When and how did the problem involving the control of Jerusalem start?

Answer 1

Wow, that's tough.

Jerusalem is located in a very desirable location. It's location is ideal for trade and defense.

The first Diaspora, or scattering, was when Babylon took over the area and forced the Jews into exile.

the second Disaspora happened when the Romans took over the area and then, during the first century, the Jews rioted and were once again forced to disperse through the Roman Empire.

the most recent round of battles dates back to announcement by Britain that it intended to end its mandate of Palestine. At this point, a political movement called Zionism was encouraging Jewish people to move into the Holy Land because of anti-semitism experienced elsewhere, especially in Europe in the late 19th century.

So, with more Jews pouring into Palestine and Palestine about to gain its political independence, it became increasingly more contentious.

World War II and its aftermath increased the flood of Jews pouring into the area and the granting of portions of the area to the Jews to create Israel was the last straw.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Jerusalem has been the center of battles since the beginning of recorded times. The reason for this, is that its location on various trade routes. Some who fought for it in times past were the Persians, Romans, Jews, Muslims. And this battle continues even today.

Answer 3

Well, it all started really, about the year 1251 B.C. when the Israelites had come to the land of Cannan. Now if we can believe the bible then what we had was the appearence of a monothistic peoples(and fanatically so) into a polyestic and pagan world. If we can't believe the bible then either they were just people driven out of Egypt because they were considered a security risk(their ancestors having sided with the Hyksos-previous conqueres of Egypt), or a nomidic people or confederation of tribes or merely a group of people there who changed their beliefs. Whatever it was there must have been quite an upheaval. And if you take the bible literally the upheaval was extremely rutheless.

The Israelites invaded this land and began exterminating people. At one city their God told them to slaughter all the men, women, children and animals except for 12,000 virgins whom they were to take for themselves. And you know what happened to the Midianites?(the people of Mose's wife-Sapphora)-Joshua exterminated them. So the Israelites didn't exacally endear themselves to the local population.

Afterwards in the beginning of the reign of King David of the Israelites(he reigned > 1000-960 B.C.) there was a fine city called SALEM. David took the place and renamed it JERUSALEM(the Jew's Salem). Henceforth it was the capital (and even main capital after the split of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel after the reign of Solomon-David's son and sucsessor -c 960 B.C) and even after the Hebrews had been assailed by other kingdoms(the kingdom of Israel permanatley transplanted by the Assyrians and the kingdom of Judah exiled by the Chaldeans-Babylonians) it remained the eternal capital of the Hebrews. When Cyrus, king of Persia let them return, they reestablished Jerusalem as the capital . This remained throught the Persian, Alexandrian, Seluciud and Roman empires. In 70 A.D the Jews led by zealots and fanatics staged a revolt against Rome(although it was started by Nero's insistance of his image being in their temple-against the general policy of Rome) The Jews committed all sorts of crimes and had crimes committed against them. The revolt was crushed. Many years later they revolted again. This time behind the campaigning Roman army of Traijan against the Parthians. This caused a temporary withdrawal of the Roman army and precipitated a Parthian counterattack. Both the counterattack and the revolt were crushed. In fact it is thought that the Parthians and Jews might have been working together. With the reign of Traijan's
sucsessor Hadrian, the Jews started a revolt under a fanatic called SIMON BAR KHOBE( son of the star) as well as continuous riots in the cities of the eastern Meditteraenean, especially Alexandria. Finally the Romans got fed up . They first banned all Jews from Jerusalem except for the passover. And only then in controlled groups. Then the Jews were causing more trouble and being uncooperative. The Romans then renamed Jerusalem -ULPIA CAPATALINE after Hadrian's family name. and renamed the land PALASITINIA. Thus began the Dispora(the 1800 year exile of the Jews from that land)

The Jews lived throughout Europe and Asia and Africa all this time. They were many times not well thought of(being non christians) and were frequently persecuted. Meanwhile in the seventh century A.D. a new religion came about. The religion of Mohommed or Islam(which means surrender to god). For centuries the local people-Islamic- inhabited the land and the land was ruled by FATIMIDS, CRUSADERS, AYOUBS, MAMLUKES, TURKS and BRITISH. All throughout these centuries the Jews had become forgotten in this land.

