Jerusalem: Why The Land Is So Controversial

Jerusalem: Why The Land Is So Controversial

By Alexandra Miller

By Alexandra Miller
December 7, 2017

December 7, 2017

President Trump named Jerusalem the capital of Israel, but not every other country is on board. We look at why this city is so controversial.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT

This is really something presidents have contemplated closely for the last 20 years but shied away from for issues relating to safety and promoting peace — until today.

Get a deeper understanding of the stories that matter with Newsy's "The Why" — weekdays 7-9 p.m. ET.

TRENDING IN World NEWS

Pompeo Says He'll Remain As Negotiator With North Korea

President Donald Trump

Trump Will Be First Foreign Leader To Meet With Japan's New Emperor

Vatican To Open The 'Holy Stairs' To The Public For 2 Months

Journalist Lyra McKee

Police Treating Death Of Journalist Lyra McKee As 'Terrorist Incident'

United Arab Emirates flag.

Turkey Arrests 2 People Accused Of Spying For United Arab Emirates

Inside Saint Sulpice church in Paris.

Sarah Giroux, Newsy

This Is How Notre Dame Congregants Are Celebrating Easter Weekend

Homeless man in Paris.

Sarah Giroux, Newsy

Paris' Homeless Population Disappointed In Notre Dame Fundraising

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Paris Considers Building Temporary Church Near Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame fire

Investigators: Notre Dame Fire May Have Been Caused By A Short-Circuit

The Notre Dame Cathedral on fire on Monday, April 15, 2019.

Abdoulaye Sow

Early Witness To Notre Dame Cathedral Fire Critical Of Fire Response

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

North Korea Announces Tests Of 'New Tactical Guided Weapon'

Former Peruvian President Alan García

Peru's Former President Dies From Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound

U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun

US Envoy For North Korea Is Heading To Russia

European Union flags.

EU Threatens To Impose Tariffs On $20B Worth Of US Products

People line up to buy food in Venezuela

Venezuela Gets Its First Delivery Of Red Cross Humanitarian Aid

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Macron Vows To Rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral Within 5 Years

U.N. Support Mission in Libya

UN Security Council Draft Proposal Calls For Cease-fire In Libya

President Donald Trump

President Trump Vetoes Resolution On Saudi-Led War In Yemen

Benjamin Netanyahu

Members Of Israeli Parliament Voice Support For Netanyahu

A fire broke out on Monday afternoon and quickly spread across the building, collapsing the spire. The cause is yet unknown.

Notre Dame Cathedral "Miracle" -- All Is Not Lost

Julian Assange.

Ecuador Hit By Millions Of Cyberattacks After Julian Assange's Arrest

Some of the artifacts saved from the Notre Dame Cathedral Fire

Office of the Mayor of Paris

What Happened To The Artifacts Inside Notre Dame?

Iranian Supreme Leader welcomes Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leaders and officials

Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader

What Does Being Labeled As A Foreign Terrorist Organization Mean?

The Palace of Westminster

Following Notre Dame Fire, UK Lawmakers Worry About Parliament

A general view of Paris is seen from the roof of the Notre-Dame Cathedral on August 9, 2007 in Paris, France.

Beyond Notre Dame, Fire Has Damaged Other Important Landmarks

Notre Dame Cathedral on fire

TWITTER/@faiyah

Officials Say Fire At Notre Dame Cathedral Is Under Control

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran Approves $2 Billion For Flood Relief

Sudanese protesters wave the flag of Sudan

After Coup, Sudan Faces Fragile Transition To Democracy

China Is Reportedly Tracking Muslim Minority Group Through AI

6 Charged With Illegally Distributing New Zealand Mosque Attack Video

fn April 15, 2019 in Paris, France.

Witnesses Watch As Notre Dame Burns

European Parliament

The EU Is Set To Begin Trade Talks With The US

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

Workers Resume Removing Fuel Rods At Fukushima Power Plant

1800s photograph of Notre Dame Cathedral

Édouard Baldus

Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral Has A History Of Disrepair And Rebirth

UK Watchdog Floats Ban On Facebook Likes, Snapchat Streaks For Minors

People wade through flood waters in a rural neighborhood affected by Cyclone Idai.

Cyclone Idai's Death Toll Continues To Climb

Sudanese protesters wave the flag of Sudan

Protesters In Sudan Call For Civilian Transitional Government

Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn

German Prosecutors Charge Former Volkswagen CEO With Fraud

Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno

Ecuador's President Says Assange Tried To Use Asylum At Embassy To Spy

Facebook is displayed on a screen.

EU Approves Controversial Copyright Reforms

South Korean President Moon Jae-in

The Blue House

Moon Jae-In Says He's Willing To Be Part Of Another Inter-Korea Summit

Migrants sit with their belongings as they are received at an Annunciation House shelter for migrants

Central American Children Will Reunite With Parents In The US

Kim Jong-Un Gives US Until The End Of The Year To Work On Talks

Julian Assange gestures to the media from a police vehicle on his arrival at Westminster Magistrates court on April 11, 2019

British MP's Push For Government To Extradite Assange To Sweden

Awad bin-Auf speaks to the press.

