The conflict over the status of Jerusalem is often cited as the most sensitive, central and emotive of the conflicts shaking the Middle East region as a whole. It is one of the major obstacles in the peace process. Palestinians in the annexed city continue to suffer the daily abuse of occupation in the form of Israeli discriminatory practices against them.

The WCC has repeatedly addressed the question of Jerusalem since 1948. It affirms that Jerusalem is a holy city for three monotheistic religions – Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. The WCC believes that "Jerusalem must remain an open and inclusive city" and that it must be "shared in terms of sovereignty and citizenship" within the framework of international law.

Download a presentation on the Jerusalem residency rights of Palestinian Christians by Yusef Daher, Jerusalem Inter-Church Centre (pdf, 502 KB)

Download a dossier on "Jerusalem, Issues and Perspectives" (pdf), prepared as background material for the World Week 2011

East Jerusalem – Key humanitarian concerns

This is a report which focuses on East Jerusalem and forms part of a series by OCHA which examines the humanitarian impact of Israeli measures, such as the Barrier, settlements and planning and zoning restrictions, on Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). The report mainly focuses on the area unilaterally annexed to Israel and included within the municipal boundary of Jerusalem following the 1967 war. This annexation is not recognized by the international community, and the Security Council has resolved that all legislative measures and actions taken by Israel to alter the character and status of Jerusalem are null and void. Read more