Why is Jerusalem key to both Judaism and Islam?

Jerusalem holds deep religious significance for Jews, Muslims and Christians, yet it is also a dangerous flashpoint to one of the world’s most intractable conflicts, the Palestine-Israel issue.

Jerusalem hosts what is considered the holiest ground in Judaism, the third-holiest shrine in Islam and major Christian sites linked to the life of Jesus. Not surprisingly, both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital and call it central to their religion and culture.

Why is Jerusalem so important?

Jerusalem is Islam’s third holiest site and home to the Al-Aqsa mosque (Muslims worldwide faced this mosque in prayer before the direction was changed to the mosque in Mecca).

It also holds the Dome of the Rock, where Prophet Muhammad is said to have ascended on his night journey to heaven. The al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary as it is also called, is held by Jews and Muslims alike to be the place where Prophet Ibrahim was prevented from sacrificing his son Ismail (or Isaac to Christians and Jews) by God’s intervention.

Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad travelled here from Mecca during his night journey and prayed with the souls of all the prophets. They visit the holy site all year round, but every Friday during the holy month of Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of Muslims come to pray at the mosque.

For Jews, Jerusalem is not just a significant physical place in both past and present Jewish history, but equally important as a religious concept that transcends time. The area itself is said to have been traversed by Abraham (C 1800 BCE), who is considered the first Jew, during his wanderings throughout “the Promised Land”. According to tradition, the place where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac but was commanded by God not to do so, was the spot on which Jerusalem was later built.

Many Jews believe the Dome of the Rock is the site of the Holy of Holies. Today, the Western Wall is the closest place Jews can pray to the Holy of Holies. It is managed by the Rabbi of the Western Wall and every year hosts millions of visitors. Jewish people from all over the world visit this place to pray and connect to their heritage, especially during the High Holidays.

How are these religious sites administered?

The administration of the various religious sites in Jerusalem is complicated.

The Islamic Waqf, or trust, administers the Temple Mount complex or al-Haram al-Sharif, which encompasses an expansive 35-acre compound, dotted with structures of religious significance. Jordan, which is the former ruler of the Old City, retains custodial rights over the area and oversees the complex.

Al Aqsa Mosque too is administered by the Waqf that is funded and controlled by Jordan in a security arrangement with Israel after both countries signed a peace treaty in 1994. Under the arrangement, Jews are not allowed to pray in the grounds of Al Aqsa compound but can pray at the nearby Western Wall.

Any Israeli attempts to add oversight of that sector have sometimes sparked violence.

Separately, the Israeli government controls the Western Wall, while a group of Christians administers the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

How did Al-Aqsa Mosque became focal point of fresh Israel-Palestine tensions?

The holy mosque found itself at the centre of the fresh Israel-Palestine conflict as Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, an unprecedented strike on Israel, in response to what it termed “repeated Israeli crimes in the West Bank and desecration of the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque”.

Dozens of Israeli “settlers” had forced their way into the Al-Aqsa mosque on October 4. Jordan, which manages the Al-Aqsa complex, even sent a “memo of protest” to the Israeli embassy in Amman, against the “incursions by hardliners, settlers and Knesset members into the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque under police protection”. The memo was shared by the Jordanian Foreign Minister on Twitter. The memo of protest also raised the issue of imposition of restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshippers into the mosque by Israeli police forces as well as the escalating attacks on Christians in East Jerusalem.

In April, Israeli police forces stormed the mosque complex twice, reportedly detaining and removing over 350 people, during the holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of the Jewish Passover holiday. The Islamic Waqf had alleged that police entered the mosque and tried to evacuate worshippers by firing rubber bullets and using stun grenades.