Topic: Temple Mount

Why does Norway's Breivik invoke the Knights Templar? (+video)

Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in a twin terror attack in Norway last July, claims to be a member of a reborn 'Knights Templar.' What's the symbolism?

Jerusalem: The Biography

Chronicling the world's holiest city

Why one-fifth of US representatives went to Israel this summer

The record delegation of 81 congressmen, whose expenses were paid by an AIPAC affiliate, is seen as a circling of the wagons just weeks ahead of a UN vote on Palestinian statehood.

Jerusalem Day: Why the Holy City is at the crux of the peace process

Israel insists Jerusalem is its ‘undivided and eternal’ capital while Palestinians insist on securing a capital in East Jerusalem. Here are three reasons why Jerusalem is so important to both sides.

A holy city's peaceful purpose

Centuries of religious tension in Jerusalem must yield to an inspired vision.

Palestine Papers: 5 disclosures that are making waves

Al Jazeera’s trove of documents on Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, which the news organization has dubbed the “Palestine Papers,” landed with a resounding thud on desks in Jerusalem and Ramallah yesterday. Here are some of the claims they contain that are already making waves in regional capitals.

Israeli police round up Palestinian youths, disregard their own laws, says rights report

The Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem says that the recent detentions of Palestinian youths, aimed at quelling stone-throwing in E. Jerusalem, violates Israeli law.

Temple Mount riot shows tough balancing act for Mahmoud Abbas

The Temple Mount riot in Jerusalem erupted after a Palestinian was killed by an Israeli security guard. Rising tensions are a challenge for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Top 5 reasons Jerusalem is such a thorny issue

Jerusalem is considered by many to be the trickiest issue to resolve in a two-state solution to Middle East peace. Israelis see the city as their “undivided and eternal capital” but Palestinians also seek to put their future capital in East Jerusalem, which is predominantly Arab.

SPECIAL REPORT: How the battle for Jerusalem plays out in one neighborhood

Amid changing demographics and plans for new Jewish development in East Jerusalem, the city has become an intensifying battleground for sovereignty. Here are five reasons why (in no particular order):

How Israeli-Palestinian battle for Jerusalem plays out in one neighborhood

The Israeli-Palestinian battle for Jerusalem is playing out in Silwan between Arab residents, religious Jews, and a municipality looking to revitalize its storied global brand.

Why Israeli-Palestinian conflicts over land turn epic

The importance of place to Jewish and Muslim identity intensifies Israeli-Palestinian conflicts over land, as illustrated by the disputed construction of a museum affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center on Jerusalem's Mamilla cemetery.

Ten years after Camp David, Israel has made peace even harder

A decade after the failed accords at Camp David, a just peace is still possible, but only if Western leaders act to end Israel’s discriminatory policies toward Palestinians.

Clinton call to Netanyahu: Israel settlement move a 'deeply negative signal'

Underscoring tensions over the Israel settlement issue, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strongly criticized an ill-timed announcement of 1,600 new housing units in a call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Will Israel heritage sites spark next Palestinian intifada?

The declaration of two biblical tombs in the West Bank as Israel heritage sites last week sparked clashes. Though Monday was quiet, some fear a new Palestinian intifada in response.

Israel names two biblical tombs in West Bank heritage sites

Israel named the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Rachel's tomb in the West Bank heritage sites on Monday. Both biblical tombs are in Palestinian cities, and the decision brought warnings of violence and protests on Tuesday.

Israeli police storm Jerusalem's holiest shrine

Fifteen Palestinians were arrested and three Israeli officers were injured during Sunday's clashes near the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem's grand mufti: Israel wrong to block Al-Aqsa Mosque

In rare interview, Al-Aqsa Mosque's Sheikh Hussein speaks out against Israel's actions.

In Jerusalem, clashes over Temple Mount, Al Aqsa Mosque

Israeli police and Palestinians skirmished Sunday over the closure of Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem for second week in a row.

Mr. Obama, Hebron is an eternal home for Jews

Eighty years after a massacre of Jews here and despite ongoing Arab threats, we yearn for peace. But will Obama's pressure on settlements force us to leave?

The far-right rises in Israeli politics

The success of Moshe Feiglin in this week's Likud primaries heralds a stronger fundamentalist tilt within the already conservative party.

For Livni, forming an Israeli coalition just got a lot harder

The outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel may have to withdraw from the West Bank if it wants peace with Palestinians, making Tzipi Livni's job of building a new government coalition with hard-liners much more difficult.