He also kicked off the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave brief remarks following President Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Why Jerusalem's holy sites are so significant?
At its core is the Old City, a maze of narrow alleyways and historic architecture that characterises its four quarters - Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Armenian. It is surrounded by a fortress-like stone wall and home to some of the holiest sites in the world.
1. Western Wall a.k.a Wailing Wall:
The Jewish Quarter is home to the Kotel, or the Western Wall, a remnant of the retaining wall of the mount on which the Holy Temple once stood.
Inside the temple was the Holy of Holies, the most sacred site in Judaism.
Jews believe that this was the location of the foundation stone from which the world was created, and where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac. Many Jews believe the Dome of the Rock is the site of the Holy of Holies.
Today, the Western Wall is the closest place Jews can pray to the Holy of Holies .
2. Church of the Holy Sepulchre:
Inside the Christian Quarter is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a significant focus for Christians all over the world. It is located on a site which is central to the story of Jesus, his death, crucifixion and resurrection.
According to most Christian traditions, Jesus was crucified there, on Golgotha, or the hill of Calvary , his tomb is located inside the sepulchre and this was also the site of his resurrection.
3. St James Church:
Armenians are also Christians, and their quarter, the smallest of the four, is one of the oldest Armenian centres in the world.
It is unique in that their community has preserved its own particular culture and civilisation inside the St James Church and monastery, which comprises most of their section.
4. Dome of Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque :
The Muslim Quarter is the largest of the four and contains the shrine of the Dome of Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque on a plateau known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary.
The mosque is the third holiest site in Islam and is under the administration of an Islamic trust called the Waqf.
Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad travelled here from Mecca during his night journey and prayed with the souls of all the prophets. A few steps away, the shrine of the Dome of the Rock holds the foundation stone, where Muslims believe Muhammad then ascended to heaven.
Why is the announcement significant? And Why does the city matter so much?
Jerusalem is home to sites sacred to Judaism and Islam, and because of its role in the life of Jesus, the city is also one of the holiest places for Christians.
The city's status goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel regards Jerusalem as its "eternal and undivided" capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem - occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war - as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally and, according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.
Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
He said his decision marked the start of a "new approach" to solving the thorny conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Israeli authorities welcomed the announcement, but Palestinians and other world leaders say the move would spark violence and unhinge prospects for a Middle East peace accord.
Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital(King David conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites in 2 Samuel 5:1-12. Jerusalem has been known as the City of David for more than 3,000 years. In fact, the City of David is the place where Jesus is to reign in the future. The final chapters of the Bible describe a New Jerusalem where God’s people will reign forever, marking the earthly City of David with an eternal honor.), but the international community says the city's status should be determined through peace talks. Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future, independent state.
Hundreds of Palestinians burned US and Israeli flags as well as pictures of Trump in the Gaza Strip, while relatively small clashes erupted near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron.
The Palestinian armed Islamist movement Hamas has threatened to launch a new "intifada," or uprising.
Palestinians called for three days of protests -- or "days of rage" -- starting Wednesday, 12.6.17.
12.7.17: Protests break out in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem following Trump's Jerusalem decision. "We want the uprising to last and continue to let Trump and the occupation regret this decision," said Hamas leader Ismail Haniya at a news conference in the Gaza Strip.
The 1995 Law behind president Trump's plan to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
CBN's Gordon Robertson told the Christian Post that Trump's move is about End Times prophecy for Israel being fulfilled.
How has the international community reacted?
Palestinians and Israelis reaction: Palestinians are sending their own messages to pres. Trump. At protests in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, they have been burning US flags and chanting about their claims to the holy city. In stark contrast, on a bustling shopping street in West Jerusalem, Israelis are delighted by the gesture of support from their country's closest ally. They believe that the US formally recognising Israel's sovereignty over their city corrects a historic injustice.
Israel's envoy Danny Danon welcomed the U.S. announcement saying it should serve as a "reality check" for the Palestinians and other nations. "They can realize what's always been true: that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital is a critical and necessary step for peace," Danon said. "They can learn that there will never be peace without Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."
12.6.17 CBN News: Why Christians Are Celebrating Trump's Jerusalem Announcement? And How to Pray for Israel.
12.8.17: For many evangelicals, Jerusalem is about prophecy, not politics.
12.9.17: Israeli Airstrikes Hit Gaza as Protests Around the World Continue Against Trump's Jerusalem Decision.
12.9.17: Protesters Lash Out at Trump Across Muslim World.
Trump was informed of the national security ramifications.
12.9.17 CBN News: White House Celebrates 'Special' Hanukkah on Heels of Big Jerusalem Decision.
12.9.17 CBN News: 'Biblical Timing of Absolute Precision': John Hagee Praises Trump's Jerusalem Decision.
*** "The Temple Mount is in our hands!" What is the meaning and significance of the Temple Mount a.k.a Mount Moriah a.k.a Mount Zion?
