Jerusalem - A Chessboard of Nations

Jerusalem is a city like no other. With a history spanning thousands of years, it holds a unique place in the religious, historical, and national identity of the Jewish people.

Around 1000 BCE, King David captured Jerusalem and established it as the capital of the united Kingdom of Israel. Under his son, King Solomon, the city became the site of the First Temple and the spiritual center of the Jewish nation.

Throughout history, Jerusalem has been conquered, destroyed, rebuilt, and contested by successive empires and rulers. Yet the Jewish people's connection to Jerusalem has endured for more than three millennia.

Following the establishment of the modern State of Israel in May 1948, Jerusalem became one of the central battlegrounds of the War of Independence. The city was divided following the war, with Israel controlling western Jerusalem and Jordan occupying the eastern part, including the Old City.

During the 19 years of Jordanian rule, Jews were denied access to the Western Wall and other Jewish holy sites in the Old City.

In June 1967, during the Six-Day War, Jordan entered the fighting against Israel despite Israeli warnings to stay out of the conflict. Israeli forces subsequently captured eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City and the Temple Mount.

One of the remarkable ironies of Jerusalem's modern history is that Israel gained control of the entire city in the course of a war in which it faced military action from neighboring Arab states.

Since June 1967, Jerusalem has been under unified Israeli administration. Israel considers the reunification of Jerusalem a historic restoration of Jewish sovereignty, while the city's status, particularly that of eastern Jerusalem, remains disputed internationally.

On July 30, 1980 (17 Av 5740), the Knesset adopted the Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel, declaring Jerusalem, complete and united, to be Israel's capital.

For Israel, Jerusalem is not merely an administrative capital. It is the historic, spiritual, and national heart of the Jewish people.

Despite Jerusalem's central role in Jewish history and Israel's national identity, its political status remains one of the most contested issues in international diplomacy, and it has become a chessboard of nations.

Since 1967, the United Nations has adopted numerous resolutions criticizing Israeli policies in Jerusalem and opposing Israel's extension of sovereignty over the eastern part of the city.

In 1980, following the adoption of Israel's Jerusalem Basic Law, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 478, rejecting the legal implications of the law and calling upon countries with diplomatic missions in Jerusalem to withdraw them.

The United Nations has increasingly become a major arena for diplomatic pressure on Israel, including repeated resolutions concerning Jerusalem, settlements, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Pro Jerusalem Alliance believes that Jerusalem's unique Jewish history, Israel's sovereign right to designate its capital, and the importance of preserving a united city deserve much stronger international recognition and support.

On October 24, 1995, the United States Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which became law on November 8, 1995. The Act stated that Jerusalem should remain an undivided city and should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel. It also called for the relocation of the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

However, the legislation allowed the President to delay certain implementation requirements for successive six-month periods on national security grounds. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama repeatedly exercised this waiver authority.

President Donald Trump initially signed a waiver in June 2017. However, on December 6, 2017, he formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and directed the State Department to begin preparations for relocating the American Embassy.

On May 14, 2018, exactly 70 years after Israel's declaration of independence, the United States officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem. The decision marked a historic turning point in American policy toward Israel's capital.

On December 24, 2017, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales announced that Guatemala would follow the United States by relocating its embassy to Jerusalem. Guatemala officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem on May 16, 2018, just two days after the American Embassy's inauguration.

Other countries subsequently established embassies in Jerusalem, including:

• Paraguay (2018 and 2024): Opened its embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, moved it back to Tel Aviv later that year, and returned it to Jerusalem in 2024.
• Kosovo (2021): Became the first Muslim-majority country to establish an embassy in Jerusalem.
• Honduras (2021): Opened its embassy in Jerusalem in June 2021.
• Papua New Guinea (2023): Inaugurated its embassy in Jerusalem in September 2023.
• Fiji (2025): Opened its embassy in Jerusalem in September 2025.
• Colombia (2026): Opened its embassy in Jerusalem in October 2026.

These developments demonstrate that, despite international opposition, a growing number of countries have been willing to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital through concrete diplomatic action.

Other countries have also considered or discussed establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem, although political announcements do not necessarily lead to completed relocations.

In recent years, international pressure for a negotiated two-state solution has continued, particularly within the United Nations and among European governments.

More than 150 UN member states have recognized the State of Palestine, although their positions on Jerusalem and the terms of a final peace agreement are not identical.

The Palestinian leadership claims eastern Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state based on pre-1967 lines. Many governments support this aspiration as part of a negotiated settlement.

Israel, however, maintains that Jerusalem is its united capital, and Israeli law places significant restrictions on transferring authority over parts of the city. The future of Jerusalem therefore remains at the heart of one of the world's most enduring diplomatic disputes.

For Pro Jerusalem Alliance, the proposed political division of Jerusalem raises profound historical, religious, and security concerns.

We believe that Jerusalem's Jewish identity, its historical significance, and its role as Israel's capital must be defended, while safeguarding freedom of worship and access to holy sites for people of all faiths.

Jerusalem is far more than a diplomatic bargaining chip or a political prize on the international chessboard.

It is the city of David, the historic capital of the Jewish people, and the spiritual heart of Jewish civilization.

At a time when Jerusalem's future continues to be debated in international institutions and political negotiations, we believe that silence is not an option.

Pro Jerusalem Alliance stands for the defense of Jewish Jerusalem as the eternal and undivided capital of the State of Israel.

We call upon individuals, organizations, faith communities, and political leaders around the world to raise their voices in support of Jerusalem and its future as Israel's united capital.

Jerusalem must never become merely a pawn on the chessboard of nations.