SUDAN News Agency

The Military Leader Of Sudan's Coup Steps Down After Just One Day

A homeless woman sleeping

Ericd / CC BY SA 3.0

UN Says France Needs To Act On Its 'Homelessness Crisis'

U.S. marines in Afghanistan

ICC Judges Reject Request To Investigate War Crimes In Afghanistan

A person holds informational papers about Ebola

World Health Organization

WHO: Congo's Ebola Outbreak Is Not Declared An International Emergency

An emergency vehicle drives into the bomb site

Bombing In Pakistan Market Kills At Least 20

Former Sudan President Omar al-Bashir

Sudan Military Says New Government Will Be Civilian-Led

Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo

Imprisoned Journalists Exposed A Massacre By Talking To The Suspects

An AR-15 assault rifle

New Zealand's New Ban On Military-Style Weapons Is Officially Law

Protests in South Korea over anti-abortion law

South Korean Court Rules Decades-Old Abortion Ban Is Unconstitutional

Julian Assange gestures to the media from a police vehicle on his arrival at Westminster Magistrates court on April 11, 2019

US Charges WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange With Conspiracy

British Prime Minister Theresa May

European Leaders, Britain Agree To Long Brexit Extension

Vice President Mike Pence

VP Mike Pence Urges UN To Back Guaidó As Venezuela's Leader

Car tailpipe on highway

Millions Of New Childhood Asthma Cases Linked To Traffic Pollution

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

How Netanyahu Managed To Clinch Tough Election In Israel

Graphic from BBC's investigation of a killing in Cameroon

Open-Source Techniques Have Created A Whole New Kind Of Reporter

Maduro Says Venezuela Is Ready For International Aid

Israelis vote in election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wins Re-election

Public Affairs Officers with the United States Air Force.

US Military Officials Revise Death Toll In Afghanistan Attack

The European Union and British flags fly.

EU Expected To Approve Another Brexit Delay

A video that went viral on Twitter showed the murder of women and children in northern Cameroon.

How Journalists Solved Murders From Thousands Of Miles Away

People vote in local municipal elections in Istanbul

Turkey's Ruling Party Demands New Election For Mayor In Istanbul

An American flag and a European Union flag.

US Threatens To Slap Tariffs On $11 Billion Of EU Goods

A photo of Jamal Khashoggi

US Bars Entry To 16 Individuals For Their Roles In Khashoggi Murder

Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Algerian Parliament Names Interim President After Protests

Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft

Boeing Faces Another Wrongful Death Lawsuit After 737 MAX Crashes

Pro-Palestinian protesters

Young Progressives Are Increasingly Critical Of Israel. Here's Why.

An EU flag in front of the Houses of Parliament

House Of Lords Approves Bill Forcing May To Seek A Brexit Delay

Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo

Press Freedom Is Still On Trial In Myanmar

Protesters outside Brunei-owned Beverly Hills Hotel

The Brunei Hotel Boycott Highlights The Struggles Of LGBTQ Travelers

People enter a polling station to vote in Canada during a 2004 federal election

Canada May Regulate Social Media Platforms Ahead Of Election

'Implant Files' Exposes Dangers Of The Global Medical Device Industry

Polluted London skyline

London Rolls Out New Charge For High-Pollution Vehicles

Adam Tusk / CC BY 2.0

Singapore Seizes Over 14 Tons Of Pangolin Scales

US Labels Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps As Terrorist Organization

The social networking site Facebook is displayed on a laptop screen.

UK Government Unveils Plan To Crack Down On Harmful Online Content

Rebel Libyan fighter

US Temporarily Pulls Forces Out Of Libya Amid 'Increased Unrest'

Iran Red Crescent Society volunteers & staff evacuating people from flood waters.

Iranian Red Crescent Society

Flooding In Iran Leaves 70 Dead And Thousands Displaced

Graffiti on the Apartheid Wall near the West Bank

Netanyahu Says If Re-elected, He'll Annex Part Of West Bank

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin

US Imposes More Sanctions On Venezuela — This Time Targeting Cuba

An F-16 takes off from Kunsan airbase in South Korea.

Trump Administration Puts Hold On Sale Of Jet Fighters To Taiwan

A bleached piece of coral stands among other coral off the coast of Florida.

U.S. Geological Survey

Mass Bleaching Events Hurt The Great Barrier Reef's Ability To Rebuild

NATO Ministers Say Alliance Important As Ever, Despite Pressures

A wildfire rages

South Korea Declares National Emergency Amid Massive Wildfires

VW, Mercedes, Audi and BMW car emblems.

German Carmakers Accused Of Colluding To Slow Emissions Technology

Satellite image of Thitu Island

CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative / DigitalGlobe

Duterte: 'Suicide Mission' Possible If China Doesn't 'Lay Off' Island

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He.

Trump Says US Is 'Getting Very Close' To Trade Deal With China

People walk past the Houses of Parliament

The UK Pushes For Brexit Delay As European Elections Loom

President Donald Trump

House Passes Measure For U.S. Military Exit From Yemen

The Instagram and Facebook logos are displayed at a trade fair.

Australia Passes Law Against Violent Social Media Content

Clemantine Wamariya, Rwanda genocide survivor and author of "The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After"

This Author Fled The Rwandan Genocide And Survived To Tell Her Story

A floral tribute near the Al Noor mosque

Christchurch Suspect Will Face 50 Murder Charges In Friday Hearing

Parts of an engine and landing gear lie in a pile after the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

Report: Pilots Followed Procedures Before Ethiopian Airlines Crash