Retaking this ground was important for a number of reasons. For one, it's where King Solomon built the first Jewish temple ( 2 Chronicles 3:1 ). After the Babylonians destroyed it, Zerubbabel (the head of the tribe of Judah when the Israelites returned from the Babylonian exile) laid the foundation stone for a second temple ( Ezra 3:2-8 ) that was later expanded by King Herod. That temple fell in 70 AD at the hands of the Romans.
When Commander Gur declared the Temple Mount was back in Jewish hands, it rekindled hope for a long-awaited Third Temple.
NOTE: The Temple Mount continues to be the center of controversy today. Though they are barred from entering the Muslim areas, Jews pray at the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall), part of the remaining structure of the Temple Mount from the time of the Second Temple.
Many Jews are making preparations for the Third Temple to be built on the site, and Christians also look with interest on those preparations. According to the prophecy of Daniel 9:27, it appears that there will be another temple built, for there will be sacrifices that are stopped by the Antichrist. Since the other parts of Daniel’s prophecies were fulfilled literally, leading up to Jesus’ life and death, we look for this part to be literally fulfilled also.
12.9.17 NPR News: The Bible Says Jerusalem Is Israel's Capital: 2 Chronicles 6:5-6, wherein King Solomon quotes God as saying, "Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city in all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince over my people Israel; but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel."
Christians may still feel included among the "people" of Israel by virtue of their faith in Jesus. Paul says in Galatians 3:29, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."
12.10.17 PM Netanyahu: Palestinians must face reality over Jerusalem.
12.18.17: The United States of America vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for the withdrawal of Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The vote was 14 council members in favor of the resolution (every council member) to 1 (the U.S. was not in favor of the resolution). The text of the resolution was put forward by Egypt.
“The fact that this veto is being done in defense of American sovereignty and in defense of America’s role in the Middle East peace process is not a source of embarrassment for us; it should be an embarrassment to the remainder of the Security Council,” Haley said.
"Today for the simple act of deciding where to put our embassy, the United States was forced to defend its sovereignty. The record will reflect that we did so proudly," Haley said after the vote. Watch the video by clicking here .
Israel celebrated the U.S. veto. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, tweeted : “Thank you, Ambassador Haley. On Hanukkah, you spoke like a Maccabi. You lit a candle of truth. You dispel the darkness. One defeated the many. Truth defeated lies. Thank you, President Trump.” See his video response here.
NOTE:
12.19.17: Turkey will take the resolution calling on the United States to withdraw its declaration of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital to the United Nations General Assembly , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
12.21.17: UN general assembly condemned Trump's decision on Jerusalem. The UN votes 128-9 to condemn Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. The resolution passed with 128 member states voting in favor of the resolution, 9 voting against, and 35 countries abstaining. The United States and Israel were joined in voting "no" by Guatemala, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Togo and Palau. More than 20 nations did not turn up for the controversial vote, including Ukraine and Georgia, which have sought U.S. help in dealing with Russian aggression against their countries.
Nikki Haley threatens to pull US funding to the United Nations:
"The arguments about the president’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem have already been made. They are by now well known.
The decision was in accordance to U.S. law dating back to 1995, and its position has been repeatedly endorsed by the American people ever since. The decision does not prejudge any final-status issues, including Jerusalem’s boundaries. The decision does not preclude a two-state solution, if the parties agree to that. The decision does nothing to harm peace efforts.
Rather, the president’s decision reflects the will of the American people and our right as a nation to choose the location of our embassy. There is no need to describe it further.
Instead, there is a larger point to make. The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation. We will remember it when we are called upon to once again make the world’s largest contribution to the United Nations. And we will remember it when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit.
America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. That is what the American people want us to do, and it is the right thing to do. No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that.
But this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN. And this vote will be remembered." - Nikki Haley said.
12.22.17: How each country voted at the UN on Jerusalem status resolution.
12.22.17: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "several countries" are considering moving their embassies to Jerusalem in the wake of US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize the city as the capital of Israel.
Speaking exclusively to CNN a day after the United Nations Assembly voted against Trump's move, Netanyahu said the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem could lead the way for others to follow.
"Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for 3,000 years from the time of King David. It has been the capital of Israel for 70 years, and it's about time that the US said, and I'm glad they said, 'This is the capital and we recognize it' and I think that's going to be followed by other countries."
Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel breaking with the international consensus that the final status of the holy city should be decided as part of the peace process.
12.24.17: Guatemala plans to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, per Guatemalan's President Jimmy Morales. Israel welcomes the announcement on the future Embassy move.
12.25.17: pope Francis rebukes Trump’s Jerusalem decision, and called for a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He noted that the Holy City is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims and called for its identity to remain unchanged.
Furthermore, he called for peace for Jerusalem with his prayer: "Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful co-existence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognised borders."
1.2.2018: New Israeli law would make it harder to divide Jerusalem.
