Status of Jerusalem

The status of Jerusalem is disputed in both international law and diplomatic practice, with both the Israelis and Palestinians claiming Jerusalem as their capital city. The dispute has been described as "one of the most intractable issues in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict", with conflicting claims to sovereignty over the city or parts of it, and access to its holy sites. The main dispute revolves around the legal status of East Jerusalem and especially the Old City of Jerusalem, while broader agreement exists regarding future Israeli presence in West Jerusalem in accordance with Israel's internationally recognised borders. Most countries support that Jerusalem should be the future capital of both Israel and Palestine; this position has been endorsed by the United Nations, the European Union, and individual countries such as France. Russia, among other countries, already recognizes East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, and West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The majority of United Nations (UN) member states hold the view that the final status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiation, and have therefore favored locating their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv, prior to a final status agreement. Only four countries have embassies to Israel in Jerusalem: the US, Guatemala, Honduras and the partially recognized Kosovo. Timeline of Jerusalem From 1517 until the First World War, Jerusalem was part of the Ottoman Empire. It was part of the Damascus eyalet (province) until, as a result of widespread administrative reform in the mid 1800s, it became an independent sanjak (district) in 1872. From the 1860s, the Jewish community became the largest religious minority grouping within in the city and from 1887, with the beginning of expansion outside the old city walls, became a majority. Throughout the 19th century, European powers were competing for influence in the city, usually on the basis (or pretext) of extending protection over Christian churches and holy places.