The Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, will reopen next week after the conclusion of a major holiday, following weeks of closure aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus, authorities said Tuesday. The mosque sits atop the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism and the location of the two…
The capital’s 405 companies have raised total investments of $1.6b. Jerusalem also has the highest business survival rate in Israel. Jerusalem is currently home to 405 active companies, a 102 percent increase from 2012, according to the report. In 2019, $233.5 million were invested in Jerusalem-based companies, which is a 21 percent increase from the…
During the Six-Day War, Lt. Gen. Mordechai “Motta” Gur, who at the time commanded the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade that fought in the besieged city, drew a map tracing his troops’ advances as they moved to liberate it. Now, in commemoration of Jerusalem Day, this map is being revealed to the public for the first…
To be a ‘Doresh Tzion,’ a seeker of Jerusalem, is to stake material, spiritual and national claims to the city The Talmud derives the obligation of Derishat Tzion, of seeking Zion, from Jeremiah (30:17): “I will restore you to health, and heal your wounds, says the Lord; because [the nations of the world] called you…
The controversial plan will rezone 210 acres of forest on the slopes of the White Ridge in the Jerusalem hills, which are between Moshav Ora and Moshav Aminadav and the Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat Menachem. 5,250 housing units, 300 hotel rooms, commercial and business space, stores, a filling station, and other uses will be built…
Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu and the New Unity Government Ministers,
As you finally usher in this unity government, many crucial challenges face you: the fallout from the Corona pandemic, existential security challenges, a difficult economy, and more. However, one challenge stands out in particular: Jerusalem.
This week we celebrate 53 years of the liberation of Jerusalem, yet there are still significant threats that are facing our united Capital: terrorism – over 5,000 attacks or attempted attacks over the past five years alone; demographics – Arabs have grown to some 40% of the city’s population, many of whom are hostile; delegitimization – forces that deny Jerusalem’s Jewish roots and legacy; and rampant illegal Arab construction – with tens of thousands of such units in Jerusalem today.
The new government, under your leadership, must make Jerusalem a top priority – not only in word, but in deed – especially given today’s unique geo-political and health reality.
In this letter, our organization, Im Eshkachech-Keep Jerusalem, which deals in advocacy, education, and policy research, sums up for you FIVE of the major challenges and opportunities now facing Jerusalem, as well as the broad steps we recommend you take in the coming period.