7 important facts you should know about Jerusalem, Israel’s new capital

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- US President, Donald Trump, has announced the official recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital by his country

- He has since directed that the US Embassy be moved to the holy city

lists 7 major facts about the city everyone should know about Jerusalem

President Donald Trump, on Wednesday, December 6, has announced that Jerusalem would now be recognized as the capital of Israel by the United States of America (USA).

BBC reports that Trump announced the decision in a speech at the White House on Wednesday, December 6.

Announcing the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a move that could fuel tensions in the Middle East as the international community does not recognize the sovereignty of Israel over all of Jerusalem.

7 important facts about Jerusalem:

1. The city of Jerusalem, according to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, has a population of 840,000

2. Jerusalem city boasts of many economic activities such as (religious) tourism, industry, trade and agriculture, according to the Palestinian Encyclopedia.

3. Jerusalem’s existence dates up to 50 centuries, according to the Palestinian encyclopedia. The Jebusites established the city’s first generations.

4. Till today, the followers of the three religions - Jews, Christians and Muslims - with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall revere the city of Jerusalem.

5. Jerusalem’s geographic location is important as it was built on the Jerusalem plateau. The city is about 60 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea and about 35 kilometers from the Dead Sea, rising about 750 meters from the Mediterranean Sea and about 1,150 meters from the Dead Sea.

6. Jerusalem city has experienced different forms of occupation since the 16th century BC; it was occupied by the Pharaohs during the reign of Akhenaten, followed by Babylonian, Greek, Persian and other occupiers.

7. On December 3, 1948, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion announced West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Jerusalem City. Photo credit: Huffington