Kameel Majdali

We are all familiar with the 1967 Six Day War in Jerusalem and what transpired. Jerusalem was partitioned between Israel and Jordan after the 1948 War. Then came the Six Day War and Israel captured the Jordanian sector. This included the historic and sacred walled Old City and the Mount of Olives. Many of the Biblical sites are located in these places. At the end of June 1967 Israeli law was applied to eastern Jerusalem, meaning it was annexed to the Jewish state. Then in 1980, the Basic Law of Jerusalem as the eternal and indivisible capital of Israel was passed by the parliament, the Knesset. All of this is well known. Yet, what is overlooked is that there was a gradual change in an age-old phenomena called Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Like a flowing river, foreign Christians have been coming to the holy city almost from the very beginning of the church age. After 1967, the demographics and numbers of pilgrims would change, slowly but surely. The first bona fide known Christian visitor who left a record of his journey was Melito of Sardis in the second century AD. Then the Christianisation of the Roman Empire and of Jerusalem […]

“Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel” — US President Donald Trump You would have thought the sky had fallen! US President Donald Trump, no stranger to controversy, made a simple statement on 6 December 2017, stating that the United States recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Mr. Trump was honouring a campaign promise, which some of his predecessors also made but did not fulfil. Though Trump sought to be calming, even-handed, and concilatory, there was a strong reaction from key parties. When it comes to Jerusalem, it can be very emotive. In this article, we will find out who cares about the issue and why. Before making his statement, President Trump called Egyptian President Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah, Saudi King Salmon, and Palestinian Authority President Abbas, explaining his actions. He confirmed that the US is still open to the internationally-endorsed ‘two state solution,’ meaning the holy land is to house two nations for two people, ‘living in peace side-by-side.’ What is not directly stated, but implicit, is that along with ‘two states’ there is also to be ‘two Jerusalems,’ one city but divided into two capitals for two peoples. The […]

It has got to be one of the greatest puzzles in foreign policy today. A city of under 1 million people, lacking major roads, waterways, or rivers. In fact, its mountainous terrain makes access a real challenge. It possesses no natural resources, except some religious sites. In other words, it has none of the normal ingredients of greatness. Its international legal status continues to be in limbo. Though it serves as a capital city, no foreign embassies are found there. Yet, from the highlands of New Guinea to the jungles of the Amazon, the name recognition of this city is universal. It is the subject of frequent United Nations resolutions and causes foreign secretaries of major western countries to have sleepless nights. The city in question is none other than Jerusalem. What we are going to discover is that the global spotlight will shine more and more in the coming days. It will go from a global ‘concern’ to ‘obsession.’ What’s more, this attention was forecast 2,500 years ago in Scripture. Jerusalem has a 4,000 year old history. The first 1,000 years (2000 BC) it was as a heathen town called ‘Jebus,’ perched on a slope known as Ophel. Despite […]