Boundaries of Jerusalem

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place in Paris during 1919-1920. One of its decisions was to establish a mandate regime for those areas and people, which were under the defeated countries (mainly Germany and the Ottoman Empire), in order to lead them to independence. Thus, Britain got the Mandate for Palestine, mainly to fulfill the Balfour Declaration, which was "His Majesty's government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country".
A civil administration was established in Palestine, Jerusalem serving as the site of the High Commissioner and his departments. During the period of the British mandate, Jerusalem grew to be a city with about 160,000 people (also at the same time the Jewish suburb of Tel Aviv grew to be a city with about 230,000 people), about 100,000 of them where Jews, about 45,000 Arab Moslems and about 15,000 Christians. As the struggle between Jews and the Arabs intensified during the years of British rule, and came to an overall "Arab Revolt" in 1936-1939, a British Royal Commission established in late 1936 " To ascertain the underlying causes of the disturbances which broke out in Palestine in the middle of April; to enquire into the manner in which the Mandate for Palestine is being implemented in relation to the obligations of the Mandatory towards the Arabs and the Jews respectively; and to ascertain whether, upon a proper construction of the terms of the Mandate, either the Arabs or the Jews have any legitimate grievances on account of the way in which the Mandate has been or is being implemented; and if the Commission is satisfied that any such grievances are well-founded, to make recommendation; for their removal and for the prevention of their recurrence." The recommendations of the Royal commission were to finish the British Mandate of Palestine, To divide it between the Jews and the Arabs, establish an independent Jewish state in the part left for the Jews, annexing the whole area devoted to the Arabs to Trans Jordan, and, leave Jerusalem, and a corridor between the Mediterranean post of Jaffa and Jerusalem, in the hand of Britain. Thus Jerusalem

Present Situation
Peace negotiation between Israel and the Palestinian authority have been ongoing for the last 25 years.
The future of Jerusalem is one of the major issues in those talks. willing to accept that the Arab areas of Jerusalem would be under Palestinian rule, the problem of the Old City of Jerusalem. Especially the question of the TempleMount, which is holy for the Jews and the Moslems, seams too difficult to overcome. Up to now, more than 50 plans for ruling Jerusalem were suggested, including establishing "Holy Basin" which will includes the Old city and some religious area beyond it, ruled by representatives of the three faiths, but up to now, no any solution was adapted.

Conclusions
It thus appears that the definition of Jerusalem's status and function is the result of religious and national concepts, international and local decisions, and construction that annexes territory to the city but sometimes avoids it. Some argue that the real Jerusalem is only the one inside the walls-The Old City, and all the rest are neighborhoods built over the last hundred years, and only administrative decisions have determined that they will be part of Jerusalem, thus sloppiness and administrative decisions can be changed. Thus, the western neighborhoods of Jerusalem were not included in Jerusalem during the Mandate period, and thus the nearby local community of Mevasseret Zion, which is adjacent to Jerusalem, is not part of the city, and further areas in the west were added to the city.
It seems, therefore, that the boundaries of Jerusalem have changed considerably over the last 150 years.
Sometimes the change is due to the expansion of the built-up area and sometimes due to planning and political needs. In any case, the authority to determine the territory of the city was exclusive in the hands of the central government, which ruled the area at the time.
So where is Jerusalem -it seems that it depends on the reader's position, and everyone has his own Jerusalem, which he demands for himself and is not willing to share with the other.