Since Israel’s independence, clashes between Israelis and Palestinians over key territories in Jerusalem have been ongoing.
Jewish law forbids Jews from praying in the Temple Mount. Yet, Israeli forces allow hundreds of Jewish settlers to enter the area routinely, which some Palestinians fear could lead to an Israeli takeover.
In fact, one key event that led to the Second Palestinian Intifada (a Palestinian uprising against Israel) happened when Jewish leader Ariel Sharon, who would become Israel’s Prime Minister, visited Jerusalem’s Temple Mount in 2000.
In recent years, some Israeli groups have even announced a plan to construct a third Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. This proposal has outraged Palestinians living in the region.
In addition, both Israelis and Palestinians have aimed to make the city their capitals.
In 1980, Israel declared Jerusalem as its capital, but most of the international community doesn’t recognize this distinction.
In May 2017, the Palestinian group Hamas presented a document that proposed the formation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. However, the group refused to recognize Israel as a state, and the Israeli government immediately rejected the idea.