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Source: http://www.varimail.com/asp/broadcast/ILIST/jerusalem-unesco1.pdf
Jerusalem: One Nation's Capital throughout History
(Myths and Facts) Eli E. Hertz - For more than 3,000 years, Jerusalem has played a central role in the history of the Jews, culturally, politically, and spiritually, a role first documented in the Scriptures. All through the 2,000 years of the diaspora, Jews have called Jerusalem their ancestral home. Jews in prayer always turn toward Jerusalem. When Muslims pray, they face Mecca. The Old Testament mentions "Jerusalem" 349 times. "Zion," another name for Jerusalem, is mentioned 108 times. The Quran never mentions Jerusalem even once. Jews end Passover Seders and Yom Kippur prayers each year with the words: "Next year in Jerusalem." The Arab rulers who controlled eastern Jerusalem through the 1950s and 1960s demonstrated no religious tolerance. That changed after the Six-Day War in 1967 when Israel regained control of the whole city. One of Israel's first steps was to officially recognize and respect all religious interests in Jerusalem.