World News

September 11th 2001

The day many say the world changed forever.

Jerusalem is a wanted city. It's wanted by Jews, Christians and Arabs due to the importance they each place on the city. For the Jews it's where Abraham went to offer his son Isaac – upon Mount Moriah – one of the hills of Jerusalem – (Genesis 22) Place where Solomon built the Temple for God – hence the Temple Mount – (2 Chronicles 3) For Christians it's where they look to for links with Jesus and the Word of God - Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths: the law will go out of Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem’ Isaiah 2 v 3 The Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever’ Luke 1 v 32/3. For Palestinians Jerusalem is part of their land which has been taken from them. The PLO Charter includes the following statements - Palestine, with the boundaries it had during the British mandate, is an indivisible territorial unit. Article 1 Claims of historical or religious ties of Jews with Palestine are incompatible with the facts of history – article 20 The Arab Palestinian people, expressing themselves by the armed Palestinian revolution reject all solutions which are substitutes for the total liberation of Palestine and reject all proposals aiming at the liquidation of the the Palestinian problem, or its internationalization – article 21 Hamas made this statement after the September 11th attacks - “The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, while engaged in its conflict against the Zionist enemy in the occupied territories, would like to affirm, in such difficult circumstances and in the light of attempts by many parties to win favour with aggressive forces, that the Palestinian people would go ahead in their efforts to liberate their lands and holy places and to win freedom and that they would persist in the intifada and resistance against the terrorist Zionist enemy until ejection of occupation.”

• Freedom of religion and conscience for all.
• The equality before the law of the three monotheistic religions and their institutions and followers in the City.
• The proper identity and sacred character of the City and its universally significant, religious and cultural heritage.
• The Holy places, the freedom of access to them and of the worship in them. E. the Regime of ‘status quo’ in those Holy Places where it applies.

• "In light of the unique significance that the city of Jerusalem holds for the Jewish people, the Israeli government has consistently reiterated its position that while the religious and cultural rights of all the city’s communities must be guaranteed – Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of the State of Israel, undivided, under exclusive Israeli sovereignty."