Jerusalem: Location, Significance, and Status

Jerusalem is an ancient city in the Middle East, situated on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea.

• Political Status: Claimed as capital by both Israel and the State of Palestine. Israel's government sits in West Jerusalem; Palestine envisions East Jerusalem as its capital. International consensus (UN) considers East Jerusalem occupied territory; most embassies are in Tel Aviv.
• Religious Significance: Holy to the three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism (Temple Mount/Western Wall), Christianity (Church of the Holy Sepulchre), Islam (Al-Aqsa Mosque/Dome of the Rock).
• History: Continuously inhabited for ~5,000 years; destroyed/sieged/recaptured dozens of times.

Its status remains the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.