Then in the nineteenth century some Jews started the Zionist movement. Basically to go back to what was known at the time-Palastine. There were some trickle of Jews to Palastine but not many. When World War I had finished, the Jews were expecting Britain to keep the promise of the Balfour Decleration which promised a Jewish homeland in return for Jewish support of Britain in World War I. Britain in it's traditional so called practical politics made promises also to the Arabs. Jews began to immigrate to Palastine and buy land.

Then came the Third Reich and World War II. After million of Jews were butchered in the death camps the world had sympathy for them and thus after some resistance from the British who had the mandate of the place and some terrorism, it was finally decided to grant the Jews, in 1947, their homeland in Palastine and divide up Jerusalem. This immidiately started wars from the local people who resented the state of Israel.

You see, the local people were Muslims(Islamics) who for one do not believe in seperation of church and state. They believe that the land they occupy is Muslim land. They will not tolerate another type of state on that land if they can help it. If the Jews had been Islamics-things would be different. However as they are what the Islamics consider -people of the book- and not of the "true faith" , then they consider the presence of a Jewish state as an intrusine and an invasion.
This is the first problem-the local people's religous beliefs.

Also the Jews did come and buy up land, occupy and develope it and did not tell , or did try and keep it a secret that they planned to take the land out from under the soverienty of the society there and create another state there. It is so as if a group of people came to your country, brought up land, developed it, brang in more of their own people and then declared an indedpendent state. The second problem is the disagreement WHERE the homeland for the Jews should be.

The third problem was the way the Jew acted in the first place. Instead of just having a homeland for the Jews they sought to contruct a JEWISH(RELIGOUS) STATE. If they had have been secular they would have stood a far better chance of peace.

The fourth problem is of JERUSALEM itself. It is a city that is sacred to the three great monolistic religions in the world: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Neither Jews or Moslems will compromise on being there. However at least the Jews have said that they will share Jerusalem with the Arabs.

You see, when you have two sides that are or at least were(thus causing the problem in the first place) at variance and both fanatical and uncompromising, then you can't have a solution an resolution until you either have a mighty power enforce one or you get rid of the intransience. On one hand the Jews did come in by stealth, they did move people living there and they did come back to a land after other people had lived their lives there for the last 1800 years. And they were thrown out of there originally for behavior that from any other empire would have gotten them exterminated. But on the other they did remembe and keep sacred the idea of their ancient homeland. They had suffered persecution and needed somewhere where they could be assured safety. They did offer most of the people there a part of the new state(most of the Palastinians left because they didn't want to live in a non Muslim state-especially a Jewish one)and they did develope the land, which the local population mostly did not. They also, when it had been agreed upon by the nations of the earth, did not start the war of 1947 or anyother major war in the region and they have not done as horrible and blatant terroist attacks on innocent civilians as their opponents have done. And Israel is a democracy. The only real democracy in the entire region up till recently. So there are right and wrong on both sides. So perhaps both sides should compromise and learn to live with one another. Of course the Palastinians would definitely have to have their own state. Although most of the land accorded in 1947 to them was seized by the other Arab power. But these people have been homeless and in poverty too long.

It probalby, if you believe the bible, started when with the rivalry between ISHMAEL and ISAAC. Both sons of ABRAHAM. Especially when Abraham listened to his wife Sarah and expelled Hagar,the mother of Ishmael and Ishmael himself. I wonder what would have happened if he had listened instead to common sense and decency. It most likely would have spared his decendants much much trouble and misery. The Arabs as well as the Jews claim decent from Abraham. So maybe they should forget their difference and remember their common decsent. After all with that realization of their common descent might come with it some common sense. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

In 1947, with the establishment of the state of Israel.