s holiest site. Directly below is the Western Wall, the only remnant of that temple complex.

—Why is the new construction so controversial? Palestinians say any settlement construction in east Jerusalem and the adjacent West Bank cements Israel’s presence on lands they want for a future state.

—How did the conflict over east Jerusalem begin? Israel captured the city’s eastern sector from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war and immediately annexed it. The international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty.

—Who lives there? About 250,000 Palestinians and 180,000 Jews, who live in neighborhoods built since 1967. Few of east Jerusalem’s Palestinian residents accepted Israeli citizenship.