Although Israel’s official capital is Tel Aviv, the country has long considered Jerusalem as its unofficial capital. Jerusalem, which is one of the oldest cities in the world, has been formally divided between Israel and Palestine for nearly 70 years, yet changed hands many other times throughout the course of its over 5,000-year history.
Hi there,
There is a lot of stuff here that I need to correct.
First, Israel's official capital since 1948 has been Jerusalem. Israel has long said its capital is Jerusalem, and its government and all important government functions are conducted in Jerusalem, with the sole exception of the military's headquarters, which has stayed in Tel Aviv out of tradition. Israel's official capital being Jerusalem does not mean that it has been recognized as such by other states however, which is likely what you mean. Jerusalem has always been the official capital in Israel's mind, however.
Jerusalem has never been formally divided between Israel and Palestine. In 1948, Israel had control of West Jerusalem. East Jerusalem was taken by Jordan during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Jordan lost Jerusalem when it joined the 1967 Six Day War against Israel, and Israel took control. The city has not been divided since then, and in 1980 Israel de facto annexed East Jerusalem, declaring that Jerusalem, complete and united, is considered Israel's capital, and making it one municipality.
Religious claims stem from a few areas:
The Temple Mount, known as the Haram al-Sharif to Muslims, is where Jews believe the Second Temple stood, which was the holiest site for Jews. It is believed to sit on the rock where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son, Isaac, in a test of faith by God.
This is also important for Muslims. However, Muslims have added importance as the Quran tells that Muhammad, the Prophet in Islam, went to Jerusalem, tied his steed to the Western Wall (a retaining wall of the Second Temple, it is believed), and ascended to heaven on that spot.