Editor’s note: Professor Dan Arbell of American University, who spent 25 years in the Israeli Foreign Service, answers five questions about Jerusalem, which President Donald Trump recently recognized as the capital of Israel.
1. What is Jerusalem like today?
Jerusalem has a growing high-tech sector, a diverse, multicultural and multiethnic population, and bustling business centers and marketplaces that attract millions of tourists annually. Jerusalem is situated in a mountainous region, at 2,650 feet above sea level, overlooking the Judean Desert on one side and the Mediterranean coast on the other side. Jerusalem’s view and landscape are majestic.
What strikes first-time visitors to the city is the rare contrast between ancient and modern elements. In the east, the Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by a fortified stone wall, built during the rule of the Ottoman Empire between the 16th to 20th centuries. The Old City contains narrow, stone cobbled alleys, colorful small shops of mostly Palestinian merchants, selling anything from jewelry, to backgammon sets, to fruit and coffee with wonderful aroma. In the west is a modern city, with high-rise stone buildings, a bustling business center, beautiful green parks and the newly opened Light Rail system, which serves all parts of the city.
Read the full article by Don Arbell at The Conversation.