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🇮🇱 Israel
Capital: Jerusalem (as designated by Israel)
Jerusalem – Israel’s seat of government and a city sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Jerusalem is the capital designated by Israel and the location of the country’s main national institutions, including the Knesset, government, President’s residence, and Supreme Court. The city also has deep religious importance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Its political status is more complicated than a standard capital-city entry because Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine, while the status of East Jerusalem and the city’s final borders remain internationally disputed.
đź“ś Timeline of Jerusalem
4th–3rd millennium BCE: Archaeological evidence shows early settlement in the Jerusalem area.
c. 1000 BCE: Biblical tradition associates King David with Jerusalem becoming the political center of the ancient Israelite kingdom.
586 BCE: Babylonian forces capture Jerusalem and destroy the First Temple.
70 CE: Roman forces destroy the Second Temple during the First Jewish–Roman War.
1967: Israel takes control of East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War. The United Nations continues to regard East Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian territory.
1980: Israel’s Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel states that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the seat of the President, Knesset, Government, and Supreme Court.
Today: Jerusalem serves as Israel’s governmental center, while the status of East Jerusalem and the city’s final political status remain disputed.
đź“Š City Stats
Early Settlement
4th–3rd millennium BCE
Languages
Hebrew; Arabic is also widely used
Currency
Israeli New Shekel (ILS)
Geography
Located in the Judean Hills between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea
Time Zone
IST (UTC+2); IDT (UTC+3) during daylight saving time
Calling Code
+972
Driving Side
Right-hand traffic
🏛️ Sites and National Institutions
The Knesset
Israel’s parliament and one of the main institutions supporting Jerusalem’s role as the country’s seat of government.
The Western Wall
A major Jewish prayer site formed by part of the retaining wall surrounding the platform of the Second Temple complex.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
A major Christian pilgrimage site traditionally associated with the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Jerusalem is Israel’s main governmental center and one of the most historically and religiously important cities in the region. Its role as Israel’s capital should be distinguished from the unresolved international dispute over East Jerusalem and the city’s final status.
