How come West Jerusalem has never been recognized as Israels capital?

**roy34543** · March 26, 2010, 06:34 PM

So im genuinely curious . Why has West Jerusalem never been recognized as Israels capital? It has always been its official capital but countries never put there embassies there.
Its been its capital since 1948-1967 , when it captured east jerusalem and made the entire city its capital, thats when the issue became controvorsial. Ive heard that the UN wanted Jerusalem to be an "international city" or some such, and thats why it was never recognized as a capital, But today it seems that many people want east jerusalem to serve as the undisputed palestinian Capital, so there would obviously be embassies etc there.
Does anyone know why West Jerusalem has never even been considered partially Israels Capital (except by the US)?

**Jaketh** · March 26, 2010, 07:12 PM

why not just make the entire city the capital

**hellheaven1987** · March 26, 2010, 08:28 PM

The reasons are:

1. West Jerusalm is under direct threat of rocket attack.

2. It would piss off Muslims, which in turn would piss off US government.

It is better not to do something controversial and lost your allies.

**motiv-8** · March 26, 2010, 09:04 PM

The reasons are:

1. West Jerusalm is under direct threat of rocket attack.

2. It would piss off Muslims, which in turn would piss off US government.

It is better not to do something controversial and lost your allies.

No, it doesn't really have anything to do with that, this issue goes back several decades.

Israel doesn't claim West Jerusalem as its capital. The Jerusalem Law of 1980 stated that all of Jerusalem is Israel's capital and it is on the basis of that law that the UN rejected its status as capital.

**roy34543** · March 26, 2010, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by motiv-8

No, it doesn't really have anything to do with that, this issue goes back several decades.

Israel doesn't claim West Jerusalem as its capital. The Jerusalem Law of 1980 stated that all of Jerusalem is Israel's capital and it is on the basis of that law that the UN rejected its status as capital.

Doesnt make sense though, if they expect east jerusalem to serve as a capital for the palestinians its a bit of farce to not put embassies in west jerusalem for Israel.

**motiv-8** · March 26, 2010, 09:20 PM

*shrug* Take it up with the UN and the Israeli government.. which is ironically, in West Jerusalem.

This isn't really a VV thread as it still deals with current, unresolved events.

**roy34543** · March 26, 2010, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by motiv-8

*shrug* Take it up with the UN and the Israeli government.. which is ironically, in West Jerusalem.

This isn't really a VV thread as it still deals with current, unresolved events.

Well im asking why they didnt put embassies in the past, its quite obvious to me why they dont want them today .

Because the capital of Israel is Tel Aviv

I like it more then jerusalem but.. I cant really see any reason why out of any city you can pick, it would be tel-aviv when Israel has called Jerusalem its capital since 1967.

**PointOfViewGun** · March 26, 2010, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by roy34543

I like it more then jerusalem but.. I cant really see any reason why out of any city you can pick, it would be tel-aviv when Israel has called Jerusalem its capital since 1967.

Because it's not. You're saying that people will put embassies in East Jerusalem for Palestine and why not put the ones for Israel in West Jerusalem when Israel claims the whole city as its capital. Do you see the problem here?

**Stavroforos** · March 26, 2010, 09:22 PM

Because the capital of Israel is Tel Aviv.

**nce_wht_guy** · March 26, 2010, 10:15 PM

Because that would be like recognizing Moscow as the capital of Switzerland. Just extremely retarded.

**Tiberios** · March 27, 2010, 03:58 AM

Originally Posted by nce_wht_guy

Because that would be like recognizing Moscow as the capital of Switzerland. Just extremely retarded.

Except Switzerland and Moscow have no shared history, while Jerusalem is the center of Judaism and the Jews historical presence in Palestine. Therefore making Jerusalem it's capital was the logical step.

**0N3** · March 27, 2010, 04:04 AM

I thought Israelis themselves think of Jersualem as Israels capital, while Tel Aviv is just officialy their capital. anyone can confirm this?

**Tiberios** · March 27, 2010, 04:09 AM

Originally Posted by 0N3

I thought Israelis themselves think of Jersualem as Israels capital, while Tel Aviv is just officialy their capital. anyone can confirm this?

According to Wikipedia, Jerusalem is Israels capital, it's just not recognized as such by the international community.

**Mangalore** · March 27, 2010, 08:53 AM

the problem is the context in history. in 1950 East Jerusalem belonged to Jordan => Jordan didn't need another capital. For Israel it would have been stupid to put its government right next to a potential war front. Tel Aviv is the safer place to have your government (similar to germany choosing Bonn, a small city in western germany over keeping its government in a divided and threatened Berlin, other historic aspects aside). In 1967 which started the whole Palestinian mess by annexing territory and thus removing any legal citizenship from the Palestinians in the occupied territory this changed.

The big dispute is really the "Jerusalem Law" because it stipulates the "entirety of Jerusalem" as Israel's capital so that includes half the city which was by international law illegally annexed => The UN put a ban on accepting this law and told everyone to move its embassies out.

So the problem is that Israel mixed the issue into the Palestinian conflict. None would deny Israel West Jerusalem as a capital, however as Israel has put a law in power that makes all Jerusalem her capital that would legalize an illegal landgrab.